Issued by Ben Baker, the head of the Counter Insurgency Support Office (CISO), this Seiko Sportsmatic 5 was made available for, and issued to Military Assistance Command- Vietnam (MAC-V) 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 this watch 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.” 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 October of ‘67 is unbelievable. The dial is a stunning charcoal gray sunburst with luminous Arabic markers, and the hands are large, beveled batons with a clean polished finish. The 6619 behind the dial is keeping time to within a few seconds per day post service, and the date can be quickset via the crown. The day must be manually set. Unlike the latter 6119 variant, the case is built completely from stainless steel rather than having a base metal mid-case with plating and corrosion issues. It’s unpolished, and the case corners and lines are still quite crisp after more than 50 years of service. It’s completely original aside from a replacement crystal, and one of the finest examples we’ve ever witnessed.  This is a collector’s dream for both watch and military enthusiasts, and an opportunity that won’t likely be repeated.