Pilots in general, whether military or civilian, have one of the strongest watch cultures of any profession, with many opting for mechanical GMTs and chronographs from brands like Rolex, Omega, Breitling, and Seiko. For aviation professionals, the Use Your Tools ethos is alive and well, and pilots are responsible for several of history’s most important watches, from the Rolex GMT-Master to the Breitling Navitimer. In this Dispatch, we’ll explore watch culture among military pilots and aircrew. 

From Waltham To Suunto & Now W.O.E., A Wrist Compass Is Essential Gear For Countless Special Operators While the tools of warfare have developed rapidly over the past sixty years, some gear has remained virtually unchanged, timeless tools that are as effective in 2024 as they were in 1964. Among those essential items are the wristwatch and the wrist compass, both utilized extensively as tools by Intelligence and SpecOps personnel throughout the past six decades. A US Navy SEAL in Vietnam wears a Rolex or Tudor Submariner with a wrist compass. (Photo Credit: Herb Ruth Collection) We often discuss the importance of timekeeping in operational scenarios, but navigation is another equally mission-critical element. The archetypal image of the Vietnam-Era SEAL or a MACV-SOG operator almost always includes not only a watch but also a wrist compass, worn on the same strap. Often overshadowed by the watches they accompany, wrist compasses are useful tools favored by divers and special operators, backed by an intriguing history that stretches from the Vietnam War until today. A prototype of the W.O.E. Submersible Wrist Compass worn with a Tudor Pelagos FXD. (Photo Credit: Brock Stevens) In this Dispatch, we’ll explore the use of wrist compasses in operational scenarios both then and now, as well as how that rich heritage informed the development process for the W.O.E. Submersible Compass. Wrist Compasses & Special Operations - A Brief History While the concept dates back to ancient China, the compass as we know it today started seeing widespread use as a tool by mariners navigating at sea as early as the 1100s. Military organizations began issuing smaller, more portable compasses en masse to ground-based troops as early as the First World War, a conflict that also saw the widespread adoption of wrist-worn as opposed to pocket watches. Modern SpecOps finds its roots in the Second World War. During this period, the nascent Navy Scouts and Raiders from the United States and British Special Air Service (SAS) and Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) commandos utilized lensatic compasses with built-in sighting mechanisms for wayfinding in challenging terrain. Ralph Bagnold of the LRDG designed the Bagnold Sun Compass during the Second World War. (Photo Credit: National Army Museum) While accurate, these compasses were typically too large for use on a watch strap and lacked water resistance, factors that would become increasingly crucial as maritime special operations grew to include combat diving and other amphibious modalities. By the early 1950s, dive watches including the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner had already become essential parts of any military diving load out. Like watches, the compass would also need to adapt to fit the needs of an evolving military. An astronaut and aquanaut on all three US Navy SEALAB experiments, Malcolm Scott Carpenter famously wore a Rolex Submariner with a wrist compass in diving scenarios. (Photo Credit: US Navy) Underwater compasses had been used by divers for decades by that time but were cumbersome for clandestine maritime operators after leaving the water. In the 1960s, numerous scuba diving brands including Aqualung, Dacor, and Scubapro produced simple oil-filled compasses designed to slide over a watch strap. These diving-specific compasses famously appear in photographs alongside watches like the Rolex Submariner and the Doxa Sub 300/300T during the US Navy’s SEALAB experiments. US Navy SEAL Steve Jewitt, nicknamed “The Walrus”, wearing an issued Tudor 7928 alongside a Waltham wrist compass. (Photo Credit: WalrusTactical) Far from the undersea world, the US Military’s answer was a straightforward wrist compass produced in many cases by Waltham and intended for use alongside