Watch Industry SITREP - September 2026

Custom White House Rolexes, F91Ws for new British Army Recruits, Bond’s New Watch Ain’t an Omega, Brad Pitt’s Special Forces Rolex, $100k Bonuses for SEALs/Pilots, an Admiral Wearing a Seiko on the Cover of Time Magazine, and Plenty of Watch Crime 

By Benjamin Lowry

In less than four weeks, a flurry of costumed schoolchildren will descend upon our doorsteps, germ-laden hands outstretched for an offering of sweets. Little do the youngsters know that they are about to be mogged with a selection of premium tool dive watches that I will rotate throughout the evening, sharing each timepiece’s history in great detail as the kids look on with glazed eyes, a watch enthusiast’s trick counterpoint to the Halloween treats. 

Those important preparations aside (I just installed a 25-foot spiderweb in the front yard, with more to come), our attention remains focused on all things W.O.E., and it is once again time for our SITREP, or Situation Report, a monthly amalgamation of watch-related current events, new releases, watch crime, and whatever else crosses our desk that we think will inform or entertain. 

This past month, Brad Pitt portrayed a Special Forces operator and wore a Rolex in a new film, the British Ministry of Defence started providing Casio F91Ws to recruits, White House staff got custom Rolexes, James Bond opted for a watch that isn’t an Omega, a downed US aviator wore a watch from an intriguing microbrand, SEALs and military pilots were offered some watch-buying money, and a Navy Admiral wore a Seiko on the cover of Time Magazine. And don’t worry, as always, there’s plenty of watch crime to cover… 

Get ready for the SITREP. 

Custom Rolex Watches for White House Staff

A gold Rolex Day-Date and the GMT-Master “Pepsi” are the watches that have been customized for WH staffers in 2026.

In recent weeks, several White House staffers have been spotted wearing customized Rolex watches based on two models: the Day-Date Presidential and the GMT-Master II. According to Vanity Fair, each is customized with a blue dial emblazoned with the presidential seal and blue stars at the 45 and 47 minute marks, symbolizing President Trump’s terms as the 45th and 47th president. The casebacks also offer an engraving of the White House. As you’d imagine, coverage of the new watches fell along partisan lines, with Vanity Fair calling the watches “...the ultimate symbol of status for President Donald Trump’s White House staff”. 

According to the article, the watches have been worn within the WH staff by Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, WH Counsel Will Scharf, Nick Luna, Vice President JD Vance's new chief of staff, and National Security Advisor Cliff Sims. Outside the actual WH staff, the watches are also allegedly owned by Chris LaCivita, President Trump’s former campaign manager, and Tony Fabrizio, the president’s Chief Pollster. According to media reporting, the watches were not customized by Rolex but rather purchased via retail channels and later customized by an "unnamed bespoke watchmaking operation based in London”.

A custom Breitling Aerospace Evo produced for WH staff.

We have spoken at length about the watches worn by the Trump Administration, including prior coverage of a series of Breitling unit watches produced for White House staff. That said, this marks the first instance that we know of where customized Rolex watches have been given to or purchased by WH staffers in significant numbers. We have seen several photos of the watches shared by WH insiders, and they differ slightly from the publicly available description. As a note, in his second term as president, we have yet to spot President Trump wearing a watch. Stay tuned… 

British Ministry of Defence Sends Casio F91W to New Recruits

One of the British Army welcome packs including the Casio F91W. (Photo Credit: Forces News)

Of all of the world’s global military organizations, the British MoD may have the most compelling history with issued timepieces, from the Dirty Dozen to the Rolex MilSub to the W10 Omega Seamaster 300 to CWC and the Elliot Brown. With that being said, other than the CWC SBS and the Elliot Brown Holton, which are still issued to select special operations and diving units, the majority of the British military now relies on straightforward Digital Tool Watches from brands like Suunto, Garmin, and Casio. Earlier this month, the British Army announced a new initiative wherein new recruits are sent a welcome pack containing a notebook, a pen, a letter of congratulations, and a Casio F91W watch. 

Priced around $20, the F91W is a legendary watch in the W.O.E. community, having been used as a tool by countless service members, special operators, intelligence officers, and even terrorists, with the watches often being used as timers for improvised explosive devices. For the MoD to provide the inexpensive digital watch to new recruits upfront again underlines the importance of time and timepieces at all stages of a military career. We love to see it and genuinely hope the humble F91W serves as a jumping off point for a lifelong love of watches for the 2,900 recruits that have already received the welcome packs. 

