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Not sure why this happened, but they dumped Jack Bauer’s Kobold for an MTM Special Ops, allowing MTM to raise the price on their hefty quartz and making clunky quartz watches an object of desire for millions of newbie watch buyers. Oh, terrible day.

Jack Bauer in 24 Day 5 Wears MTM Special Ops Watch [WristDreams]

Product Page [SpecialOps Watch]

ByJohn Biggs

John lives in Brooklyn and has loved watches since he got his first Swatch Irony automatic in 1998. He is the editor of WristWatchReview.

38 thoughts on “Jack Bauer Dumps Kobold, Picks Up MTM Special Ops”
  1. Oh please people. Only some uptight watch elitist would harp on something like this. Clunky quartz watches were in vouge with watch noobs way before MTM hit the scene. Why do you think Casio’s G-shock line sells year after year? Also, maybe the producers of 24 didn’t find it too realistic that a public servant runs around wearing a multi-thousand dollar watch. Sure the Black Hawk is not that accurate and has no date function, but do you need that when you live your life 24 hrs at a time? Get real.(It is pretty lame that MTM raised prices because of the popularity though. But hey, welcome to capitalism, one of the American ideals our hero Jack is fighting for.)

  2. I’m one of those watch noobs who likes big bulky quartz watches, but I’m pretty disappointed in this one. For all the hoopla about stainless steel and carbon fiber and ballistic nylon, this thing tells time, and that’s it. My Timex has more functions. No thanks, MTM.

  3. The watch was not worth 450 of my hard earned American dollars. The band is suspiciously Fossil, the back plate is generic – if the advertised LED gimmick didn’t work, I’d be furious – alas, it does throw a pretty good amount of light (just like the orange light on cameras). BTW, they don’t ship in the little plastic Seahorse case as advertised – but hey, why do you need the case if it’s going to stay on your wrist all day long and sit on the charger all night long, right?

  4. When was Bauer wearing a Kobold? I know there was the rolex Sub un season one and some G-Shock action – and of course the now pricey MTM this day around, but I’ve not seen a Phantom. And I’m quite observant…

  5. These product placements are hard-fought battles! I’m sure MTM did a nice deal..nicer than Kobolds, and that’s the reason for this.
    I was trying to get a Bathys on the arm of one of the Fantastic Four for their new movie due in 2007, but I got beat out by the Fossil Group. Jerks.

  6. The fact that you guys know what type of watch a fictional character on TV wears confirms my belief that the U.S. is in deep trouble.

  7. you guys are killin me. you sound like a bunch of airsofters. the watch the real seals wear is the blah blah blah. i saw a swat delta guy with a blah blah blah. whatever watch an operator wears, thats the real deal. period. i know mike kobold and passed up a phantom, i wear an MTM among many others. if it can be durable enough for constant full auto firing, gun cleaning solvents, and waterproof, thats good enough for me.

  8. oh, one more thing. i know exactly why kobold lost the product endorsement and MTM stepped up to the plate. the earlier entry by John P is close, but the real story is sillier. stop living your boring life fantasizing about being a real operator and worrying if jack bauer really wears his watch off-duty. it’s a tv show moron. jack bauer is played by an actor, he isn’t real, even in your dreams.stand up, buy the watch you like for whatever reason, and be pysched you have a wrist to wear it on. God Bless our Troops.

  9. chill out, tough guy. you’re missing the whole point of even watching those kinds of shows in the first place. Take that big-ass samurai sword out of your ass.

  10. Hmmm… People who don’t know one another, in an internet forum, name calling over a few innocuous comments about a watch worn by a character on a TV show. That’s why I don’t give the human race too much credit!

    I find too many companies use SOG, Seal, etc. as a selling point without any evidence that they have an exclusive government contract. Is MTM (or Kobold, or Luminox) REALLY a general issue to SOG, and Seals? Or is it left to the individual?

    I was reading one U.S. Air Force forum and some pilots were bragging how they wore Breitlings, while others wore Citizen, Timex, whatever…I doubt the U.S. government would award a government contract to Breitling for service men to use $5000 watches in the field.

