WOE Dispatch
Watch Industry SITREP - February 2026
These past few weeks have a lot to offer, from intriguing astronaut watch developments to Jeffrey Epstein’s surprising timepiece ties to the Dutch Queen and her Rolex in military service...
Watch Industry SITREP - February 2026
These past few weeks have a lot to offer, from intriguing astronaut watch developments to Jeffrey Epstein’s surprising timepiece ties to the Dutch Queen and her Rolex in military service to our usual assortment of watch-related criminal goings on, this time involving both Tom Cruise and a professional athlete. Referencing...
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Vintage Rolex, Modern Tudor, & a Frogman’s Legacy
Just as a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, a solitary black-and-white photograph of a man named Ron Damon sent me down a path of discovery...
Vintage Rolex, Modern Tudor, & a Frogman’s Legacy
Just as a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, a solitary black-and-white photograph of a man named Ron Damon sent me down a path of discovery that ended with a full heart and a new watch, which, to be clear, is definitely not why we’re here....
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Should You Collect Unit Watches?
Over the past several years, there has been a marked increase in unit watches produced for military, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies around the world. As issued analog watches have...
Should You Collect Unit Watches?
Over the past several years, there has been a marked increase in unit watches produced for military, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies around the world. As issued analog watches have nearly disappeared and Digital Tool Watches now dominate operational use, unit watches have emerged as the clearest enduring expression of...
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Bubu: The Final Passage of a Swiss Combat Diver...
"I am a former Swiss combat diver and have found a (unfortunately broken) watch in my belongings. Is that something that interests you?" were the first two lines of an...
Bubu: The Final Passage of a Swiss Combat Diver’s Doxa
"I am a former Swiss combat diver and have found a (unfortunately broken) watch in my belongings. Is that something that interests you?" were the first two lines of an unusually short e-mail that I had received out of the blue in November 2024. No “hi, I found you through…”,...
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W.O.E. YouTube: Digital Watches Of Special Oper...
Given the content at W.O.E., it’s easy to get the impression that every “operator” is running around with a Rolex, Omega, or Seiko, as there is a clear selection bias...
W.O.E. YouTube: Digital Watches Of Special Operations
Given the content at W.O.E., it’s easy to get the impression that every “operator” is running around with a Rolex, Omega, or Seiko, as there is a clear selection bias for the stories we tell. While this was largely true in the mid-20th century when many of these watches were...
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Alex Honnold, Rolex, & the True Meaning of an E...
Last week, professional climber Alex Honnold free solo climbed Taipei 101, a 1,667-foot-tall tower in Taipei, Taiwan. The feat was streamed live to millions around the globe and was quite...
Alex Honnold, Rolex, & the True Meaning of an Explorer
Last week, professional climber Alex Honnold free solo climbed Taipei 101, a 1,667-foot-tall tower in Taipei, Taiwan. The feat was streamed live to millions around the globe and was quite the spectacle. Honnold is best known for his (even more impressive) June 2017 free solo ascent of El Capitan in...
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Watch Industry SITREP - January 2026
From one of the world’s most wanted men being captured after an Instagram account that has since been proven fake posted a Patek Philippe, to the proceeds of international espionage...
Watch Industry SITREP - January 2026
From one of the world’s most wanted men being captured after an Instagram account that has since been proven fake posted a Patek Philippe, to the proceeds of international espionage being used to buy luxury timepieces, to watch robbery at 35,000 feet, to machete-wielding Rolex thieves, we have a lot...
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The Last Military-Issued Analog Watches
In the 1960s, 70s, and into the 80s, there was a golden age of analog tool watches. For decades, end users and military supply officers reached for analog tool watches...
The Last Military-Issued Analog Watches
In the 1960s, 70s, and into the 80s, there was a golden age of analog tool watches. For decades, end users and military supply officers reached for analog tool watches because they were, at the time, the best and most capable tools for the job. Take, for example, the Rolex...
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W.O.E. YouTube: Watches Of A SEAL Team 6 Commander
We are beyond excited to announce the release of our first interview video. Our first subject, US Navy Captain (Ret.) Rick Woolard joined the Navy in 1965, serving with distinction...
