Description

Rolex Submariner

Deep confidence

The Rolex Submariner is one of the world’s most recognizable luxury dive watches, blending robust functionality with timeless style. Launched in 1953, it became the first watch water-resistant to a depth of 100 meters (now 300 meters). Over the decades, the Submariner has evolved into a symbol of prestige, combining technical excellence with classic aesthetics, often seen as the benchmark for dive watches.

Key Features and Design Elements

• Water Resistance: Up to 300 meters (1000 feet)
• Unidirectional Rotatable Bezel: Prevents accidental overestimation of dive time
• Cerachrom Bezel Insert: Scratch-resistant and resistant to fading
• Luminescence: Chromalight display for visibility in low light
• Movement: Rolex’s in-house calibers (Caliber 3230 for No-Date models, Caliber 3235 for Date models) with 70-hour power reserves
• Case and Bracelet: Oystersteel (904L stainless steel) for corrosion resistance, paired with the robust Oyster bracelet featuring the Glidelock clasp for easy adjustment

Movement and Accuracy

Rolex Submariner’s Accuracy in Real Use

• With proper care, a Submariner maintains consistent accuracy, staying within Rolex’s strict deviation limits.
• The self-winding rotor mechanism keeps the watch powered with regular wear, and the 70-hour power reserve allows it to function even after a few days of inactivity.

Technical Innovations and Durability

• Shock Resistance: The Blue Parachrom hairspring makes the watch 10 times more resistant to shocks compared to traditional springs.
• Magnetic Resistance: The Chronergy escapement and Parachrom hairspring ensure performance remains unaffected by strong magnetic fields.

Exploring the depths

In the 1950s, the exploration of the underwater world was no longer limited to scientists and the military. The Submariner was launched at a time when diving was becoming increasingly popular. The public’s fascination with ocean exploration led to the establishment of the first diving schools.

Waterproof, robust, technical and perfectly legible, the Submariner was designed with this new-found popularity in mind. It became the tool watch of choice for divers, giving them the confidence to venture into the depths.

A pioneering divers’ watch

At its launch in 1953, the Rolex Submariner was the first divers’ wristwatch to be waterproof to 100 metres (330 feet). This depth was increased to 200 metres (660 feet) the following year, then to 300 metres (1,000 feet) in 1989. As for the Submariner Date, it was guaranteed waterproof to 200 metres (660 feet) at its launch in 1969, and to 300 metres (1,000 feet) from 1979 onwards. These successive improvements bear witness to Rolex’s unwavering efforts to push back the limits of waterproofness – a quest that began with the development of the Oyster case in the 1920s.

Several of the technical features and design aspects of the Submariner models were taken into consideration in 1981 when the international standard for divers’ watches was established. The Submariner marked the beginning of the great adventure that would see the emergence of our entire family of watches designed for deep-sea diving: the Sea-Dweller (1967), the Rolex Deepsea (2008) and the Deepsea Challenge (2022).