Even though it is mostly impossible for us watch enthusiasts to find one watch and dedicate our full passion to it till the end of days, some of us do hope that one day we will be able to do so. Whatever type of timekeeping devices you are into, wherever you are in your watch collecting, however big or small your watch purchasing budget is, the myth of the one-watch-collection perdures throughout generations of collectors. Perdures yes and thrives in our collective psyche as the idea of owning one good unit of an object is powerfully appealing to us. I know I am personally on this journey, taking one small step at-a-time and sometimes one back and then two steps forward again. Passing through years of watch collecting too I’ve come to realize that what this watch could be has changed for me. At first, it was a diver; then a field watch; now an elegant everyday timepiece turned rugged tool watch for cover military units during the Vietnam War. I realize this is extremely specific but it will make sense right about now. 

Under the name Tornek-Rayville, the legendary Bill Yao recreated a Seiko 6119-8100 from 1979 issued to members of the MAC V SOG units which operated in Laos and Cambodia from 1964 to 1972. The 6119 was a de facto everyday timepiece fit for the office and weekend BBQs, which Mr. Yao put through his design and technical improving formula to create the CISO M38 which we have in front of us right now. The Seiko wasn’t meant to see combat but it landed itself perfectly for the job given its local provenance, non-U.S. Military-issued physical appearance, reliable and functional caliber, and clean and legible dial complete with one too many layers of radioactive luminescent compound. Mr. Yao therefore worked from a very good canvas, one of Seiko’s finest iterations from the ubiquitous Seiko 5 collection of sturdy, clean, and inexpensive everyday watches, and transformed it into a tough and racy timepiece endowed with an elevated sense of utilitarianism and covert operation essence. A recipe for success for a collector like myself. 

Before we continue: the CISO M38 is restocking tomorrow, Saturday, January 31, 2026. 

Specifications 

Writing about watches in the way I like to do it means telling stories about them. I like to tell stories, Bill Yao likes to tell stories, and his colleague Brock Stevens (@deepsea.edc on Instagram) also likes to tell stories. As each model Mr. Yao works on comes from a vintage reference, either one which was produced en masse and became a fan-favorite in this or that genre of horology, or an obscure reference or prototype like he did with the Type 7B BlakJak which came from a Type 6 SANDY 660. Hence, the CISO M38 is based on the Seiko 6119-8100 which is one of three Seiko 5 models the U.S. Military chose to equip members of the MAC V SOG units—or Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group—which ran perilous and often deadly operations of reconnaissance, espionage, sabotage, and snatching in Cambodia and Laos during the Vietnam war. These units were secret and their existence wasn’t revealed until many years after the war ended, and Mr. Yao, like myself, developed a fascination for this part of U.S. military history. 

This article is a watch review and not an exposé on the merits and necessity of armed conflict. But regardless of where you stand on the question of war and of the MAC V SOG units and their role during the Vietnam War, you’re reading these words because you’re keen to know more about the CISO M38. This watch, very much like the Seiko 6119-8100 it drew inspiration from, is indeed an everyday timepiece. The U.S. Military chose this model because of its lack of military character which meant being captured or killed wearing this horological machine wouldn’t make it possible to connect the soldier to the U.S. Military. Similarly, all of their equipment, clothing, and weaponry were chosen for their lack of visual identification as well as their perfect tactical and situational capabilities, which are also defining traits of the 6119-8100 and therefore of the CISO M38. First things first, this watch is easy to wear regardless of who you are and the kind of wrist you were born with: it measures 38 x 43.6 x 12.45mm and therefore seamlessly adapts itself to any situation. 

With a comfort-oriented goal in mind, the crown is located at the 4 o’clock as it always is on Seiko 5’s, though this one is longer than the one found on the original, pill-shaped and partially recessed within the case. It measures 4.1mm in diameter and is equipped with linear grooves complemented by a cross-hatched pattern to ensure complete operationality and ease-of-use. (I’ve never written so many words about a crown.) The crown screws down by the way, so does the engraved case-back which endows the CISO M38 with a more than decent 100 meters of water resistance. The crystal is a scratch-resistant piece of double-domed sapphire with several layers of inner anti-reflective coating. The hour markers and hands are complemented by generous quantities of C3 SuperLuminova which glows green akin to the radioactive compound found on the 6119 which provided superlative nocturnal legibility. The caliber is the reliable and easy-to-service Seiko NH36 which ticks at 3Hz, comes with 41 hours of power reserve , and which the brand regulates in three positions. 

