Watchmechs is the term commonly used in reference to the WTCH-209 security automatons created to hunt down violators of the second Keene Act. After November 2nd and following The Clone Saga, there was a large rise of costumed heroes. The government found that police officers were no longer effective in enforcing the Keene Act II, so they developed Watchmechs. They were designed to watch for masked adventurers. At first they captured many unskilled heroes, but they failed when going against masks like Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. When Adrian Veidt became President, his first act in office was canceling the "Watchmech" program.
Watchmechs seemed to be deactivated until the New October Guard infiltrated the white house and reactivated them. The Watchmechs did not attack the October Guard because they were not residents of the United States. Propaganda used his power to influence the scientists in charge of the Watchmech program to coat the Watchmechs with tachyons. The Watchmechs plagued the heroes until the use of the Watchback Machine caused the Watchmechs to have never been created.