Top W.O.E. Articles & Videos Of 2025
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In This Story
From Unit Watches To Counterintelligence Risks, The Content That Defined W.O.E. In 2025
With 2025 drawing to a close, let’s take a moment to recap some of the top Dispatch articles and YouTube videos from this past year. At W.O.E., our main focus is content, and to put it mildly, we are extremely proud of what we accomplished this year. From sharing a near definitive guide to Navy SEAL watches, continuing our discussion of Apple Watch counterintelligence risks, and our exploration of unit watches, we have documented some great stories for the community.
We have no plans to slow down in the new year, but for now, let’s see what resonated with our community in 2025.
10. The Watches Of B-2 Stealth Bomber Pilots
Iranian Nuclear Airstrike: Exploring The Custom Breitling, Omega, & Bremont Unit Watches Of The B-2 Community
On 21 June, seven B-2 Spirit heavy strategic bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and set a course for Iran. Some eighteen hours later, three of the bombers struck two nuclear sites in Iran, utilizing a bomb called the GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), also known as a “bunker buster”, for its first operational strike.
9. Affordable Watches For The W.O.E. Community
The Use Your Tools Ethos Is About Utility, Heritage, & Shared Experience, Not MSRP
The watch media landscape is replete with lists of “affordable” watches, many of which are constructed based on brand input or marketing dollars, SEO optimization, or integrating affiliate links. The adage that you should not believe everything you read rings true, but for many, these lists are helpful, providing a useful starting point for further research for anyone who does not live among the weeds. With that in mind, we created a list of relatively affordable watches specifically tailored to the needs of our community.
8. Taking A $15 Casio F91W 5,000 Meters Underwater
Pressure Testing An Affordable Watch & Understanding Deep-Sea Espionage
While the stories we tell typically explore the world of intelligence in the terrestrial sense, espionage and the deep sea have been closely linked for decades. Starting during the Cold War, a shadowy conflict has been waged on the ocean floor. From submarines and divers tapping (or cutting) cables to deep-sea acoustic listening stations and the clandestine recovery of sensitive materials, controlling and monitoring the deep ocean is an unfamiliar yet critical component of intelligence and modern warfare.
7. The Best Military & Intelligence Unit Watches
Customized Timepieces From Rolex, Breitling, Tudor, Bremont, & Omega
In the W.O.E. community, military “unit watches” are at the heart of modern watch culture. A unit watch is a timepiece that is customized by the manufacturer for members of a specific unit or organization. Customizations generally include the unit’s insignia on the dial and/or an engraving on the caseback. Unit watches are generally private purchases, paid for by the individual operator, and not issued or purchased by the government.
6. Dear Mr. Vice President, Please Take Off Your Apple Watch
An Open Letter To JD Vance From A Former CIA Officer On The Counterintelligence Risks Of Smartwatches
As Vice President, you are now a priority intelligence collection target for the world's most capable bad actors, and the Apple Watch is an effective vector for potential exploitation. We do not doubt that hostile intelligence services are working around the clock to exploit (“hack”) your devices and would be genuinely surprised if they haven't already.
5. What Should I Buy For My First Watch?
Seiko, Hamilton, Timex, & More - Our Top Picks For Starter Watches Of Espionage
One of the most common questions we are asked is: “What should I buy for my first watch?” For new watch buyers, we have several resources, including Advice For Buying A Watch, The Best Military Watches For Land, Sea, & Air, and community submissions for some of the Best Watches Under $5,000. While they are all helpful, we have yet to provide a comprehensive list of some of our top picks for budding watch enthusiasts looking to make their first real purchase within the context of our community.
4. Inside the FBI’s Watch Culture
From Sketchy Breitlings to Rolex, Vacheron, & Bremont, The FBI Has A Serious Relationship With Watches
Established in 1908, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has adapted over the years from its original charter to include a broader NatSec-focused mission set, focusing on counter-terrorism, counterintelligence, and cyber crimes. With over a century of history, thirteen thousand special agents, and a broader workforce of some thirty-seven thousand, the FBI has a strong sense of heritage, which is evident in the watches worn by special agents and other key figures within the Bureau.
3. The Watches Of The Terminal List: Dark Wolf
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.
2. The Watches Of The Trump Administration
Rolex, Omega, Timex, & Patek Philippe Worn By US Political Leaders
As Donald Trump is once again sworn in as the President of the United States, we offer an unbiased look at the watches worn by not only Trump but also members of his Cabinet and close advisors. The watches worn by US Presidents and political appointees are seldom accidental, and you can learn a lot about a person from their timepiece.
1. The Real Watches Of Navy SEALs
The Tudor, G-Shock, Seiko, & Omega Watches Actually Used By Naval Special Warfare
For decades, Navy SEALs lived in the shadows as quiet professionals, an often unheralded weapon in the US Military arsenal. But, as a result of high-profile missions during the Global War on Terror, including Operation Neptune Spear that killed Osama Bin Laden, not to mention a slew of films, tell-all books, and podcasts, SEALs have become mainstream famous. One byproduct of this newfound fame has been the overuse of the SEAL Trident for marketing purposes. Watch brands are in on it, too, with many claiming to manufacture the SEAL watch, but which timepieces actually deserve the honor?
YouTube Videos Top 5:
In 2025, the W.O.E. YouTube Channel reached a far wider audience than ever before, with top videos focusing on Navy SEAL watches, the Casio F91W, "inside-wristing", the James Bond-Omega Seamaster connection, and Seiko and Toyota each drawing hundreds of thousands of views. Our philosophy remains simple: make the videos we want to watch, not content designed to chase clicks. Our videos have allowed W.O.E. to educate, entertain, and inspire at scale, often reaching many times the audience of our written Dispatch articles.
Looking ahead, we plan to expand into documentary-style films and on-site interviews with practitioners and their collections. We have already started filming and are really excited to get these out to the community.
Here are our top videos from 2025:
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