a navigator’s issued A-11 or similar wristwatch. Given the sizing norms of watches during the period when many tool watches measured 32 millimeters, the compass came equipped with 16mm canvas and later nylon straps. Designed for use by downed pilots, these compasses, which were initially marked “Waltham” and later “W.C.C.” for Waltham Clock Company, would not see widespread use until the Vietnam War when SEALs brought them into action alongside their issued Tudor 7928s. A Vietnam-Era Seiko and Waltham wrist compasses, all of which were utilized by MACV-SOG. (Photo Credit: W.O.E.) The SEALs were not alone in their adoption of the mil-spec Waltham. Army Special Forces operators assigned to MACV-SOG also selected the brass wrist compass for use alongside their issued Seiko watches. When we interviewed John Stryker Meyer, a legend in the SF community, he said that some of his fellow Recon Company soldiers added a W.C.C. compass to the strap, but he preferred the traditional compass around his neck. For special operations forces, the need for a more portable compass stemmed from the level of autonomy and individual responsibility entrusted to each operator. These Waltham compasses, which are still relatively available through surplus or militaria channels, are becoming increasingly collectible due to their SpecOps associations. Retired US Navy SEAL Dave Hall wearing a Cammenga wrist compass alongside a Seiko 6309. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) After Vietnam, many continued to wear their Waltham compasses into the Cold War, with SEALs including our friend Dave Hall sometimes opting for older W.C.C. compasses over more modern options out of reverence for his SEAL mentors. Issued escape and evasion kits still included the Waltham in many cases, but some frogmen of the 1980s opted for diving-specific compasses from brands like Silva and Tekna. The Cammenga J582 (left) and Suunto M-9 (right) are among the most popular wrist compasses among special operators today. Over time, several brands stepped up to produce simpler and cheaper compasses which evolved along with the world of watchmaking. Starting in the 1990s, the NSN or Nato Stock Number formerly held by Waltham was taken over by Stocker & Yale with a modernized version of the W.C.C. with tritium gas tube illumination housed within an aluminum case. In 2004, Cammenga, already a maker of many issued compasses, purchased the rights and continues to manufacture the mil-spec wrist compass, now called the J582, for the US Military. While it is an effective tool, the Cammenga is not designed for extended diving or swimming operations. A USAF Pararescueman wears a G-Shock DW6900 alongside a Suunto Clipper compass in Afghanistan in 2009. (Photo Credit: Michael Yon) A more modern option that has also been issued to and privately purchased by members of the US Military is the Suunto M-9, though it is typically worn alone on the opposite wrist as opposed to with a watch. For wear on a watch strap, Suunto’s Clipper compass and a similar design from Marathon are also common options for military personnel. All offer significant utility for special operators, but most lack the refinement to go toe to toe with watches from brands like Rolex, Omega, Tudor, and Seiko. The W.O.E. Submersible Wrist Compass A core principle of everything we do at W.O.E. is honoring our heritage. Inspired by the link between tool watches utilized by SpecOps and capable wrist compasses, we set out to design a modern compass measuring that also calls back to the W.C.C. wrist compasses historically used by SpecOps. The result of over two years of prototyping and extensive testing by divers and SpecOps personnel, the W.O.E. Submersible Wrist Compass is a capable tool that celebrates the heritage of our community. With a custom dial featuring C3 Super-LumiNova, a grade two titanium case, individual water resistance testing to 100 meters, and slim 24.5mm wide by 12mm thick dimensions, the W.O.E. Submersible Wrist Compass is a capable tool that also looks the part alongside tool watches from Seiko, Rolex, Omega, and Tudor. Click HERE to learn more about the W.O.E. compass. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: The Dive Watch - How The Military Helped To Shape History’s Greatest Tool Watch  