  11. Anyways, my point (from last post) being that I suspect many manufacturers abuse the marketing angle of claiming or implying that they are exclusive suppliers to some elite group (like special forces) as a way to appeal to the “Rambo-wannabe big-knife- with-a-compass-in-handle” crowd.

    SOG knives do this by making big claims about their Seal knife 2000 but how many Seals actually use this knife?

    First, I think there are often more than one supplier or government contract awarded.

    Second, I think many elite military personnel have some latitude in choosing whatever watch they seem fit for duty. Sure, they’re not going to be permitted to wear a day-glow orange Swatch with a “wake me” alarm for covert reconnassaince missions but I think if they want to use their own Omega Seamaster, they can.

    I think a lot of this is just marketing hype.

  12. I love my Chrono Seamaster Pro how ever I am going to upgrade to a Kobold Phantom. Beter product for durability.
    And any time someone switches from a functioning auto to a quartz, lame… Your goig backwards.
    Have you ever tried to replace a battery on a watch in Macedonia?

  13. use citizen, powered by light, last i heard the sun shines everywhere, except maybe up your arse

  14. This forum cracks me up. Being a former delta (89-94) I can tell you what they wear — Whatever the heck we want to wear! All the guys I rumbled with had their own personal prefs, and didn’t give two shits more than a timepiece being for just that… Time. There were Timex’s and even a damn $18 Armitron that wouldn’t die (held together by — you guessed it, duct tape, and one of those nylon velcro bands!) Save your money, buy something that you’re happy with, not because its trendy, on TV, or someone else owns it. I would, however, encourage simplicity if you are trying to be a bad-ass!

  15. Who cares about Jack Bauer. I own the Silencer and it is the best watch I have. I also own a TAG and a Rolex and all these things are jewelry. If you had the money you know you would buy one of these models instead of sitting around negative when you know nothing of the MTM. Either open your wallet, if you can, then you can post some comments on this excellent watch.

  16. I agree with the people that have said wear what you want. I have a Rolex Daytona which I love and was bought for a present from my wife but feel guilty wearing it everyday as I am pretty hard on watches. So am ordering a MTM for everyday. Like simple watches for work and they need to be tough.
    I like these, have nver seen 24. No idea whoi this bloke is you are on about and have never noticed what an actor has worn on the screen apart from James Bond. I agree with the bloke that said get your wallet out or not but get a life.

  17. When I was a infantry officer in the army the most common watch was some sort of timex. Why- because you break a lot of watches in the field. I also never knew of anyone getting supplied a $500 watch just to tell time.

  18. I watch 24, don’t know what watches Keifer wears as Bauer, but I just love all the cool hip cats telling everyone to get a life and are all SOO cool, these are the same guys who memorize every damn score in the last 20 years of the NFL or NBA, who scored how much and who got traded for who, now that is a type of geekdom that I hate, the sort that thinks it’s superior. I’ve always hated jocks, crap for brains and it leaks out their mouths whenever it opens.

  19. My husband was an ex-navy seal. The first year on the job he received a G-shock. DW6600. A $50 watch…

  20. I just like the style of this watch. I don’t want it BECAUSE Jack Bauer wears it, I just saw it on his wrist and said, damn that’s a slick looking piece. But f**k paying 500 bucks for a time piece. I got bills to pay! I’d like to find a piece that looks like this one, but for <$100. Anybody know of any look-a-likes?

  21. Bullshit. Been SEAL for 8 years. What do we wear ? Cheap Casio G-Shock for 90 % of us, and the last 10 % go Casio Pathfinder/Protrek (Suunto ? No way. Too many faulty problems and you need to carry a spare battery where a Casio feeds from light…). Since we often destroy them, the first critera is price. I’ve never seen a spec ops with anything but a very cheap G-Shock (think : around $ 20…). Black, that displays time, resin (never metal, it is not allowed not even in training where metallic watches are not allowed before of noise, high-risk of injury if it catches something and breaks your wrist or worse – if the watch catches something, then it’s the watch that must tore and break, never the wrist). Any watch that is over 20, 30 bucks, not resin, not plastic and G-Shock type is bullshit for posers.

