Carefully Selected Timepieces From Tudor, G-Shock, Seiko, Panerai, Citizen, & RESCO Add Depth To Jack Carr’s Characters
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf takes Jack Carr’s universe deeper into the shadows, with Taylor Kitsch returning as Ben Edwards in a prequel that explores his transition to shadowy CIA operative after a troubling exit from the SEAL Teams. Like the original series from 2022, Carr’s fingerprints are all over the details, and nowhere is that more evident than in the timepieces selected for each of the prominent characters.
I spoke with Jack, who is currently on set in Morocco for the next series, True Believer, and he said:
“The watches of Dark Wolf are important because they tell a story about the person wearing them. Just like in the books, they let the reader know, and in this case, the viewer, if that character values time, values history, or just wants something flashy on their wrist.”
Carr on the set of Dark Wolf. (Photo Credit: Jack Carr)
Masterfully woven into the fabric of each character’s story, the watches in Dark Wolf don’t just tell the time; they add depth and realism, once again proving that art imitates life and vice versa. From Tudor to G-Shock, a couple of deep cut Seiko references, Oris, Panerai, and more, the show's ability to pair timepieces with fictional characters is among the best in the business.
Full Disclosure: Jack is a friend, and I have provided some advice on watches for both the books and the latest television series.
Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch) - G-Shock & Tudor Pelagos
(Photo Credit: The Terminal List, Justin Lubin)
Dark Wolf opens with an extended flashback to Edwards’ time in Iraq in 2015, including the controversial operation that leads to his abrupt exit from the SEAL Teams. In contrast to the original series from 2022, which follows former golden boy SEAL James Reece’s quest for revenge following the murder of his family, Edwards’ character in Dark Wolf is imperfect, troubled, and, as the name implies, darker, exploring a more visceral side of modern espionage operations.
G-Shock DW6900-1V
(Photo Credit: The Terminal List, Justin Lubin)
In the Iraq scenes, Edwards wears a G-Shock DW6900-1V. One of four G-Shock references to have earned an NSN or NATO Stock Number, the inclusion of the DW6900-1V for Chief Edwards’ character is on target, and the indelible image of an early GWOT SEAL will always include a G-Shock on the wrist. Our only beef with the watch’s cameo is that Kitsch wears his G-Shock on a braided paracord strap, something we have not personally seen utilized by SOF… but we will let it slide. It’s Hollywood after all.
Tudor Pelagos
(Photo Credit: Terminal List, Justin Lubin)
After being kicked out of the Teams and transitioning to CIA, one of Edwards’ new Mossad teammates asks him to lose his Gatorz sunglasses and G-Shock. According to Jack, it was important that Edwards and his team “...ditch some of the clothing and items that identify them as special operators and that includes their G-Shock watches.” Edwards’ CIA handler, Jed Haverford, then orders him to buy some new clothes and an expensive watch to suit his new clandestine role. In the real world, SOF personnel are known to wear certain “tells” when they transition to CIA, and this scene rings true.
For the rest of the series, Edwards wears a standard Tudor Pelagos on the seldom-seen OEM rubber strap. “For Ben, we picked a Tudor because of their links to the SEAL teams in the 1960s and 70s, but it’s a link that most people are not aware of,” Jack recounted. Tudor has been closely associated with SEALs since the Vietnam War, and the inclusion of the Pelagos is another well-selected detail that fits Edwards' operational history and transition to undercover work for CIA.
Carr on the set of Dark Wolf. (Photo Credit: Jack Carr)
Fun fact: after the filming, the two Tudor Pelagos models used on screen were gifted to Carr, and he regularly wears one today. There is even a cool engraving on the back, but more on that later…
Raife Hastings (Tom Hopper) - MTM & Panerai
(Photo Credit: The Terminal List, Justin Lubin)
Similar to Edwards, Raife Hastings, portrayed by an extremely large Tom Hopper, joins the show during the Iraq flashback before being kicked out of the Teams and joining CIA alongside Kitsch’s character. In Iraq, Hastings wears a slightly corny blacked-out MTM Special Ops watch that we might not have chosen if we were asked.
