Navy veteran David Ayer honors fellow sailor in “Heart of the Beast”

David Ayer made a name for himself with some of the best action movies of the 21st century. He was a writer on “Training Day,” “The Fast and the Furious,” and “S.W.A.T.” He also wrote, directed, and produced “End of Watch” and “Fury,” and wrote and directed “Suicide Squad.”

With his latest movie, “Heart of the Beast,” Ayer served as director and producer—and worked in a nod to a fellow sailor.

Before working in Hollywood, Ayer joined the Navy as an enlisted submarine sonar technician. He served aboard the USS Haddo from 1986 to 1988, doing the Cold War-era secretive missions U.S. Navy submarines are supposed to do. He used his experience as a submariner to help write the screenplay for his first movie, “U-571.”

On June 11, the trailer for Ayer’s latest film, “Heart of the Beast,” finally dropped. It stars Brad Pitt as James Belmont, a retired Army Special Forces soldier, Delta Force operator, and K-9 handler. Belmont faces the dangers of the Alaskan wilderness after surviving a plane crash with his military working dog, Odin.

Ayer’s tribute to a fellow sailor can be found on Belmont’s wrist: a Rolex Submariner 14060. While Ayer was a true submariner himself, the no-date dive watch is the same model famously worn by SEAL Team Six/DEVGRU assaulter and K-9 handler Will Chesney on Operation Neptune Spear.

In an interview with Watches of Espionage (W.O.E.), a former CIA case officer with a passion for timepieces, Chesney revealed that he purchased the Rolex in 2008 after passing selection into SEAL Team Six; he walked into a Rolex Authorized Dealer in Virginia Beach, picked out the no-date Sub, and walked out the same day. Good luck trying that today.

Chesney told W.O.E. that he reserved the Rolex for special occasions, preferring to wear a digital Suunto or Garmin watch on operations.

That said, Chesney wanted to wear the Submariner during the rescue of Captain Phillips, DEVRGU Red Squadron’s most famous mission before Neptune Spear. However, the clasp was loose and Chesney worried it would fall off his wrist. A fabric strap of some sort would have solved this problem, but we’ll get to that later.

When it came time to take down Osama bin Laden, Chesney decided to wear his best watch to Abbotabad.

“I thought it would be fitting to wear the watch on that operation since it was my gift to myself for making it there,” Chesney told W.O.E., “and I figured we wouldn’t be making it back, so I might as well die with it on.”

Chesney was accompanied by his SEAL canine, a 70-pound Belgian Malinois named Cairo. While Odin in “Heart of the Beast” is revealed to have metal teeth as a result of his combat experience, real-life Cairo (despite wild speculations) did not have titanium teeth. The dog did suffer a gunshot wound in Afghanistan during the search for Bowe Bergdahl in 2009, but the wound did not lead to a dental prosthesis.

Eagle-eyed watch enthusiasts may have spotted the no-date Rolex Submariner on Belmont’s wrist in the “Heart of the Beast” trailer. The watch is notably worn on an NDC strap that also features a wrist compass. W.O.E. wrote that Ayer reached out to him seeking advice on wrist compasses in 2025.

Following the release of the trailer, W.O.E. reached back out to Ayer regarding the featured watch. Ayer confirmed the subtle nod to Chesney in the Rolex. With its aluminum bezel insert, drilled lugs, and unengraved rehaut, the 14060 is one of the last true tool watches from Rolex before the brand became an unattainable status symbol for the flex crowd.

While the time-only aspect of the no-date Sub and the minimalist two lines of text lend to its tool watch identity, Chesney told W.O.E. that he regrets not buying the more practical date model. Regardless, the watch is an extremely appropriate choice for Pitt’s character and a fitting nod to Chesney by Ayer.

“Heart of the Beast” hits theaters Sept. 25, 2026.

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