Rolex
Buying, Selling, & Collecting I Found An Incredible Arabic-Dial Seiko In An Unlikely Place
If you know where to look, you can find horological treasure anywhere. All you need is an open mind – and maybe a Prime account.
[Editors' Note: The author of this story, a former undercover officer for the CIA, has asked to remain anonymous.]
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I have a confession. I recently bought a watch on Amazon.
I had heard from even the most venerable scholars that it was sometimes possible to find horological joy on America's superstore. But until this recent purchase, I didn't believe it. As a traditionalist who values the thrill of the hunt – where the knowledge and experiences gained on the journey often exceed the pleasure of the destination – the idea of buying a timepiece on Amazon is sacrilegious. Is it really possible to find an inspiring piece from the same online marketplace that delivers everything from matcha green tea to toilet paper?
It seems so.
Unwinding after a long day at work and driven by curiosity, I poured a negroni, kicked up my feet, opened the Amazon app on my iPhone, and typed "mechanical watch" into the search bar. Scrolling down the first page of Timex, Hamiltons, and Casios, a steel Seiko caught my attention. It was a Seiko 5 but had a striking black Eastern Arabic dial.
At the mercy of Amazon's algorithms, I was hooked. What initially began as an intellectual exercise quickly became serious. Seiko offers several references through Amazon that are not available on the Seiko USA website – most notably, ones with Arabic dials. Likely based on my past order history, Amazon was quick to direct me to the two Seiko Arabic dials, the 42mm SNKP21J1 and the smaller 34mm SNK063J5.
Having spent much of my adult life living, working, and traveling in the Middle East, I have a strong affinity for the rich culture and language of the Arab world. While my Arabic language proficiency has deteriorated over the years, the numbers and days of the week were still ingrained in my brain – something my tutor at the American University of Beirut would appreciate.
At the time, I had two Arabic-dial watches in my collection: A Breitling Aerospace (a gift from King Abdullah of Jordan), and an Arabic Breitling Aviator 8 Etihad Limited "Middle East" Edition in black steel. With an Arabic-dial Rolex an unobtainable grail, the promise of adding another Arabic dial to my collection for well under $200 was irresistible.
While I never wore a Seiko in any operational capacity during my time at the CIA, the Japanese brand has a long history in the intelligence and Special Operations community. My predecessors in the 1960s and 1970s wore "MACV-SOG" Seikos during covert operations in the Vietnam War. Maritime Special Operations units (including the Navy SEALs) were issued Seiko Divers until at least the mid-1990s when they were replaced by digital G-Shocks.
With an average of 4.7/5 stars, the larger Seiko looked promising. At $140.99, the cost was borderline trivial for a watch collector used to 2022 prices. While 42mm was larger than most watches in my collection, without the benefit of trying the watch on, I speculated that its 12.5mm thickness would be manageable. The visible caseback of the 7S26 automatic movement was a bonus. I read the customer reviews and saw that the only real complaint about the watch was the bracelet, which was considered "cheap" by the commentariat. The gripes were understandable. My Vietnam-era Seiko Sportsmatic 5 6619-8060 came with an original 1960s bracelet, but I opted for the aftermarket NATO strap for this exact reason.
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I decided I could just chuck the bracelet. The watch was worth a shot.
And so then came those three little words: Add to cart.
I almost bought a beautiful Smooth Brown Leather Watch Strap, and then realized the absurdity of purchasing a strap more costly than the watch itself. At this point, I pivoted back to Amazon and quickly settled on a 22mm Barton canvas strap for $20.
The watch and strap arrived two days later and both exceeded my expectations. By any measure, the watch is a unique and historic timepiece with an exceptional dial. After a quick strap change, I was up and running. I took off my Coke Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 16710 and slid the new watch on my wrist, tightening the field-green canvas strap. The near-immediate gratification – a rarity in watch collecting – felt intoxicating. The no-frills buying experience was fitting for a mass-produced utilitarian tool.
For the next week, my more "desirable" Rolex, Breitlings, and IWCs sat in the safe while this sub-$200 masterpiece began its journey. Days later, I met a former CIA colleague for lunch at a northern Virginia restaurant known to be a regular spot for spies and operators. As an aspiring watch nerd, I immediately noticed his Rolex Submariner but said nothing. Halfway through the meal, the Arabic dial peeking out of my cuff caught my friend's eye. Interrupting me mid-sentence, he asked to see the watch and asked for the story behind it.
When I die, I hope my grandchildren will open my (Amazon-purchased) knock-off Pelican cases and eagerly divvy up my watch collection. They will likely speculate that I picked up the Seiko at Khan el-Khalili Souk (market) in Cairo to support a cover legend, or received it as an honorary gift from a Middle Eastern intelligence service after an impactful operation.
My hope is that my survivors do not let the truth get in the way of a good story.
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