The goal was to find a so-called “superclone,” the highest tier of counterfeit watches that claim to mirror genuine models down to the weight, finishing, and movement. According to internet lore, the superclones are so good that even an expert watchmaker can’t distinguish them from the real thing.

Dave Hall is a close friend of W.O.E., the subject of one of our first in-depth profiles, and a rare special operations veteran who appreciates watches as much as any nerd in any room. When we added an interview format to the W.O.E. YouTube Channel, it was only a matter of time before we sat down in Dave’s office, packed with a career’s worth of SEAL keepsakes, to discuss his life in the Teams through his watch collection.

The pervasive theory in the world of watch collecting is that shock and vibrations from shooting regularly can damage or even disable a mechanical watch movement. We decided to test it out. Last year, we purchased a new Tudor Pelagos FXD and gave it to our friends at GBRS Group to wear on the range as they fired an assortment of long guns and pistols over the course of six months. We sent it to Greg Petronzi of True Patina to inspect and measure the watch before and after the stress test, and the results may surprise you.

For this Dispatch, we sat down with Greg Petronzi of True Patina to learn more about his life and work, as well as to explore some of the most common questions y’all might have for a watchmaker. 

The Use Your Tools ethos shared among those in our community might seem antithetical to the coverage of expensive luxury timepieces, but like most things, there’s more to the story. No matter how you got into watches or where your horological allegiances currently lie, it’s worth considering the impact Patek Philippe has had on the military, intelligence, and NatSec.

The core job of a CIA Case Officer is to recruit human assets by building relationships with targets and convincing them to provide Foreign Intelligence on their government or organization to further US National Security interests. The trade is not for the faint of heart. In return, assets are compensated with cash, favors, and other stores of value, sometimes including luxury watches from brands like Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe. 

From Washington to Tel Aviv to Tehran, these are the timepieces worn by the leaders directing a historic escalation. On the morning of 28 February 2026, the United States initiated Operation Epic Fury, a sustained air campaign targeting Iranian-linked assets and infrastructure, conducted amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. According to the administration, the objectives were to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, destroy its ballistic missile and UAV capabilities, and degrade its proxy networks across the region.

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 the seminal Baha Men reggaeton track from 2000, it is time to let the proverbial SITREP dogs out. 

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. At Watches of Espionage, timepieces are the lens through which we view and understand history, current events, and, in this case, an exceptional individual we never would have known about if not for the watch on his wrist. 

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 modern watch culture within the W.O.E. Community.

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.

"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…”, just straight to the point. I would later learn that the reason for the brevity was that this old diver’s time on Earth was rapidly coming to an end. 

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 issued or easily purchased at the local PX, today the vast majority of Special Operations Forces (SOF) rely on cheap and effective Digital Tool Watches (D.T.W.s).

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 Yosemite, which I would argue is one of the most significant athletic achievements of the modern era. I have never called myself a “fanboy” of anyone, but in an era where society rewards celebrities and influencers, it is refreshing to see a master of their craft be rewarded for their passion and efforts. I am a fan of Alex Honnold.

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 to get through. We'd better get started… 

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 “MilSub” fielded by British Royal Navy Divers and the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Marine Nationale’s storied relationship with Tudor, or Seiko’s history with MACV-SOG and the SEAL Teams. Many modern icons even owe aspects of their designs to input from military end users. 

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 Team 6. Woolard was also issued a Tudor Submariner, but throughout his career and post-military life, Rick religiously wore a Rolex Submariner reference 1680, a watch that has seen its fair share of action and adventure.  

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 used in intelligence and special operations. Still, the possibility of a link between Nazi espionage and the Rolex founder was certainly well within our purview.  

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.

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 cut of a suit, a tie, or a lapel pin can fill intelligence gaps and inform analysis.

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 and frankly an operation that only the United States Military and Intelligence Community could carry out.

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 as a lens to view history and current events. With that in mind, we want to take a look at a little-known story of horology history: the watches that supported the divers of Lagoven Sociedad Anónima, a state-owned Venezuelan oil company that operated from 1976 until the late 1990s.

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. 

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 near definitive guide to Navy SEAL watches, continuing our discussion of Apple watch counterintelligence risks, and our exploration of unit watches, we have documented some great stories for the community. 

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.

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.  

In this special holiday Dispatch, we’ll have some fun and unseriously recommend a few timepieces providing legitimate utility to the big man from the North Pole. If any of you disagree with our picks or have suggestions of your own, let the holiday spirit flow through you right into the comments section.

In honor of Captain America’s safe return from the ISS, we recap the former US Navy SEAL, medical doctor, and astronaut’s collection of space-flown watches, including an impressive new unit watch.