James Bond Wears a Vertex in New Book

An original Cal. 59 W.W.W. Vertex is the new literary Bond’s watch of choice. (Photo Credit: Vertex)

While the 007 of film is closely intertwined with Omega, having worn a Seamaster since 1995’s GoldenEye, it would appear the literary James Bond has a bit more flexibility regarding the secret agent’s timepiece of choice. In the newly released King Zero, licensed by Ian Fleming Publications and written by author Charlie Higson, Bond wears a Vertex Cal. 59 W.W.W., which is referenced several times in the book. Vertex is an intriguing brand founded in London in 1916 and best known for being one of the twelve “Dirty Dozen” suppliers of the W.W.W. (Watch, Wrist, Waterproof) watches to British Forces in the closing days of World War II and beyond. 

I am guessing this isn’t Omega’s favorite press release, but for a modern literary Bond to reach for a WWII-era British military watch is interesting and makes at least a certain amount of sense, though I’d argue Bond would want a more modern watch with reliable water resistance and functional luminescent material, but I digress. If we’re going Vertex, the modern M36 would be an excellent option for Bond, as would the slightly larger M100A, which was among our picks for a slightly more realistic James Bond in an article (HERE) as well as a video (HERE). 

Heart of the Beast, Starring Brad Pitt & a Rolex Submariner, Now in Theaters

While Hollywood doesn’t always portray special operations and the world of intelligence with a startling degree of accuracy, now and then, a certain director or propmaster nails the details, right down to the watches worn by specific characters. One of the best recent examples comes from Heart of the Beast, a new film starring Brad Pitt as James Belmont, a retired Army Special Forces soldier and Delta Force operator stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with his military working dog, Odin. In the film, Pitt wears a non-date five-digit Rolex Submariner on a nylon pull-through strap, an appropriate choice inspired by the Sub worn by Will Chesney, a SEAL Team Six/DEVGRU assaulter, during the raid that killed UBL in 2011. We covered the watch’s inclusion in the film with a separate Dispatch HERE. 

On 16 September, the film premiered in Nashville, Tennessee. Somehow, W.O.E. got the invite (mine must have been lost in the mail), and the film is also now in theaters for the rest of us. Director David Ayer, a US Navy veteran, is undoubtedly the reason behind the razor-sharp watch casting, and the film is great, especially for members of our community who will recognize the level of attention to detail that went into the production. No spoilers, but don’t worry, the dog lives. 

US Aviator Shot Down in Iran wears a Wasson Watch Co. on 60 Minutes

A Wasson Watch Co. Micah 6:8 was worn in a 60 Minutes interview by a US Air Force Weapon Systems Officer who was rescued after being shot down in Iran. (Photo Credit: Wasson Watch)

On 13 September, 60 Minutes aired an interview with “Dude 44 Bravo”, which is the callsign for the U.S. Air Force Weapons Systems Officer who was shot down in Iran back in April. While the interview provided intriguing insights in one of the most complex combat search and rescue missions in history, our attention was also captured by the watch on the aviator’s wrist, a field model from Wasson Watch Co., a microbrand founded by a former Marine. 

A watch like this isn’t something a military aviator would come across by accident, and this instance further underlines the powerful watch culture among civilian and military aviators who utilize timepieces as both tools and talismans in the cockpit. We have heard through the grapevine that this was a gift after the mission, but if this was indeed the watch on Dude 44 Bravo’s wrist during his harrowing 50-hour impromptu stay on Iranian soil, I would imagine it was taken on a much deeper meaning. Regardless, this watch is no longer just a watch.

How do SOF Afford Watches? SEALs, SWCC, & Pilots Offered $100k Bonuses to Stay in Service

If you’re part of the truly tiny pool of SEAL or SWCC warrant officers, staying in the Navy just became a lot ($100k) more appealing. (Photo Credit: US Navy)

While the Global War on Terror has no official end date, it has definitely cooled since the official US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. This marked decrease in combat operations and the now-limited potential to do cool-guy shit has made retention challenging in certain special operations and aviation career fields, leading the US Military to offer huge bonuses in an effort to retain top talent. A few weeks back, the US Navy announced bonuses up to $100,000 for warrant officers in the SEALs and SWCC career fields who are willing to stay in service. According to NAVADMIN, “The size of the bonus depends on the length of contract a sailor signs, ranging from three to five years. The lowest bonus offered is $12,500 per year for a 3-year agreement, and the highest is $20,000 per year for a 5-year contract.” 

