W.O.E. Watch Travel Pouch and Challenge Coin - The History

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During a 2022 trip to Africa, I brought my Tudor Black Bay 58 and a CWC SBS. While the watch pair worked well, I realized I needed a better watch case, as the watch roll I brought was bulky, poorly constructed, and lacking character.  After returning,  W.O.E. worked with Leather Works Minnesota to design a purpose-built, made-in-the-U.S.A. travel case. 

Travel Essentials - Version 8 - Jordanian camouflage. (Photo Credit: Brock Stevens)

The single watch case is durable, compact, and functional, and honors our community with subtle accents, most notably flap catches constructed from recycled Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs). It features subtle nods to our community, honoring those who have gone before us and upholding our ethos that you should “use your tools.”  

Like a great watch, the case is a tool: made to be used and to last decades. There are a few accessories that every watch owner needs, and a good case is one of them. Whether for travel or home storage, this case has you covered. It is slim enough to fit in a front jean pocket for travel through high-crime areas. The patina on the leather that will develop over years of use is an added bonus. 

Made by hand at Leather Works Minnesota (Photo Credit: Nathan O’Malley)

W.O.E. Product Development:

At Watches of Espionage, our product development model is to partner with true professionals—masters of their craft—to develop distinct and highly-functional products that honor our community and our core belief that you should “use your tools.” If it doesn't follow our mantra, it doesn’t get made. In short, we design products for ourselves.

(Photo Credit: Nathan O’Malley)

Like straps, the vast majority of travel cases/pouches are imported from China and sold at a significant markup. There is nothing wrong with that, but it's just not our thing: we believe there is something special about American-made fine craftsmanship. These cannot be mass-produced.  Each pouch displays a different section of the camouflage uniform used in its construction, giving each pouch a unique design. 

A version of the spearhead insignia has been worn by elite units, including the original Office of Strategic Services, Special Operations, and the Central Intelligence Agency.  “W.O.E.” is very much an “If You Know, You Know” thing. Importantly, there is no metal incorporated in the design, which ensures the watch is not scratched during storage.  

Travel Pouch:

As of February 2026, there have been eight iterations of the W.O.E. Travel Pouch. All are considered limited productions and will not be reproduced.

Tiger Stripe - Version 1: October 2022-  Tiger stripe has long been associated with the Intelligence and Special Operations communities. Originally developed for the dense jungles of Vietnam in the early 1960s, a version of this camouflage has been worn by Intel and Spec Ops globally, including in present-day conflicts. The flap catcher was constructed out of two BDU tops from W.O.E.’s personal collection.

Version 1- Tiger Stripe (Photo Credit: James Rupley)

British Army Desert Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) Camouflage - Version 2: December 2022- Used by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and former colonies since the 1980s. The flap catchers were constructed out of four military surplus BDU tops. 

Area of Responsibility 1 (AOR1)  - Version 3: July 2023 - Developed for Naval Special Warfare operators fighting in arid environments during the early days of the Global War on Terror, AOR1, or Area of Responsibility 1, is a digital camouflage pattern taking inspiration from the Marine Corps’ MARPAT pattern. Released as a fundraiser with GBRS Group to benefit the Third Option Foundation, the flap catcher on this series of pouches was constructed from uniforms worn by former Navy SEALs Cole Fackler and DJ Shipley. 

Version 3 - US Navy AOR1 (Photo Credit: James Rupley)

Desert Night Camouflage (DNC) - Version 4: February 2023- The DNC pattern was originally developed to conceal U.S. personnel from Soviet-era night vision devices (NVD) and was worn by Special Operations Forces in the first Gulf War.  The camouflage quickly became obsolete for its intended purpose due to rapid developments in NVDs. The flap catchers were constructed from three military surplus BDU pants and jackets.  

*As of November 2022, we upgraded our travel leather to S.B. Foot’s, Burnside in Mocha, which offers a softer interior surface for your watches.

