Watch Industry SITREP - July 2026

Iraqi PM & Royal Navy First Sea Lord Watch Spotting, a New Titanium Doxa, Getting Robbed Over a $500 Seiko, Buzz Aldrin’s Watches at Auction, Blue Angels Controversy, a Gold Bra & G-String, & More 

By Benjamin Lowry

It’s hard to believe, but we’re already more than halfway through summer 2026, and we sincerely hope you’ve had a chance to get out of town, throw your kids in the pool, or otherwise enjoy the warmer weather and sunshine. I know we have. 

With that being said, business is business, and it is once again time to dive headlong into the amalgamation of watch or espionage-related news, new releases, and current events that we like to call the SITREP, or Situation Report. In this edition, we will wade waist-deep into political waters, but rest assured, nothing we do at W.O.E. is political. Watches are simply the vector that takes us to the human element, AKA the important part. 

The past few weeks have been densely packed, including some intriguing Patek and Omega watch-spotting on the Iraqi PM and the Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord, US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer/W.O.E. interview alum Scott Ruskan receiving the Pat Tillman award, Buzz Aldrin’s watches set for auction, a low-altitude Blue Angels flyover, impressive Trump Watch profits made public, an interesting new Doxa, and, as always, watch-related crime. 

Buckle up, buttercup, it’s time for a hearty, healthy SITREP. I hope you’re hungry. 

Iraqi PM Wears a $650k Patek Philippe While Government Carries Out Massive Anti-Corruption Campaign, Seizing Rolex Watches 

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi wearing a Patek 5104 in the White House on 14 July 2026. 

On 14 July, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi recently traveled to the White House to meet with President Trump and other US officials, marking the first international trip for the 41-year-old PM since taking office back in May. Our pal and watch-spotting ninja Nick Gould AKA @niccoloy was quick to call out the Patek Philippe reference 5104 on al-Zaidi’s wrist. A serious timepiece by any estimation, the 5104 combines perpetual calendar and minute repeater functionality into a watch that would have set you back at least $645,000 at retail before its discontinuation in 2013. 

Before everyone gets upset, it’s important to remember that before becoming the youngest prime minister in Iraq’s history, al-Zaidi was a prolific businessman who owned as many as 15 companies, propelling a net worth estimated at $750M or more. As a man of means, we weren’t surprised to also spot al-Zaidi wearing a $178k reference 5740 in another photo, and we can’t help but wonder what other insane watches he has in his collection. It is also important to note, the watches are often tools of diplomacy, and it is possible that this was a gift from another gulf nation.

I never imagined including gold ladies underwear in the SITREP alongside a seized Rolex, but here we are. How they were used, we can only speculate.

Back in Iraq, on a (hopefully) totally unrelated note, several Rolex watches were seized as part of Operation Dawn Strike, a targeted anti-corruption campaign carried out by Iraqi Federal Police, ISOF, and the Iraqi Army. The operation targeted 67 officials and 12 members of the Iraqi parliament, including both Sunni and Shia politicians. Some absolutely wild stuff was seized as part of the raids, including a gold bra and g-string set (coming soon to the W.O.E. shop), tons of cash money, and, unsurprisingly, Rolex watches. 

We have discussed at length how watches are used as tools of money laundering, and in criminal enterprise, timepieces often serve as transferable stores of value that are easier to transport than gold bars or a JanSport full of cash. What will happen to the seized Iraqi Rolex watches we do not know, but if anyone finds an Iraqi government auction link, please be sure to let W.O.E. know. He’s into that kind of thing. 

Buzz Aldrin, Second Man on the Moon, Auctioned Watch Collection at Sotheby's

Understandably better known for space exploration, Buzz Aldrin was also a passionate scuba diver, which was reflected in some of the watches in the July 2026 Sotheby’s Space Exploration auction, especially this rare JLC Deepsea Chronograph. (Photo Credit: National Geographic/Sotheby’s)

On 15 July, bidding closed for the Space Exploration Auction at Sotheby's, and many of Buzz Aldrin’s personal watches were among the lots. Why the former Air Force Brigadier General and second man on the moon elected to let go of so many of his personal timepieces is anyone’s guess, but the watches provide valuable insight into the heart of a man whose personal watch habits are overshadowed by a marketing relationship with Omega. Sure, many of Aldrin’s Omegas were present, but so were many deep cut dive watches, with the former astronaut having once famously said, “My favourite thing to do on this planet is to scuba dive.” My kind of guy. 

