Featured image: Casio
In American Sniper (2014), Bradley Cooper’s Chris Kyle wears a black Casio G-Shock DW-6600, the same rugged digital model that the real Navy SEAL describes wearing in his memoir. It is a tough, inexpensive resin watch, and that is exactly the point.
Quick answerChris Kyle (and Bradley Cooper playing him) wore a black Casio G-Shock DW-6600. Casio discontinued the original in 2010, but you can get a very similar look today from the G-Shock DW-6900 or DW-5600 families, or from the 2023 DW-6640RE-1 reissue while it lasts, for roughly $60 to $150.
Where to buy
Compare the same watch on both sites: eBay for pre-owned and vintage pieces, Amazon for new stock.
Casio G-Shock DW-6600
G-Shock DW-6900
G-Shock DW-5600
Prices and availability change; check the listing before you buy.
The watch in the film: Casio G-Shock DW-6600
The DW-6600 is a classic G-Shock from the 1990s. It has a big, rounded-square resin case, a resin strap, a negative or positive LCD depending on the version, and large, chunky buttons you can press with gloves on. Its headline feature in its day was an electro-luminescent backlight that lit up the whole display, plus the usual G-Shock shock resistance and a 200 m water rating.
That mix of toughness, legibility and a low price tag is why it became closely associated with the U.S. Navy SEALs. Several watch outlets, including G-Central, report that it became the standard SEAL watch after the Rolex Submariner era, and that Casio ran the model for years before discontinuing it in 2010. Chris Kyle’s autobiography, which the film is based on, mentions wearing a G-Shock on his wrist during deployments. The production put Cooper in the same model, which is a nice piece of period-correct detail rather than a Hollywood stand-in.
Specs at a glance
| Detail | Casio G-Shock DW-6600 |
|---|---|
| Case and strap | Black resin, shock-resistant construction |
| Movement | Quartz digital |
| Display | LCD with full-display EL backlight and afterglow |
| Water resistance | 200 m (as reported by G-Central and others) |
| Features | Stopwatch, countdown timer, alarm, 24-hour mode |
| Status | Discontinued 2010; occasional pre-owned listings |
| Approximate price | Original was well under $100; pre-owned examples now vary widely |
Some secondary sites quote slightly different water-resistance figures for the DW-6600, so if that spec matters to you, check the caseback of the specific watch you are buying.
Why a SEAL would choose a G-Shock
For a working sniper or operator, a watch is a tool. A cheap, battery-powered digital with a stopwatch and a reliable backlight does the job in the dark, in the water and in the dust, and nobody is heartbroken if it gets scratched or lost. A luxury dive watch looks good on a desk but is harder to justify in the field. That practicality is the story behind Kyle’s choice, and it is a big part of why the DW-6600 gained a cult following among military-watch fans.
The G-Shock in other films
American Sniper is one of several screen moments that made the G-Shock shorthand for “serious operator.” If you like the look, you may also enjoy our breakdown of the watch in Extraction and the best watches for law enforcement officers, which cover the same tough-tool philosophy.
Get the look: affordable alternatives
If you cannot find a clean DW-6600, these are easy to buy new and sit in the same spirit. Prices are approximate US figures and vary by retailer.
- Casio G-Shock DW-6640RE-1 (about $100 to $130, limited run): A 2023 reissue of the DW-6600 design as part of Casio’s Remaster Black series. Best for fans who want the actual silhouette. Pro: authentic shape. Con: limited availability, so it may be sold out.
- Casio G-Shock DW-6900-1V (about $100 to $120): The three-eyed, round-case sibling that you see on many service members. Best for an everyday tough watch. Pro: widely available. Con: a slightly different look from the DW-6600.
- Casio G-Shock DW-5600E-1V (about $50 to $70): The square classic. Best for the lowest price and slimmest profile. Pro: very affordable and light. Con: not the same shape as the film watch.
- Casio G-Shock GW-M5610U-1 (about $100 to $140): The square design with solar charging and radio-controlled timekeeping. Best for people who never want to change a battery. Pro: low-maintenance. Con: costs more than the plain quartz versions.
How the G-Shock was born
The G-Shock started with a simple frustration: watches that broke when they were dropped or knocked. In 1981, Casio designer Kikuo Ibe proposed one idea: a watch that survives being dropped.
His eight-person “Project Team Tough” set a target known as Triple 10: survive a 10-meter fall, resist water to 10 bar and run 10 years on one battery. After more than 200 prototypes, the answer came from watching children play with a rubber ball in a park. Instead of armoring the movement, Ibe suspended it inside the case so impacts were absorbed. That “floating” module is still the basis of every G-Shock.
The first model, the DW-5000C, went on sale in 1983.
What made the DW-6600 special
The DW-6600 arrived in 1994 with module 3527. G-Central describes it as the first G-Shock with a front-mounted light button and an electroluminescent (EL) backlight that lit the whole display.
- The glow: the blue-green backlight earned the nickname “Fox Fire”, after the glow of bioluminescent fungi.
- The shape: its rounded case, with the big light button below the screen, later passed to the DW-6900, which is why the two look so alike.
- The SEAL link: G-Central notes it was the first G-Shock used by U.S. Navy SEALs.
Casio discontinued the DW-6600 in 2010, then revived it in 2023 for the G-Shock 40th anniversary. The new version swaps the EL panel for a white LED and runs about five years on its CR2016 battery. G-Central lists it at $150, against $99.95 for a DW-6900.
DW-6600 or DW-6900?
From a distance they are nearly identical, because the DW-6900 borrowed the DW-6600’s case shape and front light button. Its display design came from a different model, the DW-5900 with its “Triple Graph” screen. Today’s revived DW-6600 has the same functions as a current DW-6900. If you want the American Sniper look rather than the exact watch, the DW-6900 is cheaper and easier to find. For a G-Shock from another action film, see the Rangeman in Extraction.
FAQ
What watch did Chris Kyle wear in real life?
He wrote that he wore a G-Shock, and the film depicts the DW-6600. Photos of Kyle in uniform generally show a black digital G-Shock, consistent with what many SEALs wore at the time.
What watch does Bradley Cooper wear as Chris Kyle?
A black Casio G-Shock DW-6600, matching the model reported as Kyle’s.
Is the DW-6600 still made?
The original was discontinued in 2010. Casio released a limited DW-6640RE-1 in 2023 that revives the design, though it may now be hard to find new.
Why did SEALs use G-Shock watches?
They are tough, cheap, easy to read, water resistant, and have a backlight and timers, all useful in the field.
What other watches appear in military and action films?
Bradley Cooper, who played Kyle in American Sniper, is a watch enthusiast off-screen too — see his IWC Big Pilot in Aloha. For more rugged screen watches, MacGyver’s Timex is another classic, and our best diving watches guide covers timepieces built for serious field use.
Who invented the G-Shock?
Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe. He proposed the project in 1981, frustrated by watches that broke when dropped, and the first G-Shock, the DW-5000C, went on sale in 1983.
Why is the DW-6600 backlight called Fox Fire?
Its electroluminescent backlight lights the whole screen in a blue-green glow. The nickname refers to fox fire, the glow given off by bioluminescent fungi.
Sources
- G-Central: Navy SEALs and the G-Shock DW-6600
- Time+Tide: Why G-Shocks are the ultimate bad-ass watches
- Unanswered.io: The specific G-Shock model worn by Chris Kyle
- Nippon.com: Ibe Kikuo and the development of the G-Shock
- G-Central: G-Shock DW-6600 specs