New disclosures from the final year of the Biden administration show how gifted timepieces remain tools of intelligence for CIA and DIA, but can they keep them?
The US Government just released its latest accounting of gifts from foreign governments, covering the calendar year 2024 and marking the final year of the Biden administration. The list offers a rare and detailed look at how watches continue to circulate through the world of intelligence, military, and diplomacy as tools of tradecraft.
Unfortunately, (now former) CIA Director William “Bill” Burns did not receive a watch in his final year as Director, but he did receive a Korean Folk Art Painting and a Horse Saddle… which is cool if you are into that type of thing.
“Boss, liaison gave me a pistol, can I keep it?”
Last year, we broke down how watches function as a quiet form of currency in the world of intelligence, highlighting everything from Omega Seamasters to Rolex Datejusts gifted to CIA officers in 2023. By default, most of these items are sent back to CIA headquarters and ultimately destroyed, but there are exceptions.
In 2024, an Agency officer received a Belgian FN-57 pistol as a gift, later electing to buy it back from the government.
According to the latest release, one CIA officer received a Belgian-made FN-57 pistol, and intended to buy it back from the Government for an estimated $875… a pretty cool war trophy. So, in short, they can be kept if the officer receiving the gift pays the fair market price to the US Government to retain it.
Some Things Never Change
The newly released 2024 data adds another layer to the role of watches in the business of intelligence. If anything, it reinforces the same underlying truth: the volume of gifted watches remains high, particularly for CIA/DIA. The brands are familiar, including Rolex, Cartier, and Omega, but there were also some wild cars that do make sense, including UK-based Cabot Watch Company or CWC (I wonder who that came from… ) and Ukrainian micro-brand Kleynold. Interestingly, unit watches also make an appearance. One Agency employee accepted a “watch with insignia” valued at $520.
A CWC was a wildcard appearance on the 2024 Gift Report. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)
What’s different this year is not the existence of these gifts, but the pattern. The data shows a clearer divide between agencies, a heavier concentration of watches within the intelligence community, and an increase in retention, i.e., “Buy Back.” According to the disclosure, the watches were kept as “Non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S.”, which is intel speak for they were rapport-building tools. In a profession built on relationships, a watch can be a physical representation of a partnership with an individual or foreign service.
Below is a breakdown of wristwatches reported in 2024, separated by agency to highlight how different parts of the US Government handle these gifts. While this is speculation, I assess that many of the gifts to undercover CIA officers are not actually included on this list due to OPSEC reasons and remain classified, though they still would have been reported to GSA.
Central Intelligence Agency
We may never know the references, but at least one Case Officer received three Omega watches as gifts in 2024. Judging by the listed value, they could have included the Seamaster Diver 300. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)
Omega: Starting with a banger, on 1 August 2024, a CIA officer received three Omega watches from an unspecified government. Based on the estimated value of $22,500, this could have been Seamaster Diver 300M or Aqua Terra models, which retail for approximately $7,500 depending on the configuration. The watches were accepted, but per the report, they were destroyed. Sad day.
On the very same day, an officer also received a “custom backgammon board.” While a leap, this may suggest the Omegas were gifts from a Middle Eastern or Arab nation, where the game is deeply embedded in the culture.
A Cartier Tank received as a gift in an operational scenario would make for an interesting artifact of service.
Cartier Tank: On 14 August 2024, a CIA officer received a “Cartier Tank Must XL stainless steel automatic” from a foreign government, with an estimated value of $4,000. Interestingly, this one is listed as “pending buy back,” meaning the officer has decided to purchase the watch from GSA. Four thousand dollars is a significant amount even for a GS-15, so it is reasonable to assess that this watch carries real meaning and will likely serve as an heirloom piece.
CWC SBS: Arguably the most interesting from the perspective of W.O.E. is the CWC SBS, a watch we have covered extensively. The SBS is currently issued to UK Special Forces (UKSF), including the Special Boat Service or SBS. (read HERE).
We’d really like to know the story behind the gifted CWC SBS received by a CO in 2024. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)
On 4 July 2024, a CIA officer received a CWC SBS described as an “issue dive watch.” It is reasonable to conclude that this watch was a gift from the SBS, or some other UK SOF/Intel unit, potentially at a 4th of July reception? The officer elected to buy it back for $774.57, likely close to retail value. Interestingly, a true issued version would likely command a higher premium on the secondary market.
Kleynod: On 19 November 2024, a CIA officer received a Kleynod watch valued at $725. While the report redacts the country, you don’t have to be a detective for this one. Kleynod is a Ukrainian brand known for producing official timepieces for government agencies, including intelligence services. We previously covered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presenting Kleynold watches to frontline troops in the war (Read HERE).
Kleynod has produced numerous customized unit watches for Ukrainian forces.
Established in Kyiv and closely tied to Ukrainian state symbolism, these watches are frequently used as diplomatic gifts. While speculative, Director Burns did travel to Ukraine in late 2024 on one of his final overseas trips, and there may be a connection here. The watch is listed as pending buy back… he’s one of us.
A Liaison Unit Watch? On 21 February 2024, a CIA officer received a “watch with insignia,” valued at $520.00. We assess with high-to-medium confidence that this was a unit or commemorative watch from a foreign military or intelligence service.