Among his diving references were a Citizen Hyper Aqualand, an incredibly cool Jaeger-LeCoultre Shark Deep Sea, and an inexpensive 200-meter quartz diver from Innovative Time. Also present were several Speedmasters and a second-generation X-33, the current issue watch of NASA Astronauts, including the crew of Artemis II. Of course, the Speedmaster worn by Aldrin on the Moon in 1969 remains missing, one of the great horological mysteries of our time. In any case, Aldrin is as much a Use Your Tools guy as there has everas ever been, and the auction was an awesome window into his approach to watches. A link to the auction results can be found HERE. 

British First Sea Lord Wearing an Omega Seamaster GMT Unit Watch

First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins wearing his SBS Omega during a recent visit to NATO’s Joint Force Command Norfolk on 01 July. 

In the United Kingdom, the professional head of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and military advisor to the government is known as the First Sea Lord. The serving First Sea Lord is General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, a senior Royal Marines officer with extensive experience in special operations, including serving as the commanding officer of the Special Boat Service or SBS starting in 2009 and leading all UKSF in Afghanistan starting in 2011. We posted Jenkins last year when he was appointed wearing an Omega Seamaster GMT that is most likely the SBS unit watch we covered in our profile of former SBS operator Dean Stott. 

On 01 July, the First Sea Lord visited NATO’s Joint Force Command Norfolk in Virginia and once again wore the Omega, and we’ll take any excuse we can get to highlight one of our favorite unit watches from before unit watches were all the rage. The modern Seamaster Diver 300M unit watch has been delivered to Danish Frogmen, Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, the Secret Service, and Royal Navy Clearance Divers, to name only a few. But around 2007 when the SBS Omega was ordered, customized Omegas were truly rare, and Jenkins’s watch is likely one of the 500 that were made available only to actively-serving badged SBS operators as opposed to current and former members, as is often Omega’s practice today.

US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Who Saved 165 People Receives Pat Tillman Award

Ruskan received the Pat Tillman award with his Garmin Fenix still firmly planted on his wrist. (Photo Credit: AP)

Around here, we are unabashed Scott Ruskan fans (or at least, I am) and thoroughly enjoyed speaking with the young Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer a few weeks back to learn more about the official use of Garmin Fenix smartwatches within the Rescue Swimmer community. On 15 July at the 2026 ESPY Awards in New York City, Ruskan received yet another accolade to add to his Distinguished Flying Cross and Legion of Merit: The Pat Tillman Award. Tillman was the former Arizona Cardinal who left a lucrative career in professional football to serve as an Army Ranger before being killed in a tragic friendly fire incident in 2004. The award is named in Tillman’s memory and, “...honors soldiers, veterans, trainers, or athletes who display extraordinary service, grit, and selflessness without seeking personal glory.” 

While Ruskan, a former D1 athlete and current life-saving machine, has repeatedly described himself as “just a dude”, we still beg to differ. Check out our interview with Ruskan HERE. 

Controversial Blue Angels Flyover & History with Tool Watches 

The controversial Blue Angels flyover took place on 15 July in Pensacola, Florida.

On 15 July, a Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet executed a low-altitude flyover just above a packed Pensacola Beach in Florida ahead of a planned airshow appearance. Some math nerds on Reddit calculated that the approximate height of the aircraft over the beach was as low as 50 to 65 feet, which was low enough to send beach chairs flying as leathery Florida beachgoers clutched their proverbial pearls in the wake of the 44,000 pounds of thrust created by the fighter jet. While the pilot reportedly privately admitted the low-altitude maneuver was a mistake, senior Navy officials and even Secretary of War/Defense Pete Hegseth stated no official reprimands or punishments would be issued. Like everything these days, the event was quickly politicized, but that’s not why we’re here. 

From left to right: the IWC IW3890 produced for Blue Angels pilots in 2021, an extremely rare Breitling Emergency Blue Angels unit watch, and a commercially-available Citizen Blue Angels Edition.

As an organization, the Blue Angels have an impressive history with watches, including several Breitling unit projects as well as an officially-licensed marketing relationship with Citizen. There is also a unit-specific version of an IWC Chronograph (also recently spotted by our friend @niccoloy) as well as a commercial Blue Angels version. We may never know what the pilot was wearing during the flyover that ignited a media frenzy, but there’s a good chance it was something pretty cool. The relationship between Blue Angels pilots and watches is yet another example of the enduring link between aviation professionals and timepieces that we have discussed in great detail HERE.  

