Issued by Ben Baker, the head of the Counter Insurgency Support Office (CISO), only two verifiable Seiko variants were made available for, and issued to Military Assistance Command- Vietnam (MACV) Studies and Observation Group (SOG) operatives. His office was charged with supplying any number of sterile or “non-attributable” items for members of the various recon teams within the SOG. From cameras to knives, and in this case watches, these team members needed equipment that would allow them plausible deniability if captured, so they were issued without GI stock numbers. Evidence backing the issue of these watches in particular was discovered in a book by Frank Greco entitled “Running Recon: A Photo Journey with SOG Special Ops Along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.” Of the two watches pictured in his account, most agree the first to be the 6119-8100. The second is without a doubt, the 7005-8030 offered here. With its clandestine military association, and having become nearly impossible to source, these Seiko MIL watches are at the top of every collector’s list. Considering its history, this example from July of ‘69 is unbelievable. The matte black dial is perfect. Free of fading or stain, it is a flawless backdrop for the crisp hour markers in a bold, upright font. After more than 50 years of exposure, the luminous material has developed a warm and even khaki patina that’s mirrored in large polished baton hands. At the dial’s edge is a silver hour and minute track, and date window at three. The case is a sharply contoured pair of crescent lugs that appear to be joined by a thin integrated bezel. Though the corners of the case are all factory sharp, it appears as though some of the surfaces may have been lightly polished at some point. Housed inside is the Daini 7005, and post service, this reliable workhorse is keeping near perfect time. This extremely rare specimen is completely original aside from a replacement acrylic crystal, and we’ve paired it with a woven nylon in olive green with a barley center stripe that adds a comfortable and authentic finish. The strap offers fully adjustable stainless steel hardware to provide a perfect fit to any wrist. This is likely a once in a lifetime offer from HCV. It is, and will likely remain, the only example we’ve ever acquired, and is sure to be a centerpiece in any collection.

CNS Woven Nylon Olive/Barley with Adjustable Steel Hardware

Serviced 2/22/20

Diameter- 37mm

Lugs- 18mm