After Haverford orders Edwards and Hastings to spring for some expensive watches, Hastings wears an all-black Panerai, the 47mm Panerai Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech PAM00979, which we have also seen on former SAS operator Chris Craighead.
Tom Hopper wears a Panerai in the later episodes of Dark Wolf.
In Jack’s own words: “For Raife, we chose a Panerai to differentiate him from Ben and also to have a link to the Italian frogmen of World War II.”
Despite at-times challenging marketing, Panerai does have a long-standing relationship with NSW, making the Panerai selection in Dark Wolf another well-done pick. Additionally, executive producer Chris Pratt is a Panerai brand Ambassador, so we can assume there is some connection here. Overall, this is a cool pick that really adds depth to the character.
Waltham Wrist Compass - Vietnam War
My favorite moment in the series doesn’t involve a watch at all. In episode one, James Reece gives Raife Hastings, his childhood friend and SEAL teammate, a Waltham wrist compass used by Reece’s father, who served as a SEAL and CIA Case Officer in Vietnam. Nailing a watch selection is one thing, but including a detail as nuanced as a Vietnam-era wrist compass typically worn by SEALs with their Tudor Subs is indicative of the lengths to which Carr will go to build depth into his characters.
Mohammed 'Mo' Farooq (Dar Salim) - Arabic Seiko SNKP21
(Photo Credit: The Terminal List, Justin Lubin)
Looking beyond the protagonist, Danish actor Dar Salim plays Mohammed 'Mo' Farooq, an Iraqi special forces officer who features prominently in Edwards’ past and present. One of our favorite watch picks in the series and maybe the history of film, Mo wears an Arabic Seiko SNKP21, a watch we like to call the Seik-W.O.E., and one that helped to inspire our love affair with watches.
Kidding aside, the affordable mechanical watch from a brand we have called “The Toyota of Watches”, complete with Eastern Arabic indices, is exactly the kind of thing you’d hope to see on an Iraqi assaulter. Nailing the smallest details, the show goes so far as to equip the watch with a nylon strap we sincerely hope is from the W.O.E. Shop. In the last few episodes, Mo switches to what could be a bronze Oris Big Crown ProPilot, continuing the show’s relationship with Oris that started with James Reece wearing an AquisPro in the first season.
James Reece (Chris Pratt) - RESCO BlackFrog
(Photo Credit: The Terminal List, Justin Lubin)
Relegated to a supporting role in Dark Wolf, James Reece, portrayed by Chris Pratt, is the central figure in Carr’s Terminal List universe. While he wore an array of watches in 2022’s The Terminal List, Pratt sticks with his trusty RESCO BlackFrog in this series. Coming from a brand founded by a then-active-duty SEAL in 2009, the integration of a RESCO in the show is among its deepest watch cuts, as the brand has managed to maintain a low profile despite a strong following in NSW, including having produced several unit watches.
Jed Haverford (Robert Wisdom) - Seiko 6619-8060
(Watch Photo Credit: The Watch Preserve)
After an orchestrated “chance encounter” (bump) at a luxurious European bar, Edwards is pitched by Jed Haverford, a salty CIA chief from Iran Operations Division (IOD), to come over to the Agency. Haverford mentions his time in the Army, but the show allows his watch to speak more deeply about his background. Haverford’s watch, a vintage Seiko 6619-8060, is one of the three references issued to MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War. Typically paired with a Waltham wrist compass, which also makes an appearance in the show, these older Seiko 5 references serve as living mementos of one of the conflict’s most celebrated clandestine units.
For the W.O.E. community, and anyone else deeply in the know, the watch implies Haverford’s membership in MACV-SOG without a single scripted word. This is one of the coolest additions to the series, 99% of people will miss it, but for us, it is everything.
