Navy Seal Watches....

[trandy]

There seems to be a number of "Official Navy Seals" watches out there.....I've seen offerings from Jaeger Le Coultre, Luminox, MTM, and some watches from a web site called "www.navysealstime.com" which claims it's the "official" source of Navy Seals watches....and, most notably RESCO which is actually owned by an ex- Navy Seal.

So what's the story? Can just anyone make a "Navy Seals watch"?

BTW....I have  friend named "Jim" who is a retired Navy Seal and he told me that most of them just wear better grade G-Shocks....like the GW-6900.

[Groundhog66]

My guess is that it only takes one to wear it, and they can make some loose claim. Not sure who Maratac made theirs for, but they had a government contract for some years.

[Rod]

Military watch post always make me laugh. All NATO countries (the NATO agreement 1948) use NATO Stock Numbers for common used goods and equipment, in this way a French Tank can order fuel from a UK division and get exactly what it needs. The NATO stock number has a list or "requirement" that must be met before being issued, i:e the fuel for the tank must meet the requirements of that NATO Stock Number (NSN) and not be a pigeon….

So when it comes to watches, these too, if issued by a NATO country must meet the specific NSN, which rarely specifies a single supplier.

So a US Navy Seal requests a watch for his duties and his equipment procurer being a smart person knows the specific NSN for a watch that suits the Seal…When he orders the watch he will have a choice of suppliers (Directed by the NSN) and will usually buy from the better/cheeper  supplier….or if directed by his superiors a specific watch (from the NSN), budget willing. When ordered from his home base these will be stamped with a NSN.

So when the Seal is floundering around the Mediterranean and looses his watch, he can order a new one from the Italian Navy and receive an appropriate watch (that complies with the NSN) that suits a Seal and not a pilot. 

With this comes that part that makes me laugh, "local procurement" an Equipment Supplier can source from local suppliers if the need is high AND is justified by his superiors, so with the French tank, they can buy local fuel if their superiors deem it necessary and they are satisfied that the fuel meets their standard.

So with out of country exercises the equipment personal are given the freedom to supply from where ever and whom ever!!! as long as it meets their requirement, i.e. the Tank must move

So we come back to NATO watches, they can be and will always be whatever and from whomever the equipment personal find willing to supply a watch that meets the NSN.

So these rare issued Seiko's from Vietnam and other places are usually whatever the Equipment personal were directed to buy that meet the NSN from the local supplier i.e. local watch shop…CPL Jones here's $100 go get some black dialled watches that tell the time, are water proof, cheep and don't forget the invoice!!

A true issued watch will have a stamped NSN on the case back and come directly from the manufacture.

In my time in the Defence force I was issued some horrendous watches and some nice watches, the G-Shock was the best. 

One last note: The wearing of personal watches has always been frowned upon and actively discouraged in "conflicts and exercises" for manny reasons although this has never stopped people from wearing them, but they are not issued watches…..just personal momentos of war.

Foot note: When buying for elite units the provision of equipment for the personal can be a lengthy and exhaustive one, with many trials conducted before the NSN requirement are written and the item being issued. We have seen this in the watch world many times. This way the right watch can be found and it's unique functions and capabilities can be written into the NSN.

[69ChevelleSS]

Jan 23, 2016 4:05:02 GMT -8 Rod said:

Military watch post always make me laugh. All NATO countries (the NATO agreement 1948) use NATO Stock Numbers for common used goods and equipment, in this way a French Tank can order fuel from a UK division and get exactly what it needs. The NATO stock number has a list or "requirement" that must be met before being issued, i:e the fuel for the tank must meet the requirements of that NATO Stock Number (NSN) and not be a pigeon….

So when it comes to watches, these too, if issued by a NATO country must meet the specific NSN, which rarely specifies a single supplier.

So a US Navy Seal requests a watch for his duties and his equipment procurer being a smart person knows the specific NSN for a watch that suits the Seal…When he orders the watch he will have a choice of suppliers (Directed by the NSN) and will usually buy from the better/cheeper  supplier….or if directed by his superiors a specific watch (from the NSN), budget willing. When ordered from his home base these will be stamped with a NSN.

So when the Seal is floundering around the Mediterranean and looses his watch, he can order a new one from the Italian Navy and receive an appropriate watch (that complies with the NSN) that suits a Seal and not a pilot. 

With this comes that part that makes me laugh, "local procurement" an Equipment Supplier can source from local suppliers if the need is high AND is justified by his superiors, so with the French tank, they can buy local fuel if their superiors deem it necessary and they are satisfied that the fuel meets their standard.

So with out of country exercises the equipment personal are given the freedom to supply from where ever and whom ever!!! as long as it meets their requirement, i.e. the Tank must move

So we come back to NATO watches, they can be and will always be whatever and from whomever the equipment personal find willing to supply a watch that meets the NSN.

