WOE Dispatch
Stay informed with the latest trends, tips, and insights to help you navigate the ever-evolving world around us.
Seiko
Best Quartz Watches for the W.O.E. Community
In this Dispatch, we provide a list of our top picks for analog quartz watches representing a wide array of categories and price points, all tailored to the needs of...
Best Quartz Watches for the W.O.E. Community
In this Dispatch, we provide a list of our top picks for analog quartz watches representing a wide array of categories and price points, all tailored to the needs of the W.O.E. Community.
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Graduation Watches for the W.O.E. Community
For prospective graduates of service academies, military training pipelines, colleges, trade programs, or even high school, we would argue that a watch is among the most meaningful gifts you could...
Graduation Watches for the W.O.E. Community
For prospective graduates of service academies, military training pipelines, colleges, trade programs, or even high school, we would argue that a watch is among the most meaningful gifts you could give or receive, but it can be tough to know where to start. Intended for parents, friends, or family members...
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Watch Industry SITREP - December 2025
Closing down 2025, we have a lot to unpack, from the VP’s impromptu attempt at Navy SEAL training to a new MI6 chief and her Rolex to vulnerable Apple Watches...
Watch Industry SITREP - December 2025
Closing down 2025, we have a lot to unpack, from the VP’s impromptu attempt at Navy SEAL training to a new MI6 chief and her Rolex to vulnerable Apple Watches showing up where they shouldn’t to timepieces appearing in court documents related to some of recent history’s most notorious individuals.
Read MoreW.O.E. YouTube: North Korean Spy’s Seiko Watch ...
What Can A Dive Watch Teach Us About Espionage In The Hermit Kingdom - Thirty minutes south of Tokyo, Japan, a mangled Seiko dive watch sits in an innocuous glass...
W.O.E. YouTube: North Korean Spy’s Seiko Watch Found On A Secret Shipwreck
What Can A Dive Watch Teach Us About Espionage In The Hermit Kingdom - Thirty minutes south of Tokyo, Japan, a mangled Seiko dive watch sits in an innocuous glass case in a museum dedicated to the Japanese Coast Guard.
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Watches in Space Exploration & Space Security
Humankind’s quest to explore the final frontier has always relied on the most cutting-edge technology, including mechanical and digital watches. After the successful launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1...
Watches in Space Exploration & Space Security
Humankind’s quest to explore the final frontier has always relied on the most cutting-edge technology, including mechanical and digital watches. After the successful launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1 satellite on 04 October 1957, a sense of fear and panic spread across the Western world.
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Three Affordable Watches I Used This Summer
From Open-Water Swims To Dinner Out, Meaning Comes From Use, Not MSRP - Summertime generally means travel, time off at the beach or in the mountains, or, if you are...
Three Affordable Watches I Used This Summer
From Open-Water Swims To Dinner Out, Meaning Comes From Use, Not MSRP - Summertime generally means travel, time off at the beach or in the mountains, or, if you are lucky, a trip to Europe or another cultural destination. It is also a great time to build lasting memories.
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W.O.E. YouTube: Billy Waugh - The Watches Of A ...
In 2001, Special Forces icon Billy Waugh celebrated his 72nd birthday in the remote mountains of Afghanistan while working for CIA in the search for Osama Bin Laden. While his...
W.O.E. YouTube: Billy Waugh - The Watches Of A CIA & Special Forces Legend
In 2001, Special Forces icon Billy Waugh celebrated his 72nd birthday in the remote mountains of Afghanistan while working for CIA in the search for Osama Bin Laden. While his age was unusual for the tip of the spear, this was far from Waugh’s first rodeo. From his service in...
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The Most Iconic Military Watch Of All Time? The...
One Of History’s Most Important Diving & Military Watches Was Also One Of The Most Attainable By Benjamin Lowry At W.O.E., we are vehemently brand agnostic. However, certain brands and...
The Most Iconic Military Watch Of All Time? The Seiko 6309
One Of History’s Most Important Diving & Military Watches Was Also One Of The Most Attainable By Benjamin Lowry At W.O.E., we are vehemently brand agnostic. However, certain brands and watches have a habit of popping up again and again in relation to our community. Who are we to argue...
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The Other Watches of James Bond
Despite being a fictional character, perhaps no figure in the world of Watches of Espionage claims as much influence as James Bond. The celebrated links between 007, Rolex, and Omega...
The Other Watches of James Bond
Despite being a fictional character, perhaps no figure in the world of Watches of Espionage claims as much influence as James Bond. The celebrated links between 007, Rolex, and Omega are well-established and contribute to the lore surrounding two of history’s most important tool watches, namely the Rolex Submariner and...
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Special Forces, CIA, & A Seiko 6105
How A Tier One Cold War Operator Evolved Into A Watch Collector James Stejskal had a long and storied career in Army Special Forces, Detachment A in Berlin, and with...