We have written extensively about the complexities of collecting unit watches and whether you should wear pieces from units you did not serve in. I’ll go on record here: if a foreign unit gave me a watch, I would wear it with pride.
The CO who received a Tissot T-Race chronograph elected to buy it back from the government.
Other CIA Watches: Not all gifted watches fall into the luxury category, and the lower end of the spectrum tells a similar story. On 30 June 2024, a CIA officer received a Tissot dress watch valued at $625, which was destroyed; on 30 September 2024, a Tissot T-Race chronograph valued at $550 was designated for buyback; and on 12 December 2024, a Roamer of Switzerland watch valued at $821.46 is pending destruction.
DOD, Defense Intelligence Agency, & State Department
Unlike the CIA entries, watches received by defense attachés and DIA personnel tend to follow a more predictable diplomatic path. Interestingly, some of the entries also list the country of origin.
Could the “Rolex 41mm Oystersteel given to a US Defense Attaché have been a Datejust?
Rolex (Libya): On 17 May 2024, Captain Mark Imblum, US Defense Attaché, received a Rolex Oyster men’s watch from the Libyan National Army. Just two days later, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy to Libya, Jeremy Berndt, received a 41mm Rolex Oystersteel from Staff Major General Saddam Khalifa Abu El-kacem Omar of the Libyan Army.
Both watches were transferred, or are pending transfer, to GSA, reinforcing the standard practice for high-value diplomatic gifts that may exceed the cost a civil servant is willing to pay. A near-identical Rolex entry appears under State Department reporting, highlighting the blurred lines between intelligence, military, and diplomatic roles in these environments.
If you received a Maurice LaCroix as a gift, are you buying it back from the USG?
Maurice LaCroix (UAE): On 11 December 2024, Christopher J. Almont, Senior Defense Intelligence Analyst, received a Maurice LaCroix AI 1018 chronograph from the UAE Defense Intelligence and Security Agency. Valued at approximately $1,800, the watch is pending transfer to GSA.
Movado (Diplomatic Circuit): On 12 August 2024, Captain Matthew Ledridge, US Navy Attaché in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, received a Movado Series 800 with a green dial, valued at $1,395. The watch is pending transfer to GSA.
Earlier in the year, on 25 February 2024, Mr. Larry J. Knight III, Deputy Chief CCJ25, received a Movado men’s watch from Colonel Naser Almazrouei, the Chief of Plans for the Defense Intelligence Directorate of the United Arab Emirates, valued at $1,195, which was “retained for official use.”
A US Navy Attaché in Abu Dhabi elected not to keep a Movado Chronograph.
While not luxury pieces, Movado appears to occupy a middle ground, practical enough to occasionally justify retention, but still firmly within the framework of reportable gifts.
Unspecified Wristwatch (UAE): On 6 June 2024, Ms. Kaitlyn Smithwick, a DIA intelligence analyst, received a “wristwatch in a presentation box” from His Excellency Qais Dhahiri, Director of Defense Intelligence of the United Arab Emirates, valued at $1,225. The watch is pending transfer to GSA, consistent with standard handling for diplomatic gifts. While the specific model is not listed, the presentation format and price point suggest a mid-tier Swiss or regionally sourced piece, reinforcing the UAE’s recurring presence in gifting watches within the defense intelligence channel.
Final Thoughts
If there is a takeaway from the 2024 report, it’s this: watches still play a significant role in intelligence and diplomacy. Across CIA, DIA, and the broader defense community, these timepieces function as tools of rapport and symbols of partnership.
Once reported, and they must be reported, the process begins. Some officers look at a $4,000 Cartier or even a modest Tissot and decide it’s worth paying retail to keep a tangible reminder service and a snapshot in time. Others let them go without hesitation, either not caring enough or unable to justify the cost.
In our community, it's never just a watch. But whether that watch is worth paying for is a decision each officer has to make on their own.
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Read Next: Should You Collect Unit Watches?
14 comments
I look forward to next year’s review of the 2025 report. It will be interesting to see if the culture has changed, even though the laws have not.
I know you stay away from politics on this site and I respect that, I’m just wondering if we will see any change or not. Hopefully not.
I really enjoy WOE & I was happy to see that several others had similar thoughts on destruction of the gifts vs auction/ Gov’t sale so the money could be donated to survivors organizations or other groups with similar needs. I am honored to have been able to serve our country and humanity with some of you for a while. Thank you.
If intelligence personnel receive high-value watches as “gifts” under the same framework that governs assets like, say a gifted 747, why isn’t having said recipient pay fair market value for the 747 applied? Are they required to forfeit or destroy the aircraft, or is there a compliant mechanism to retain them without violating federal gift rules?
But why destroy gifts, especially luxury timepieces, that are surrendered? Why can’t the government auction them off to the public?
Hi
I am actually looking for advice on what watch would you recommend to buy for my son who is in the Navy OCS. We are looking for a graduation gift. Our son is a watch enthusiast, and has started his collection, in fact he showed us this web site. After graduation he will be attending Intelligence training.
Thank you for any advice.
Rene Carrera