Design

Besides its good specifications, which the Seiko was also endowed with, the Tornek-Rayville CISO M38 stands out for its sublime straightforwardness, legibility, and functionality, which the Seiko was also of course endowed with. As far as I know, the three Seiko 5’s the U.S. Military chose for the MAC V SOG units—the 6619-8060, 7005-8030, and 6119-8100—were all considered to be everyday watches for the everyday man. They were legible and practical, equipped with a day or day/date complications, symmetrical dials, and comfortable cases. Of all three however, the 6119-8100 stood out and stands out still for its italicized Arabic numerals which run all around the dial and the polished batons hands they are matched with for easy time-telling functionality. I do love a day/date complication because I’m the type of nerd who keeps track of time, the date, and the day of the week by catching a glance of the watch I’m wearing on my wrist and not by staring at my enormous smartphone. (It’s a choice, not a necessity.) 

Here Mr. Yao perfectly executed the dial layout by reproducing the Arabic numerals, hands, and day/date aperture with perfect balance and therefore legibility, which are matched to a matte black dial on which are printed the letters “SOA” above the pinion and “26 jewels” below it. “SOA” stands for “Special Operation Association” which is the first veteran-focused support group founded in secret in 1976 to support SOG veterans, and it found its rightful place on the dial as Tornek-Rayville designed and developed the CISO M38 with these brave veterans. For me, additionally, the lack of the usual branding indicates the transformation and change of mission the 6119-8100 went through during the Vietnam war, as it started as a civilian everyday timepiece and became an equipment of war on the wrists of MAC V SOG unit members. Besides all of this, the dial of CISO M38 appears sterile akin to that found on many military watches as being legible and functional came before the need for superfluous visual and design elements. 

Where Mr. Yao’s experience and skills further show is in the execution of the case which contributes strongly to endowing the CISO M38 with strong everyday vibes. The case is made of 316L stainless steel and presents a fully mirror-polished treatment from which the light shines and bounces, adding a bit of elegance to the covert military package. With a narrow mid-case, chamfered angular lugs, and thin bezel, the steel body of this watches clashes with the utilitarian nature of the dial but not of the polished hands, creating both an unusual contrast between two types of watches and forming a unified design which is choke-full of character just the same. All of this makes the CISO M38 an interesting watch to observe and wear, and I would venture in saying that Tornek-Rayville managed to preserve the everyday appearance of the Seiko 6119-8100 whilst emphasizing its unplanned military heritage and strengthening its modern allure. Lastly, the CISO M38 ships on a superb five-link bracelet and a one-piece Maratic nylon strap. 

Thus, you can dress this watch up or down, or alter its personality by simply swapping one fastening system for another. 

The Heart of the Matter

Something quite unique happened when Bill Yao decided to take on the difficult task of issuing a modernized, rejuvenated, and beefier version of the Seiko 6119-8100. The original model was unique in its own right and was so much so that the U.S. Military picked it for the MAC V SOG units whose unofficial job description included doing dangerous things in dangerous places with dangerously thin margins for survival. It wasn’t your typical MIL-SPEC, military-issued timekeeping device which is what made it so interesting for Mr. Yao to study, reimagine, and reissue. Even though today armed forces barely use any analog mechanical watches anymore—in favor of digital quartz ones—the Tornek-Rayville CISO M38 is as relevant today as an everyday watch and military-worthy timepiece as the 6119 was in the 1970s. It was an exceptional and singular piece of horology which TR respectfully and sublimely reimagined, and that is the stuff my type of one-watch collection timepiece is made out of today. 

Lastly, the CISO M38 is miles above other re-issues of such watches in terms of design, specifications, manufacturing and finishing, which now appear to me as being lazy homages.

Conclusion 

Yeah I know, my last comment was a bit harsh but deservedly so. After spending a lot of time with the Tornek-Rayville CISO M38 (as the one I reviewed is mine,) I now understand why a brand cannot go cheap when recreating a legend and why, in order to be so itself, the new version must be as comprehensively designed and spec’ed out as its forebearer was. So that indeed the CISO M38 is a solid everyday timepiece which is battlefield-worthy and that is not something many watches I’ve reviewed can claim to be. This model is truly unique and it necessitated an equally unique individual and team to make it so. Perhaps the most important piece of information we should end this lengthy review with is this: the CISO M38 in all original three packages—Standard @ $695, Donation @ $795, and Collector’s @ $995 USD—will be restocking tomorrow, Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 11am EST/5pm CET directly from the brand’s website. You do not want to miss this, I guarantee you. 

Thanks for reading.