It’s immediately recognisable, ridiculously sturdy and versatile sufficient to put on with every thing from joggers to dinner jackets. It’s the watch each man needs was in his wardrobe in addition to being the watch discussion board geeks argue over, due to its reference numbers and unreliable historical past.
The Rolex Submariner is a kind of watches that you simply lust after, even in the event you’re not the kind of individual to lust after watches. It’s comfortably essentially the most iconic diving watch ever made, perhaps essentially the most well-known watch of all watches. Everybody from James Bond to James Cameron has one on their wrist and it’s stated that they by no means depreciate in worth.
Admit it, you need one.
What Makes The Rolex Submariner Nice?
On the backside of this text, you’ll discover an exhaustive, nerdy listing of all of the adjustments the Submariner has undergone because it first launched, however basically it’s nonetheless the identical watch. Aesthetically it has remained virtually unchanged because the Fifties.
The one factor Rolex has achieved is slowly incorporate new applied sciences, similar to scratch-resistant ceramic and silicon hairsprings, into the timepiece. It’s extremely hard-wearing and dependable, which is right while you’ve bought a mode that appears to go along with every thing, and it received’t lose its worth.
In keeping with an oft-quoted anecdote, Philippe Cousteau, Jacques grandson, advised Bloomberg that as a result of everybody on the earth understands the worth of a Rolex it may be used as “forex” within the occasion of emergency ought to you end up within the form of tight spots extra related to the Submariner’s most well-known wearer, James Bond.
Earlier than blue-eyed Brosnan defected to Omega, the British spy wore a Submariner. It was his selection within the authentic Flemming novels and made an look in 11 movies beginning with Sean Connery in Dr No. Simply what you want in your wrist when making an attempt to take down SPECTRE, even whether it is simply on the Xbox.
The Design
It’s the quintessential diving watch, with each element geared in direction of underwater legibility and reliability. Unidirectional bezel hashed from 0/60 to the 15-minute mark in a color complementary to that of the dial; crown protected by guards; giant spherical indices in Rolex’s Chromalight, which glows blue and has as much as eight hours luminescence.
The choices are pretty restricted – date or no date; Oystersteel, two-tone or 18ct gold; blue, black or inexperienced dial and bezel. However you don’t come to Rolex for limitless selection, you come as a result of you’re shopping for one of the enduring designs in horological historical past.
The place To Purchase Classic Or Pre-Owned Submariners
Getting your palms on a brand new stainless-steel Submariner is nearly inconceivable – whether or not that’s as a result of Rolex wish to restrict provide to take care of hype round its metal fashions or to dry out the gray market is debatable. What this does imply is that pre-owned is usually the best way to go.
For those who’re contemplating taking a plunge into the classic market, then ensure you go for a good vendor. Date- and model-specific particulars similar to the proper palms or coin-edged bezels swapped out for later, bigger, knurled ones are so essential, you both have to have an encyclopaedic data of the Submariner timeline and its varied iterations or be assured that your vendor does. Listed below are three locations you may belief:
The Watch Membership
Based by Danny Pizzigoni, who has devoted the final 15 years to growing his data of classic Rolexes, and backed up by a staff of specialists who’ve expertise in watch restoration and luxurious retail.
High purchase: This anniversary-model Hulk.
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Bob’s Watches
Run by Paul Altieri, who purchased the positioning off the eponymous Bob in 2010, Bob’s Watches has a popularity for obsessively policing fakes and having excessive consideration to element with regards to renovating classic items.
High purchase: a 1979 1680 in glorious situation.
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Watches Of Knightsbridge
For those who fancy a aspect of adrenalin along with your watch buy, then strive a web-based flutter with this family-run public sale home. It runs month-to-month timed auctions alongside bodily ones so that you don’t have to attend to make a bid.
High purchase: a 16800 from 1985 with just a few scratches on it.
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The Geeky Historical past Of The Submariner’s Most Essential Reference Numbers
Whereas some parts of the Rolex Submariner story are murky, we do know the place the concept got here from – within the Fifties from then-director Rene P Jeanneret. He challenged the staff at Rolex HQ to design a diving watch that may be worn as a chic timepiece as a approach of constructing on the success of the Oyster, which, in 1926 turned the world’s first-ever water-resistance watch.
As a result of the design is so unchanged since its first look, consumers get very detailed and really nerdy about which reference numbers they’re shopping for and what the refined variations are between them. These are an important moments within the Submariner’s historical past.
The Authentic
In 1953, the Submariner ref. 6204 (reference numbers are crucial when speaking about classic Submariners, as you’ll begin to see) was unveiled. The then-pencil palms, skinny case and small crown delivered within the fashion stakes and the world-first 100m water resistance meant you didn’t must take it off to go within the water.
The unique Submariner of 1953
Though there have been Subs round in 1953, the official launch was truly in 1954 with the ref. 6205. It too had pencil palms initially, although these have been upgraded to Mercedes palms later that 12 months (discover the three-pointed star on the hour hand that appears just like the German carmaker’s emblem).
