The Caseback Issue 3: Cover Story

Hey friends,

Welcome to the third issue of The Caseback, the first one for paying subscribers. If you're one of them, thank you (if you're not, you can subscribe here). You're paying for something I write on weekends because I can't stop thinking about these stories, and I don't take it lightly.

This issue is about cover stories. In 1974 the CIA used Howard Hughes's name and his 618-foot ship, with a story for the world that it was mining the ocean floor, and used it to lift part of a Soviet submarine from three miles down. If not for a burglary in Hollywood and persistent journalist, we never would have known about it and more importantly, we wouldn't have the "neither confirm, nor deny" response.

Everything else in the issue was built to hide something. Your Next Watch is watches that never belonged to the men who wore them, stamped on the back as government property so they could be handed back. The Steineck ABC looks like a watch and is actually a camera. Watch School is about time signals, and starts with missed radio check-ins.

The Conversation came out the same year the Glomar Explorer made its lift. It's a film about a man who listens to other people for a living and tells nobody anything about himself, and I wrote about how it was made and why the ending still works. In Dead Seconds I argue that the watch industry answers simple questions about who makes its movements the same way the CIA answered reporters in 1975.

If you're a paid subscriber, the whole issue is below. If you're not, this letter is where it stops for you this week. The long read, Your Next Watch, Watch School and everything else above are on the site for paid subscribers.

If you enjoy this one, I'd love for you to stick around. If you don't, reply and tell me why. I read every reply.

Also, since this is the first paid Caseback, you might have to log in to the site. If something's not working, do let me know and I'll help you out.