    B.
    SEAL
    Stationned Europe

  22. @David Brodnax
    David, Good Evening, You said you own a Silencer. I am looking at those right now. What do you think of it? Any cons. What specifically do you like about it? I am interested in the multiple alarm function only. I like the vibrating feature to keep the office, home quiet.

    Thanks for the time
    jma23h@yahoo.com

  23. suck my balls off you wankers – then grow some! if its heavy enough clobber yourself on the head with it! over and out. fashion poofs! big-ben is a time-piece.

  24. I’m a professional aquatic biologist. I bought an all titanium MTM Special Ops watch about two years ago. After a little more than a year, the extra strong titanium band just broke in half! The watch was not subjected to any heavy or even moderate force – just normal wear (I SCUBA with another watch). It broke at the clasp where the clasp attaches to the band with a little, dinky, cheesy pin – maybe 1 mm thick! Now, how in the hell is any item supposed to stand up to special ops use when critical components are held together with something from a dimestore – the band is titanium, the pin is pot metal!
    MTM told me tough crap buddy. They won’t stand behind their product. They won’t repair it – even for a price! MTM watches – perfect for the urban wanna be – a joke to a professional!

  25. “Here is what I found about Special Ops Watches: The US Special Forces wanted a new watch (one that was more rugged and reliable) about 18 years ago. They approached a company in California (MTM) and asked them to design a sort of Swiss Army Knife watch. Over the next two years the company spent some time talking to NASA and MIT (Mass’ Institute of Technology). Together they came up with a watch that would be one of the most accurate (and easily reset to atomic clock) watches in the world. They did all sorts of searches and tests to find the best materials for it (carbon fibre, diamond hardened quartz glass etc). The battery electro-magnetic recharging system originally existed as something developed for NASA (meant you could generate more efficient electricity in space via spacial object discharges or some such thing). MIT played with it and got it into a stand (which you no doubt receive with the watches) which recharges the battery. The way they designed the shielding around the battery meant that it would survive an EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) such as can be caused by a nuclear explosion or an EMP generator. This meant that the watches became virtually indestructible. As you already know they are water resistant to 300m. They can resist pressures of up to 15 atmospheres (which would have killed a human after about two and a half seconds). They were issued (officially) to the Special Forces (Delta Force, Army Rangers, SWAT teams, Navy Seals). After a year the civilian forces (FBI, DEA and CIA) wanted them and about six months after that the Army, Navy and USAF ordered them. The USAF liked them because it was easily reset for fast jet pilots. The British got hold of them a while ago and the SAS and SBS got them. Several army, navy and RAF officers got hold of them and they spread. Now even the Israeli Mossad use them, along with the British MI5 and MI6.”

  26. Tactical watch is any watch that satisfies your needs. It could be G-shock, Timex, or anything you choose to be. If you are trashing yourself in the mud all day long, then maybe gshock mudman is your tactical watch. But if you have any other duties in the world of tactical duties, and you find use for any of the models of the MTM line up, then the MTM watch is your tactical choice. I have one of the MTM watches. It fullfil my tactical needs and so far i have not had any problems…..and the movie 24 had nothing to do with my choice.

  27. I own lots of watches. When it comes to picking ones to dive with, surf with or pretty much do anything where I know it’s going to be trashed I go for Citizen Promasters (tough, eco-drive etc) and Casio Pathfinders. Everyone who owns these watches know they’re tough and relatively cheap. But I have 2 friends who were in “special forces” in Europe and, they wore Casio G-Shocks. They’re just damn reliable watches which are cheap, solar powered etc. They’re also light and won’t break your wrist in an accident. This is obvious but important stuff. So many other brands have lots of problems. Suunto’s core has great features but had huge reliability issues. If you want a seal watch, buy a casio. I’d prefer these MTM’s and may buy one if they didn’t scream about their frankly imaginary special ops credentials.

  28. I just bought an MTM black warrior titanium watch, and I love it. Yeah it just tells time, but it’s very sleek and dangerous looking and it offers all the features (titanium band and watch, tritium tube lit hands, swiss movement etc.) of watches that cost many times that of my MTM. Say what you will, MTM makes a damn fine watch. Not for you Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Tag snobs though!

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