Eliza Perash (Rona-Lee Shimon) - Citizen Promaster Dive
Haverford’s team in Dark Wolf is a joint CIA and Mossad cell, with Rona-Lee Shimon’s Eliza Perash serving as the femme fatale operator extraordinaire and love interest for Edwards, whom she calls “Pirate”. Throughout the show, Perash wears a Citizen Promaster Dive in the mid-size 36.5mm configuration. Israeli special operations forces, including Shayetet 13, have long been associated with Seiko, but for a Mossad agent to wear an inexpensive quartz dive watch makes perfect sense, pairing perfectly with Perash’s pragmatic, rugged depiction.
Honorable Mentions
A second RESCO sighting in the show on the wrist of CDR Cox.
The attention to detail in the timepiece arena is not limited to the show’s starring roles, and even supporting players show up with serious watches on their wrists. In the Iraq scenes, SEAL commander Bill Cox (LaMonica Garrett) wears a RESCO Manus chronograph, and Mossad agent Tal Varon (Shiraz Tzarfati) wears what appears to be a translucent Baby-G G-Shock model. In at least one scene, a bad guy wears an Oris Aquis, and creator Jack Carr even makes a brief cameo appearance wearing an Ares, though the watch is not visible in the final cut.
Final Thoughts
At W.O.E., we subscribe to the Use Your Tools ethos, an understanding that watches are more than just tools for telling time, also acting as mementos of past experiences and symbols of heritage. In special operations and intelligence, watches are deeply ingrained in the fabric of the culture, and while Hollywood often misses the mark, any realistic fictional depiction of these communities should also include watches that fit the bill.
Carr on the set of Dark Wolf (Credit: Jack Carr)
Having served as a Navy SEAL for twenty years before becoming a best-selling author, Jack Carr intimately understands the importance of timepieces as tools for special operators and for character development. We’re not the type to recommend believing everything you see on TV, and even if certain aspects of Dark Wolf are pure Hollywood, the watches are among the most thoughtfully selected we have come across.
Jack is currently on the set of True Believer and said:
“Details matter in both the books and television shows, and watches will always be an important part of informing about characters. In True Believer, a Rolex Submariner from 1968 plays a vital role in moving the plot forward.”
We are excited to see what comes next!
If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE.
Read Next: Hollywood Watches of Espionage
6 comments
While I agree that choice of the watches are great to give the characters some additional depth, I will also have a small criticism there. Because if you look for the reason why Ben and Raife were told to ditch Gatorz and G-Shock – to be more inconspicuous – then I would say the Tudor Pelagos and Panerai Submersible are not the best watches to fit in as some not connected to military.
Using watches, knives, guns — objects of utility — to highlight character and identity, real and mythic, is a well-worn road in literary fiction. There are plenty of watch experts (such as Mr WoE) who can assign models and watches to individual characters in a fictional TV series or a movie. Especially in the 21st century. The fact that Carr used this well-known plot device to market his story isn’t remarkable. Not in the slightest.
The series wasn’t compelling enough for this combat vet and foreign service officer to finish. Gear, guns, and watches, and even that cool Waltham compass (there are WW2-era movies that exploit this visual trope) didn’t quite do the trick. The characters didn’t feel real; wooden, cardboard cutouts mostly. Stories of revenge, redemption, and rage (the three R’s) have a bell-curve, predictable trajectory. Nothing new can be extracted regardless of the writer’s background or experience.
I understand the implicit marketing drive to push products, however.
I would have used the Seiko Arabic Diver SRPF89K1 for “Mo”
I agree the MTM is kind of a corny tacticool watch, but I think I’ve seen HRH Abdullah II wearing a different model in theatre (at least to the extent they let a king do so) so the brand is not completely pulled out of a hat.
It a shame to see Jack’s fire selector on the AK is on full auto. Of course Seals are way to cool to put the safety on (“This is my safety, sir”), but at least put it on single shot :) All jokes aside, great article and I love the pick of all the watches.