Special Forces, CIA, & A Seiko 6105
How A Tier One Cold War Operator Evolved Into A Watch Collector James Stejskal had a long and storied career in Army Special Forces, Detachment A in Berlin, and with the Central Intelligence Agency, In this Dispatch, he shares some of his stories and the tools he used. Late October...
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A Second Seiko 6139 Chronograph In Outer Space
The Watch Journey Of A Vietnam Fighter Pilot & Astronaut by Nick Ferrell NASA Astronaut and US Air Force Colonel Richard Covey recalls the first time he glimpsed the sunrise...
A Second Seiko 6139 Chronograph In Outer Space
The Watch Journey Of A Vietnam Fighter Pilot & Astronaut by Nick Ferrell NASA Astronaut and US Air Force Colonel Richard Covey recalls the first time he glimpsed the sunrise over the curvature of the Earth from 150 miles up in space, “I thought two things: First, ‘Holy Cow!’ This...
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The Seiko Found In The Wreckage Of A Spy Ship A...
A Seiko Dive Watch 7548 - 7000 was recovered from the wreckage of a North Korean Spy Ship after the Battle of Amami-Ōshima. Where did it come from and what...
The Seiko Found In The Wreckage Of A Spy Ship And North Korean Covert Operations
A Seiko Dive Watch 7548 - 7000 was recovered from the wreckage of a North Korean Spy Ship after the Battle of Amami-Ōshima. Where did it come from and what does it tell us about North Korean Covert Action? At CIA, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is known...
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Watches & Wheels: Pairing Military Vehicles wit...
Round Two of honoring the age-old tradition of matching watches up with heavy-hitting machinery. We’ve done it once before–paired watches with military aircraft–and now we’re doing it again. Except this...
Watches & Wheels: Pairing Military Vehicles with Timepieces
Round Two of honoring the age-old tradition of matching watches up with heavy-hitting machinery. We’ve done it once before–paired watches with military aircraft–and now we’re doing it again. Except this time, we’re trading wings and rotors for wheels and tracks. These watch pairings explore the world of military vehicles. There’s...
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Moscow Rules: Watches of the Widow Spy
Spy Watches, Women and Espionage - At the height of the Cold War, a female CIA officer operated with impunity on the streets of Moscow, free from the ever-present KGB...
Moscow Rules: Watches of the Widow Spy
Spy Watches, Women and Espionage - At the height of the Cold War, a female CIA officer operated with impunity on the streets of Moscow, free from the ever-present KGB surveillance. But it all changed one warm summer night when she was ambushed while servicing a dead drop for a...
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What Watch Pairs With What Military Aircraft?
Honoring an age-old tradition of matching watches up with heavy-hitting machinery. At W.O.E., we cover all sorts of subjects relevant to our community, ranging from in-depth profiles of impactful Intelligence...
What Watch Pairs With What Military Aircraft?
Honoring an age-old tradition of matching watches up with heavy-hitting machinery. At W.O.E., we cover all sorts of subjects relevant to our community, ranging from in-depth profiles of impactful Intelligence Community and military practitioners to breaking down geopolitical conflicts through the lens of watches. Today, however, we figured we’d go...
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Double Wristing Stormin' Norman
No, General Schwarzkopf did not double wrist a Rolex and Seiko Despite What You’ve Read. Pictured is General H. Norman Schwarzkopf wearing two watches. Read any story on Schwarzkopf and...
Double Wristing Stormin' Norman
No, General Schwarzkopf did not double wrist a Rolex and Seiko Despite What You’ve Read. Pictured is General H. Norman Schwarzkopf wearing two watches. Read any story on Schwarzkopf and watches and you’ll learn that it’s a Rolex Day-Date and a Seiko diver. There’s just one problem–he didn’t wear a...
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SOG Seikos - Vietnam MACV-SOG Watches, Part II
Detailing the Lesser Known Fourth CISO-Issued “SOG Seiko” By Nick Ferrell - Watches of Espionage previously covered a trio of vintage Seiko dive watches worn by the U.S. Military’s ultra-secretive...
SOG Seikos - Vietnam MACV-SOG Watches, Part II
Detailing the Lesser Known Fourth CISO-Issued “SOG Seiko” By Nick Ferrell - Watches of Espionage previously covered a trio of vintage Seiko dive watches worn by the U.S. Military’s ultra-secretive Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observat
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CIA Officer’s Love Affair with the Arabic Seiko
As I type this Dispatch, I am on a transatlantic flight to London for a short visit, a mix of business and pleasure. As a former CIA Case Officer, separating...
CIA Officer’s Love Affair with the Arabic Seiko
As I type this Dispatch, I am on a transatlantic flight to London for a short visit, a mix of business and pleasure. As a former CIA Case Officer, separating the two can be difficult. In my W.O.E. travel pouch is my Rolex GMT Master II 16710. On my wrist...
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