So these rare issued Seiko's from Vietnam and other places are usually whatever the Equipment personal were directed to buy that meet the NSN from the local supplier i.e. local watch shop…CPL Jones here's $100 go get some black dialled watches that tell the time, are water proof, cheep and don't forget the invoice!!

A true issued watch will have a stamped NSN on the case back and come directly from the manufacture.

In my time in the Defence force I was issued some horrendous watches and some nice watches, the G-Shock was the best. 

One last note: The wearing of personal watches has always been frowned upon and actively discouraged in "conflicts and exercises" for manny reasons although this has never stopped people from wearing them, but they are not issued watches…..just personal momentos of war.

Foot note: When buying for elite units the provision of equipment for the personal can be a lengthy and exhaustive one, with many trials conducted before the NSN requirement are written and the item being issued. We have seen this in the watch world many times. This way the right watch can be found and it's unique functions and capabilities can be written into the NSN.

Fascinating information Rod.  Thanks for posting!

[Rod]

I should add a little bit more too this, as it will fill some voids…..

In times of conflict, credit is usually non-existent (in the conflict zone) so cash is king. This gives the supply/equipment personal a free hand to source from local suppliers. A good supply/equipment SNCO will be the making of a great unit as he'll be able to acquire "what you need". If you've watched any episodes of MASH you understand this concept

The Mil-Spec seen on military equipment, is the original Specification for an NSN. For example the Navy Seal's require a new dive knife as they have learnt that the British equivalent is ¼inch longer…don't laugh this happens.

So the Seal's get together and discuss the requirements for a new Dive knife! i.e. longer than the British one, sharp, evil looking, black and be able to cut cheese without crumbs…The superiors agree that this is what's needed, so someone is assigned the task of creating (or amending) the specifications for this new blade! 

He/she creates a set of specifications that are understood by knife manufactures, this becomes the "Military Specification" or MillSpec that is issued for a contract or one off purchase. The manufactures create a knife or picks one from their inventery and offers this to the creator of the MillSpec.

These are assessed and one or more are picked as being "what we want" (and meet the MilSpec), the manufactures are advised that their knife has been accepted as meeting the requirements of the MilSpec,  then a NSN (directly relates to the MilSpec) is generated so that other Seal units can order themselves this new evil blade!!

If the watch/knife is wholly unique to the military the manufacture may choose to stamp the item with either the original MillSpec or the subsequent NSN or both. But any item ordered with this NSN will have the NSN or MillSpec on the packaging somewhere, so as to correctly identify the item for the equipment personal.

We have seen watches with the military broad arrow, MilSpec and/or NSN stamped on them..they will all relate to one another.

Serial numbers! V&A (valuable and attractive) items will often have a serial number stamped on them, this is used to keep track of them and to stop theft, guns are a great example, when issued with a weapon from the armoury you will be required to sign and add you personal details to a registerer that relates directly to the weapons serial number. In this way you are then financially responsible for that weapons security, and will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant military law if you loose/sell/give away that item. 

Back to watches, we see this on the US Navy Rolex's that were issued, the watches were issued and the personal details of the end user were recorded, When the watch required service/repair/return, you would exchange (in some cases send your watch in for service and receive the same watch back) your watch for a new/serviced watch. When the Navy decided that you no longer had need for the watch/weapon etc you would return it "to Stock" and this item would be taken off your record.

Often these returned items were then gathered up and sold off at public auction. So the Ex-Navy Rolex's you own (i wish ) may have been used by some famous Naval person, hard to know as you would need the original register to find out……but not imposable.

So back to NSN's only manufactures that have a current contract to supply an item will identify that item with an NSN, it is illegal to offer an item as meeting a MilSpec or NSN if you do have current government (NATO) approval, this is part of the NATO law package.

You may imply that an item is of the same MilSpec, but cannot directly identify it as such….

All great fun and games, followed by hundreds of documents and miles of red tape……

I was once the proud owner of an F-111 and Sabre aircraft, sadly they were only for ground training purposes and i had to return them when posted from that unit

Note: MilSpec's are rarely changed and are written loosely to allow for unique differences and for new NSN's to be added to the MilSpec, these are to cover new and improve "stuff".. 

[toxicavenger]

GW-6900 is issued to the Teams.

Anyone who promotes "Seals" gear and it isn't issued is riding their coat tails regardless, even if they are on a Team.

[trandy]

Jan 26, 2016 10:42:58 GMT -8 toxicavenger said:

GW-6900 is issued to the Teams.

Anyone who promotes "Seals" gear and it isn't issued is riding their coat tails regardless, even if they are on a Team.

So...it appears that I already own an official US Navy Seal's watch and didn't even know it!  

[Rod]

Jan 26, 2016 10:42:58 GMT -8 toxicavenger said:

GW-6900 is issued to the Teams.

Anyone who promotes "Seals" gear and it isn't issued is riding their coat tails regardless, even if they are on a Team.

It's NSN is 6645-01-441-2762..