Century of eavesdropping

If a wrist watch is in a stand still, it might be time to start being suspicious. It might just be a radio device sending your conversationto a third person. CIA operatives of old see this kind of gadget as every day equipment. You might want to keep an eye on pens and tie pins...
What kind of equipment to use when one want´s to counter eavesdropping?
And what did an ash tray do in a conference room of a Belgian industrial company?