President Trump’s 2025 Financial Disclosure Show $4.7M in Royalties from Trump Branded Watches

I hadn’t been to the Trump Watches website in a while, and I was truly not ready for the Mugshot Suit model. (Photo Credit: Trump Watches)

We have poked fun at President Trump’s Trump branded watches in several editions of the SITREP, not for political reasons, but because they suck. But say what you will, from the signature Fight Fight Fight model to the newly-released Mugshot Suit, which (seriously) contains pieces of the president’s iconic suit and tie from his 2023 mugshot, Trump Watches must be selling. According to the President’s financial disclosure, last year President Trump netted $4.7M from royalties from his branded watch deal. While $4.7M only amounts to 0.21% of Trump’s 2025 overall income, it is still a significant number for what is likely a passive royalty deal. 

Who is buying and wearing the watches is unclear. Beyond a Victory Ultimate Jewel we spotted on then White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino in April 2025, it doesn’t appear the watches are widely adopted in the White House by the President or almost anyone else. For more on the watches worn by US Presidents, click HERE. 

New Releases

While we are sometimes dismayed at the state of mainstream watch media and covertly sponsored coverage of “novelties”, now and then, new watches come along that fall squarely within our sight picture. With that in mind, when warranted, we will try to cover them in a “New Releases” section in the SITREP. As always, nothing you see here is sponsored. We (probably) can’t be bought. 

Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler Limited Edition

(Photo Credit: Doxa)

While Doxa comes with serious real-world diving legitimacy for its associations with oceanographer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau and its small but impactful role in the US Navy’s SEALAB trials, the brand is probably best known for being the watch of choice for Dirk Pitt, the fictional protagonist of Clive Cussler’s prolific series of novels. There have been several Clive Cussler-branded Doxa Sub variants in recent years, but the new Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler Limited Edition is our favorite so far. 

Coming in a grade 5 titanium case paired with an intriguing blasted titanium dial that presents as matte grey, the Sub 300 Ti5’s date wheel is also color-matched and the caseback carries the fictional NUMA (Dirk Pitt’s employer, the National Underwater and Marine Agency) insignia. I would have liked to have seen a matching titanium beads-of-rice bracelet rather than the tropic-style rubber strap that feels a bit of an afterthought, but the watch is, overall, pretty cool.

(Photo Credit: Doxa)

I’m no Dirk Pitt, but I’ve done my share of diving, and Doxa is a rare brand that transcends the watch nerd community with its own passionate following among scuba divers, many of whom are understandably fans of Cussler’s novels. With all of that being said, the watch, produced in a limited series of 300, will set you back $3,390. Looking at the rest of the Doxa collection, that feels like a lot, and some on the internet expressed some sass, but watch prices have risen significantly over recent years for various reasons, and this is a “if it’s worth it to you, it’s worth it” situation, at least in my opinion. 

Watch Crime 

Along with new releases, we will of course continue our regular coverage of watch-related crimes. This is a topic we thoroughly enjoy not only for entertainment’s sake but also the opportunity to learn a thing or two about how we can better safeguard ourselves and our watches. 

Milan Luxury Watch Robbery Caught on Camera 

At this point, it should no longer need to be said that if you’re traveling to a major European capital, you should strongly consider your watches of choice. Luxury watch crime, much of which is perpetrated by organized transnational criminal gangs, remains at an all-time high, but a recent incident in Milan proves that opting for an affordable watch doesn’t necessarily obviate the risk. The attempted robbery targeted an American tourist who was attacked by two perpetrators lacking in both criminal tradecraft and watch knowledge. The first mistake was locational, as they attacked the tourist right outside a Carabinieri (Italian National Police) station and in full view of a police-operated surveillance camera. To watch the clip, click HERE. 

The second and perhaps greater folly was the targeted timepiece, which has since been reported by our friends at Fratello to have been a Seiko worth less than $500. Still, the video provides valuable insights into how these crimes unfold in real time and that such crimes can occur even when someone has done what they can to mitigate risk, i.e. wearing a cheaper watch. All I can really say is: keep your head on a swivel, folks. 

Final Thoughts 

As always, the watches are only part and sometimes not even the important part of the story. Whether it’s a Garmin used by a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer pulling survivors from floodwaters, an SBS operator using an Omega unit watch as he leads the Royal Navy, a legendary astronaut’s timepiece collection, or an ostentatious gold Rolex sitting in an evidence locker after a corruption raid halfway around the world,  timepieces continue to offer an unexpected lens into the people, professions, and moments that shape history.

Thanks for following along for another SITREP. If you spotted a story we missed or noticed an interesting watch in the wild, you know where to find us. Until next month, maintain situational awareness, wear your watches, and above all else, Use Your Tools.

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