More recently, the Army also announced bonuses up to $210,000 over six years for select rotary wing pilots as retention bonuses for key career fields across the US military continue to rise to eye-watering levels. What does this have to do with W.O.E., you may ask? Well, we would argue that a nice big bonus coupled with a contract extension calls for a new watch to commemorate the occasion. If anyone needs help picking out their Omega, Rolex, or Tudor, our Ultimate Watch Buying Guide is a great place to start. 

Navy Admiral Wears a Seiko Turtle on the Cover of Time Magazine

In a Time Magazine cover advertising an article entitled “Exclusive: The Admiral Who Must Prevent War With China”, Navy Admiral Sam Paparo wears a Seiko “Turtle” SRPE93. An evolution of the venerable 6309 we have called the most iconic military watch of all time, the modern SRPE93 captures the essence of the original Turtle while upgrading the movement with hacking and hand-winding and providing a slightly larger case format. For Admiral Paparo, an accomplished fighter pilot who has served as the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command since 2024, choosing an attainable automatic dive watch like the Turtle as opposed to a chronograph or something like the Breitling Aerospace may come as a surprise.

However, we would argue that for anyone seeking a durable, reliable, straightforward timepiece well-suited to a wide variety of military needs, the Turtle is an excellent place to look. In any case, the SRPE93 is a watch we have recommended in several buying guides for good reason, whether you’re trying to prevent a war with China or not. For more on the SRPE93, click HERE. 

Watch Crime 

One of our favorite parts of every SITREP is taking a lap of watch-related crime. We are behind the eight ball this month due to some poorly timed yet awesome travel, but we always make time to cover at least a few instances of watch crime. Sorry, no watch-thieving prostitutes this month. 

Ulysse Nardin’s Private Museum Robbed of At Least Three Historic Timepieces 

In the early hours of 14 September, the private museum of Ulysse Nardin, a watchmaking brand with roots dating back to 1846, was hit for several archival pieces. What is of particular interest was the setting of the burglary, which was the historic home of the brand that dates back to 1865. Today, the location is used for the company's museum and archives, as well as restoration and customer-service operations. While the complete list of stolen articles hasn’t been released, Ulysse Nardin did share three specific museum pieces that were taken: an 1860 pocket watch with an eight-day power reserve and a grand feu (enamel) dial, a 1927 Grande Complication pocket watch, and the 2002 Genghis Khan Tourbillon Minute Repeater. 

It’s also interesting to note that this is the second recent burglary targeting a watch brand museum in the otherwise sleepy town of Le Locle, Switzerland, which is one of the hearts of Swiss watchmaking. In August, the Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle-Château des Monts was also robbed of several historic timepieces. An investigation is ongoing, but the targeted, carefully coordinated crime again demonstrates the level of criminal sophistication that is now being focused on luxury watches. To learn more about luxury watch crime, watch our video HERE. 

South Florida Man Uses Fake IDs to Steal Rolex Watches from FedEx

For any FedEx employees reading the SITREP, don’t release a Rolex to this man. (Photo Credit: Local 10 News)

It’s been a while since we’ve been able to use a “Florida Man” headline, but we are back with another wild caper from the Sunshine State. According to CBS Miami, a South Florida man named Vladimir Kudyakov allegedly impersonated the recipients of luxury watch shipments in order to steal the contents, most of which contained Rolex watches. Using self-made fake IDs with his photo paired with the written details of real shipment recipients, Kudyakov successfully intercepted as many as six watches using the same scheme. What is unclear is where Kudyakov obtained the information about the shipment recipients, with the accused saying only that he learned of “the jobs” through a Telegram group. 

For people like us who buy and sometimes sell watches on the internet, this one is hard-hitting and an important reminder to keep your information closely guarded. Insurance that could theoretically cover the loss of something like a Rolex, while expensive, is also key for peace of mind in a world where people are putting together fake IDs like Jason Bourne to fraudulently sign for your watch at the local FedEx Express counter. You can never be too careful. 

Final Thoughts 

And that’s a wrap on another SITREP. We’ve got custom White House Rolex models upsetting both sides of the aisle, F91Ws acting as opening acts in budding British Army careers, a new Bond watch, downed aviators and microbrands, admirals and Turtles, Brad Pitt’s five-digit Sub, six-figure retention bonuses, and enough watch crime to make you think twice before having anything delivered to your house. 

All things considered, not a bad month. As always, the watches are only part of the story. The fun part is in the people who wear them, the places they take them, and the increasingly questionable decisions made in pursuit of a good wrist shot. Until next month, keep your head on a swivel, lock down your FedEx deliveries, and, as always, Use Your Tools.

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