The Covert History of Seiko’s MACV-SOG Watches in Vietnam

The MACV-SOG, which included U.S. Army Special Forces / Credit: MACV-SOG

Seiko 6619-8060 MACV-SOG

Seiko watches were used by the MACV-SOG military unit. ‘MACV-SOG’ stands for Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group. This military unit was founded in 1964 as a special operations unit that would operate behind enemy lines. This included sabotage, strategic reconnaissance, personnel recovery, counterintelligence, and psychological operations – all behind enemy lines. They were responsible for preparing and coordinating some of the most pivotal moments of the war.

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This role was particularly dangerous for those who were secretly enlisted. SOG had a casualty rate greater than 100 percent, which meant that all members who served were either wounded, many multiple times, or killed. These special operations units were instructed to blend in as much as possible as they operated behind enemy lines. So, the typical military timepieces would not suffice – these units would often look to reliability, low cost, and highly practical watches, often landing upon Seiko.

Military specification watches were not always issued to troops, so many of these servicemen initially acquired their own watches from the many military bases in which they would be stationed. The Seiko 6619-8060 would typically be chosen by MACV-SOG operatives. But eventually, the military placed orders directly from Seiko for similar, later models.

So, this would be why you often see 6619-8060 ‘pre’ MACV-SOG, as it wasn’t issued directly from the US military just yet. With 50 metres of water resistance, doing time in a humid climate like Vietnam was also possible. These Seikos were powered by the automatic Seiko 6619 caliber and had a 36 mm diameter.

Seiko 5 6119-8100 MACV-SOG MIL Issue

Seiko 5 6119-8100 MACV-SOG / Credit: Hub City Vintage

It is believed that the military didn’t begin issuing timepieces to the task force until 1968. The 6119-8100/8101 is considered the first of the ‘officially issued’ watches. Ben Baker was the head of the Counter Insurgency Support Office (CISO) and he issued the 6119-8100 for the MACV-SOG operatives. Again, this was the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group. His office oversaw supplying these units with items that could not be traceable, so they came without stock numbers. This included many items like their cameras, knives, and even their timepieces. If captured, this would allow them the benefit of the doubt with their captives.

When looking at the Seiko 6619-8060 MACV-SOG or the Seiko 6119-8100, you will notice they include luminous Arabic numerals. This was not typical for Seiko, but dials with Arabic numeral have traditionally been reserved for military pieces given the legibility. The 6119 and the 6619 are similar in aesthetic, although they both have different movements, dial configurations, and case materials.

Seiko 7005-8030 MACV-SOG MIL Issue

The Seiko 7005-8030 / Credit: Klein Vintage Watch

During the period that the 6119 was issued, a more distinct watch also appeared, this was the Seiko 7005-8030. As written about in a book called ‘Running Recon’ by Frank Greco, these Seiko’s played a pivotal role in the U.S. Special Operations (SOG) during the Vietnam War. The 7005 version is the most difficult to obtain as it was made for the shortest amount of time, roughly between 1969-1971.

By 1972, this covert group was disbanded. All information about this secret force was to be terminated and classified, therefore a lot of information about this special force was extremely difficult to obtain for many years.

Only the best of the best was recruited into the MACV-SOG, which carried out extremely high-risk high-reward missions throughout Northern Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

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Army Green Berets, Navy Seals, Marine Force, Air Force, and CIA personnel were among the enlisted who were part of this covert group and wore these Seiko timepieces. These Seiko timepieces were part of these historic MACV missions which included sabotage, strategic reconnaissance, personnel recovery, counterintelligence, and psychological operations behind enemy lines. MACV-SOG casualties exceeded 100 percent and by 1968 every recon man was wounded at least once. More than half of all MACV-SOG personnel did not return home, but they also bolstered the highest kill/death ratio in American history, topping out at 158-1 in 1970. This group underwent a secret eight-year war from 1964-1972 that no one knew about until the team was declassified in the early 1990s and the public was finally able to learn about their covert operations – and their timepieces.

By: Eric Mulder

Seiko 5 6119-8100 worn by MACV-SOG Bobbie Pruett / Credit: The Watch Site

Read more:

Krott, Rob. “How Top-Secret Commando Unit SOG took on the Most Dangerous Missions in Vietnam.” HistoryNet, August 2001, https://www.historynet.com/studies-and-observations-group-vietnam.htm#:~:text=In%201968%2C%20every%20MACV%2DSOG,%2Dto%2D1%20in%201970.
Atlamazoglou, Stavros. “MACV-SOG: THE COVERT SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF.” Sandboxx, June 9th, 2021, https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/macv-sog-the-covert-special-operations-unit-youve-never-heard-of/.
Stockton, Michael “#TBT Seiko 6619-8060 MACV-SOG – A Sterile Watch.” Fratello Watches, August 30th, 2018, https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-seiko-6619-8060-macv-sog-a-sterile-watch/.
“1968 Seiko 6119-8100 “5” MAC-V SOG MIL Issue (Vietnam).” Hub City Vintage, https://www.hubcityvintage.com/archive-ii/1968-seiko-6119-8100-5-mac-v-sog-mil-issue-vietnam.
Johnson, Mike. “A Brief Guide to the Iconic Watches of The Vietnam War.” 60 Clicks, March 22nd, 2018, https://www.60clicks.com/vietnam-war-watch-guide/.
“MACVSOG - MOH.” SOG Chronicles, https://sogchronicles.com/macvsog-cmoh/.