The Anomaly
The following large Sub launch is the ref. 6200 in 1955. Identified in geek circles because the ‘King Sub’, it’s thought-about one of many holy grails for collectors. The back-dated reference quantity suggests this was made earlier than the 6204 and 6205.
It’s chunky, has a 200m water resistance, larger crown and Rolex Explorer-style 3-6-9 dial. The rumor is that founder Hans Wilsdorf didn’t suppose individuals have been prepared for a watch this hefty so parked it in favor of the earlier references.
The Bond Watch (and one other one)
Then in 1956 comes the 6536 and 6538. In keeping with Stephen Pulvirent’s exhaustive run-down of Rolex Submariner references on Hodinkee, this was launched as a double reference, the 6536 had a smaller crown than the 6538 – 6mm versus 8mm – and was delineated by having 6538 crossed out on the case and 6536 engraved as an alternative. Solely a small variety of these have been produced earlier than it bought its personal ref. 6536/1.
Utilizing the slimmer calibre 1030 allowed Rolex to ditch the bubbleback circumstances. The ref. 6536/1 morphed to have the well-known crimson triangle at 0/60 and the hash marks on the bezel between 0/60 and the 15-minute marker.
A Rolex Submariner worn by Sean Connery in Goldfinger, 1964
The 6538 is, for a lot of, the Submariner. It has a giant crown, however with out crown guards – these seem in 1959 – was the one worn by Sean Connery in Dr No, and, simply to maintain up with the geekery, has two or 4 strains of textual content on it “Formally Licensed/Chronometer” being the addition for people who have been licensed.
The 5512 (and 5510)
And now we come to the “55” collection, as no Rolex aficionado calls it. First up is the 5510 from 1958. It’s the final large crown, has a hash on the bezel however the triangle adjustments from crimson to silver and, most significantly, it was the final case with out crown guards.
Then there’s the 5512 in 1959 with the primary of Rolex’s makes an attempt at crown guards. Not essentially the most elegant of additives, these had very blunt squared-off ends, which have been luckily refined later that 12 months to a extra tapered “eagle beak” form. Different defining traits are the 40mm case, bevelled lugs, hash-marked dive bezel and Mercedes palms.
It’s immediately recognizable as a Submariner. The crown guards didn’t keep like this, they have been modified once more to one thing approaching a degree and in between 1959 and 1963 the phrases “Superlative Chronometer/Formally licensed” have been added to distinguish between the no-chronometer 5513.
Within the late Sixties, the 5512 was additionally given the primary matte dial after Rolex turned over its manufacturing from the galvanic gilt dials with their shiny sheen to creating these new ones. Finally the crown guards have been modified once more to one thing extra rounded (sure, with Submariners this issues. Lots.) And eventually, in 1969, the depth notation on the dial was modified to toes first.
The 5513
That is basically the 5512 however with out a COSC-certified motion that launched in 1962. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply there aren’t issues about it that get Sub collectors all scorching underneath the collar, similar to strains underneath the phrases “Submariner” or “Oyster Perpetual” and Swiss written twice, one on high of the opposite, underneath the six o’clock marker.
Lastly, there’s 1966’s Bart Simpson. Clearly retro named and since the Rolex crown, which varies in form, dimension and coloration (one other differentiation that folks get very enthusiastic about, however which might warrant a wholly totally different article) seems somewhat just like the aforementioned cartoon character.
The Mil-Sub
Semi-officially the 5513 in a double reference with the 5517 was the primary Mil-Sub (army Submariner). Nonetheless, watch vendor and creator James Dowling found that there was British army curiosity within the Submariner way back to ref. 6204.
A Rolex Submariner ‘Mil-Sub’
Paperwork and testing setbacks meant that Rolex’s developments moved quicker than the Ministry of Defence, which meant there was an A/6538 issued to the Royal Marines Particular Boat Squadron earlier than the 5517. It had 200/600 in crimson, an Explorer dial, bigger bezel with extra pronounced ridges for ease of use and large crown for which a Submariner fanatic would (most likely) promote a relative.
This mannequin didn’t final lengthy as a result of it had radium as its luminescent – not nice and a bit poisonous. So, in 1960 the MoD withdrew all watches containing radium and changed them with tritium, which is why you’ll see a T in a circle on sure classic Submariner dials.
The New Children
If the 5513 sits between the outdated and new Submariners, it’s the 16610 from 1989 that heralds the fashionable iteration; particular point out right here should additionally go to 1969’s 1680 – the primary Submariner with date and Cyclops window. The 16610 is the daybreak of the 5, after which six-digit reference numbers (the third or fourth denoting the bezel and the fourth or fifth the supplies used). It was good to 300m and has the chunky lugs and new bracelet fashion recognizable right this moment.
This was then discontinued and reworked, phoenix-like, into 2010’s 116610; upgraded replicant-style with a Cerachrom bezel, calibre 3135 motion full with paramagnetic Parachrom Bleu hairspring and Chromalight, Rolex’s lume with a blue-greenish glow to make it extra seen.