Version 4 - Desert Night Camouflage

Strichtarn  - Version 5: March 2024 - Calling back to the Cold War, Strichtarn (German for “line camouflage”) was a military camouflage pattern developed in East Germany and used from 1965 to 1990. The pattern was also used by several other militaries and non-state forces, notably in Africa. Built from vintage East German military uniforms, the flap catcher on each pouch in this series offers a unique level of fading and patina. 

Version 5 - East German Army Strichtarn (Photo Credit: James Rupley)

M81 Woodland - Version 6: August 2024 - Presenting one of the longest runs in active service of any military camouflage pattern, U.S. Woodland was officially utilized for American military uniforms from 1981 until the early to mid-2000s. The pattern is also commonly known as “M81” after the variant of the Battle Dress Uniform BDU upon which it was first used. Compared to other patterns, M81 presents a wider variation of different looks as well as varying levels of fading and wear.

Version 6 - M81 US Woodland (Photo Credit: Brock Stevens)

Lizard Camo - Version 7: September 2025 - Digging into a more obscure camouflage pattern, Version 7 is executed in vintage “Lizard” camo, utilized by the Greek Army starting in the 1970s after being borrowed from the French military, which is credited with creating the pattern in the late 1940s. Also widely used in Africa, perhaps as a byproduct of French colonial efforts, our lizard material comes from surplus uniforms from the Greek Army, which still uses a version of lizard camo today. Given that it’s surplus material taken from issued uniforms, there will be some variation in the fading of the colors. 

Version 7 - Greek Army Lizard (Photo Credit: Brock Stevens)

Jordanian Camo & Arabic Challenge Coin - Version 8: February 2026 - The Kingdom of Jordan, home to “Warrior King” Abdullah II, is known for having utilized a wide array of camouflage patterns over the years, including a collection of digital-style camouflage patterns collectively called KA2, starting in 2005. Since then, the Kingdom has used real MultiCam and another MultiCam-inspired pattern, but for version 8 of our Travel Pouch and Challenge Coin set, we opted for the rarely seen “amoeba” pattern associated with the Jordanian Air Force and select special operations units.

If you served in the Middle East in the past two decades, chances are you traveled through Jordan and have seen this pattern.

Version 8 - Jordanian Air Force (Photo Credit: Brock Stevens)

Jordan has special significance for W.O.E., as it was King Abdullah II who gave him a customized Breitling Aerospace (read HERE), igniting a passion for timepieces. While operational at CIA, W.O.E. was also given a uniform jacket made from this material by a senior Jordanian military officer. In addition to the new material, this iteration of our Travel Pouch also comes with a new W.O.E. challenge coin you can’t get anywhere else, featuring our Arabic dial insignia. 

Challenge Coins: 

In the Military and the Intelligence Community, challenge coins are handed out to unit members and close associates to commemorate an assignment, operation, or mutual respect. While in the government, these coins have limited meaning, and it is only when one leaves that the importance of the coins is fully realized.

Each one signifies an operational accomplishment, an overseas tour, or a snapshot in time. They tell a story, the words of which only we know. Like watches, challenge coins have become collectible in both the military memorabilia and civilian markets.

To honor this heritage, we designed the first “Watches of Espionage” coins, produced by our friends at Coin Squadron. The front side has a dive watch with an eagle poking over it with “Watches of Espionage,” the time 9:11. The back has a version of a spearhead that has been used by OSS, CIA, SOCOM, and other special operations and intelligence units.

While we could sell a large number of these coins individually, these are provided to those who purchase the W.O.E. Travel Pouch, our first product released. 

Version 1: Numbered 1 to 150 - These are only handed out to those who have assisted in building W.O.E.  The best challenge coins are earned.

Version 2:  Included in Tiger Stripe (V1) and British Army Desert Disruptive Pattern Material (V2) Pouches. 500 produced. 

Version 3: Included in Desert Night Camouflage (V3), Strichtarn (V5), M81 Woodland (V6), and Lizard Camo (V7) pouch orders. The traditional OSS Spearhead has been replaced with a custom spearhead with an hourglass base.

Version 4: Included with Jordanian Camo (V8) orders, the newest version of our challenge coin swaps the traditional W.O.E. Spearhead insignia for our Arabic Dial insignia. 

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