Rolex Submariner : All about this Iconic Timepiece

In the vast world of watchmaking, some works have become the hallmark of the industry, and without a doubt, Rolex is a vital part of it, its Rolex Submariner model being one of the most iconic in the world of watchmaking.

The wonderful thing about luxury watches is that they can be passed down from generation to generation, telling us stories of accomplishments, families, and individuals, and these are often as important as mastering the technology required to create them.

The Submariner may be the most popular luxury watch to this day, since its birth in the 1950s, this Rolex sports watch has been a huge success due to many factors. First of all, over the past 70 years, it has been proven time and again that it is not a watch, but rather the ultimate high-quality diving “watch”.

In addition, Rolex’s marketing strategy is very ingenious and its role in many James Bond films has attracted a great deal of attention to the diving lover, and finally, and perhaps most importantly, for its elegant and timeless design, since the Submariner can also be used as a formal watch.

The Beginning of Rolex Submariner

Like many other classic models in the history of watchmaking, it all starts with practical problems, the one for the Rolex Submariner began in the early 1950s, when the amateur diver and Rolex director, Rene P. Jeanneret, challenged the company to develop a diver’s watch that can also be worn elegantly at social events and in everyday life.

In 1953, the company had prepared the answer, and in that same year, August Picard and his son Jacques attempted to break the world diving record, managing to bring their submersible to an impressive depth for the time of 3,131.8 meters, placing a Rolex made specifically for this adventure on the outside when the deep-sea vessel surfaced, the watch was still ticking, and so began the legend.

The following year, Rolex arrived at the Basel watch fair with two models from its Submariner collection, with references 6204 and 6205, being the first to resist an immersion of up to 100 meters deep, already in 1955, they presented a third version with the reference number 6200, the latter, considered the definitive Rolex model.

Refinement Continues

In the years after its launch, Rolex continued to develop the Submariner and released several modified versions, one of the biggest changes occurred in 1955, with the introduction of the Rolex caliber 1030, observatory certified models 6538 and 6536, this revolutionary movement is more effective than previous models.

In the Dr. No movie, the 6538 watches worn by James Bond elevated it to the iconic status it has today, being one of the most coveted by collectors, priced at around $ 230,000.

In 1966, Rolex added another iconic feature to the Submariner, in the 1680 model, which was the first to include a date window and Plexiglass glass and the famous Cyclops lens to magnify the date, which caused controversy, but certainly, has become a hallmark of many Submariners.

The 1680 model was powered by a new and improved caliber, which had a red inscription on the dial until 1973, since then, watches with this color have become legendary and sought after by collectors, reaching around USD $105,000.

The first 50 years of The Submariner Watch

In 2003, Rolex celebrated 50 years of the Submariner with a variation, it presented a new steel version with reference number 16610, this time with a green bezel, although the change was not revolutionary since only the green color was added to the collection, this subtle but elegant change was widely praised.

One of the most current versions, the Submariner Date, was born in 2009, and Rolex added a ceramic bezel and a new bracelet, applying these changes, initially, only to the Rolesor version, with reference number 116613LB. However, they were later added in a white gold version with a blue dial and bezel.

Over the decades, the Submariner has not presented major changes, but it has changed those necessary to revolutionize its design subtly, preserving the elegance, exclusivity, and resistance that characterize it today, if you want to add a Submariner to your collection, you can do it and depend on the model, you can choose an option that can range from 6 thousand to 210 thousand dollars.