In 1926, Rolex wowed the world with the creation of the very first waterproof and dustproof watch. Named “The Oyster†the watch featured a hermetically sealed case which provided optimal protection for the movement. One year later this model was tested, worn around the neck of Mercedes Gleitze, a young English swimmer who challenged herself to swim the channel. The swim lasted for over ten hours in the freezing and sometimes hostile waters but at the end of it the watch remained in perfect working order. This was the birth of Rolex as a forerunner as a supplier of watches for adventurous men and women.
The development of the Rolex Submariner, arguably the most recognisable watch ever made, was created out of the success of the Oyster and Mercedes Gleitze’s triumph. The Oyster case, developed from early pocket watch – to wrist conversions featured a case sealed with a screw down case back, tight fitting sealed crystal and a double sealed screw down crown. Early pocket and wrist watches featured a snap-shut hinged door to protect the movement but Hans Wildorf, the Godfather of Rolex, recognised the flaw and the need to develop the case for more than just land wear.
Taking inspiration from jar lids Hans Wildorf created a watch that sat inside a sealed case whose front section would completely screw off to reveal the crown. It was this early model that inspired Rolex when creating the watch worn by Gleitze.
In 1931, Rolex invented and patented the world’s first self-winding mechanism with a perpetual rotor. Recognising the difficulty, and inconvenience, to undo to manually wind the movement, and frequently usage wore the rubber gaskets down; Rolex developed the first self-winding system that used a 360° oscillating weight that spun with the wearer’s wrist movement.
“The height of precision, the self winding Oyster movement is entirely engineered and manufactured by Rolex. Robust and reliable, every movement guarantees long-term high performance and is an officially certified Swiss chronometer.â€
By 1953 all the components had been developed and acquired in order to produce the Rolex Submariner. A revolution in watch making the Submariner was water resistant to 100 meters, easy to read, both above and below water, and smart and classic to look at. Tested by the legendary Jacques Cousteau in the famous ‘A Silent World’; a documentary about the Mediterranean Sea, the watch also boasted a diver’s extension on the bracelet allowing the diver to wear their watch over the top of their wetsuits.
60 years later the Submariner has been through many changes and upgrades but all the while the aesthetics and heart stay the same. Most recently we have the introduction of the non-date version of this iconic watch. The watch was released at Basel Fair in 2012 to great applause from fans of the watch the world over.
This new release from Rolex arguably looked like all the previous models, however, it wasn’t… In fact it had a slightly redesigned case, a new bezel and a new bracelet.
The Movement:
The Rolex Submariner, and the Rolex Submariner Date models are equipped with the Calibre 3130 and 3135 respectively. This self-winding mechanical movement is entirely designed, developed and manufactured by the team of watchmakers within Rolex. This highly advanced in-house calibre is COSC certified, as is the case with the entire Rolex collection.
Fitted with a Parachrom hairspring that offers greater resistance to shocks, knocks and temperature variations this watch really is the perfect piece of kit for any budding explorer.
The Case:
Rated to a depth of 300meters – 1000feet – the middle of the case is crafted from Rolex finest 904L steel with a fluted case screw down case back. The winding crown, fitted with Rolex’s patented TRIPLOCK triple ‘waterproofness’ system, ensures further protection for the professional diver. The TRIPLOCK winding crown features ten different elements crafted from the most reliable of materials.
“Once assembled (the Crown) screws down onto the Oyster case as tightly and securely as a submarine hatch.â€
The Ceramic Bezel:
A bezel with a blue, black or green Cerachrom insert graces the Submariner-Date and non-Date’s 40mm case. This patented material is fashioned from an extremely hard ceramic that has excellent corrosion-resistant properties. Its vivid colours remain so for its lifetime and are unaffected by ultraviolet rays. The numerals and graduations are PVD coated in yellow gold or platinum.
The bezel is virtually scratchproof so perfect for life’s little adventures!
The dial and Sapphire:
The date magnification bubble on the date model now has an anti-reflective coating greatly improving legibility of the date underneath in all conditions.
All Submariners, be them date or non date models, have the pigmented SuperLuminova application on the hands and markers that glows blue in low light conditions. It is said that the blue tint is much better for reading beneath the surface of the water than the original green tint.
The Oyster Bracelet:
Fitted with a solid-link Oyster bracelet in 904L steel this watch is practical and durable. The patented OysterLock safety clasp with Glidelock extension system allows the wearer 20mm of extra length in 2mm increments. This allows the wearer to wear their watch comfortably over a diving suit or ski jacket.
 