Interesting article how the length of a watch strap can play an important role in international intelligence work:
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reappeared in state media last Saturday after not being seen in public for almost a month, and seasoned North Korea watchers were quick to point out that the DPRK leader may have lost a significant amount of weight. Though often the subject of less serious online commentary, Kim’s weight and health are closely watched by foreign intelligence agencies, including South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). If Kim lost the weight intentionally to get healthier, then that “likely improves his position at home,” according to Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
(...) NK News forensic analysis of state media imagery does suggest that Kim appeared thinner last Saturday, as the luxury watch he frequently wears seemed to be fastened more tightly than before around an apparently slimmer wrist.
Kim Jong Un has appeared to be wearing the same $12,000 Portofino Automatic watch by Swiss company IWC Schaffhausen during most appearances in the last year. In an appearance in early June after a monthlong absence, the length of the strap past the buckle and two keeper loops bunched together on this watch appeared longer than during recent appearances in Nov. 2020 and Mar. 2021, indicating a slimmer wrist. | Images: KCTV, edited by NK News
NK News