Rolex Submariner – history and models

The Rolex Submariner is a diving watch introduced in 1953 that set the template for what a diving watch looks like: a black dial with large luminous markers, a rotating bezel with a minute scale for timing the dive and a waterproof Oyster case. It has been made in many versions since and is one of the world's best-known wristwatches.

Facts

The Oyster: the foundation

Rolex was founded in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis, and the name Rolex was registered in 1908. The company later moved to Geneva. In 1926 the Oyster case was patented, with a screwed case, case back and crown, which made the watch waterproof. The following year the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze wore an Oyster when she attempted to swim the English Channel, and Rolex used it in its advertising.

In the 1930s the automatic Perpetual rotor also arrived. With a waterproof case and automatic winding, the conditions existed for a watch that could be used under water.

1953: the diving watch takes shape

After the Second World War sport diving grew rapidly, and divers needed a reliable watch. In 1953 Rolex introduced the Submariner, water-resistant to 100 metres. The same year Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms also appeared, and the two are usually counted as the first modern diving watches.

The Submariner's most important tool is the rotating bezel around the crystal, graduated in 60 minutes. The diver sets the bezel's zero against the minute hand when the dive begins and can then read how long he or she has been under water. On later models the bezel can turn in only one direction, so that an accidental turn can never shorten the time read off.

The models

The early models had reference numbers such as 6204 and 6205. Around 1959 crown guards appeared and became one of the model's hallmarks, and water resistance was increased to 200 metres. The no-date version, reference 5513, was made for a long time from the 1960s and is one of the best known. In 1969 came a version with a date window and a magnifying lens, the Cyclops, over the date.

Later the case, crystal and bezel have been renewed. The acrylic crystal was replaced by sapphire, water resistance was raised to 300 metres and the bezel received a ceramic insert that does not fade. Variants with coloured bezels, such as green and blue, have earned their own nicknames among collectors.

Film and icon status

The Submariner became known to a wide public through the James Bond films, where Sean Connery wore a Submariner in Dr. No in 1962. The watch became a symbol of adventurous, sporty elegance that worked as well with a suit as with a wetsuit.

Today the Submariner is an example of how a tool watch can become a status symbol. The form has changed cautiously over seventy years, and that very continuity is part of its value. It has also been copied by countless other brands, and many diving watches follow the same basic pattern.

The Submariner in design history

The Submariner belongs to a tradition in which function determines form. Every detail, from the large luminous markers to the crown guards, is there so that the watch is legible and robust under water. Compare with Cartier's Tank, whose form comes from Art Deco, and with Omega's Speedmaster, shaped by motor sport and spaceflight.

Other watches in the app show how the wristwatch has changed: the Seiko Astron of 1969 was the world's first quartz wristwatch, and Swatch turned the watch into a cheap fashion object in the 1980s. See more under clocks and watches and read the guide to the Omega Speedmaster.

How to recognise it

Exercise

What is the rotating bezel on a Submariner used for?