W.O.E. YouTube: Watches Of A SEAL Team 6 Commander
We are beyond excited to announce the release of our first interview video. Our first subject, US Navy Captain (Ret.) Rick Woolard joined the Navy in 1965, serving with distinction as a SEAL during the Vietnam War at the start of an incredible 30-year career that culminated with commanding SEAL...
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Was Rolex Founder Hans Wilsdorf a Nazi Spy?
In August 2025, a sensational Telegraph article written by Steve Bird and Sophie Fenton titled “Rolex founder was suspected Nazi Spy” generated some interest in the virtual hallways of Watches...
Was Rolex Founder Hans Wilsdorf a Nazi Spy?
In August 2025, a sensational Telegraph article written by Steve Bird and Sophie Fenton titled “Rolex founder was suspected Nazi Spy” generated some interest in the virtual hallways of Watches of Espionage. We tend to be agnostic regarding watch brands and focus more on the importance of how watches are...
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The Watches I Wore Most in 2025 - Watches of Es...
Despite owning more watches than any rational person should, I often find myself going back to the same watches, albeit for different reasons and use cases. Here are the top...
The Watches I Wore Most in 2025 - Watches of Espionage
Despite owning more watches than any rational person should, I often find myself going back to the same watches, albeit for different reasons and use cases. Here are the top four (maybe five) watches I wore the most in 2025.
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W.O.E. YouTube: The Watches of Middle Eastern L...
While it may seem like a minor detail, analyzing a foreign leader’s timepiece provides a window into their character, how they perceive themselves, and how they want to be perceived...
W.O.E. YouTube: The Watches of Middle Eastern Leaders
While it may seem like a minor detail, analyzing a foreign leader’s timepiece provides a window into their character, how they perceive themselves, and how they want to be perceived by others. In the Middle East, a region so often defined by conflict, even small insights from a watch, the...
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The Real Watches of Venezuelan President Nicolá...
On the morning of Saturday, 3 January 2026, the United States Military conducted an interagency mission to capture and arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. While the long term implications are...
The Real Watches of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
On the morning of Saturday, 3 January 2026, the United States Military conducted an interagency mission to capture and arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. While the long term implications are still unknown and “analysis” has fallen along partisan lines, Operation Absolute Resolve appears to be a masterclass on modern warfare...
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A Venezuelan Oil Company's Tudor Submariners
How Venezuela’s National Oil Industry Quietly Issued Tudor Submariners to Working Divers - Over the weekend, as headlines filled with images of helicopters, explosions, and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro,...
A Venezuelan Oil Company's Tudor Submariners
How Venezuela’s National Oil Industry Quietly Issued Tudor Submariners to Working Divers - Over the weekend, as headlines filled with images of helicopters, explosions, and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela once again reminded the world that power often flows through oil. At Watches of Espionage, we often use watches...
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Watch Industry SITREP - December 2025
Closing down 2025, we have a lot to unpack, from the VP’s impromptu attempt at Navy SEAL training to a new MI6 chief and her Rolex to vulnerable Apple Watches...
Watch Industry SITREP - December 2025
Closing down 2025, we have a lot to unpack, from the VP’s impromptu attempt at Navy SEAL training to a new MI6 chief and her Rolex to vulnerable Apple Watches showing up where they shouldn’t to timepieces appearing in court documents related to some of recent history’s most notorious individuals.
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Top W.O.E. Articles & Videos Of 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...
Top W.O.E. Articles & Videos Of 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...
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W.O.E. YouTube: Advice For Buying A Watch
Whether you’re in the military, a veteran, work in national security, or a civilian looking for your first serious watch, the decision can be overwhelming, and marketing only clouds the...
W.O.E. YouTube: Advice For Buying A Watch
Whether you’re in the military, a veteran, work in national security, or a civilian looking for your first serious watch, the decision can be overwhelming, and marketing only clouds the picture.
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“There’ll Always Be A Christmas” - Rolex
We came across two remarkable advertisements from 1942 and 1943 in Rolex Magazine that transcend the watch industry. Whether they are altruistic or motivated by self-interest is open to interpretation,...
“There’ll Always Be A Christmas” - Rolex
We came across two remarkable advertisements from 1942 and 1943 in Rolex Magazine that transcend the watch industry. Whether they are altruistic or motivated by self-interest is open to interpretation, but they are inarguably profound given the historical context.
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