From the depths of the ocean to featuring in hollywood movies, is the Submariner the worlds most iconic Rolex? And why is this one special?
Without a shadow of a doubt the Rolex Submariner is a true icon of swiss watchmaking, it forms the backbone of the current Rolex professional sports model collection and has been featured on wrists of famous film stars, most famously by Sean Connery in 1962's Bond film ''Dr No'' where Bond is seen wearing a vintage ref.6538.
The Submariner will always hold a close place to my heart, as it was the watch I remember my late grandfather wearing with pride. This article will be focusing on a brief history and an introduction to my 116110LV Rolex Submariner.
History of the Rolex Submariner
The Rolex Submariner was born in 1953 and widely accepted as the first purpose built dive watch, over its lifespan we have seen various references in production. However its purpose has always remained the same, to be used by professional divers against the elements. Its legibility being key as well as a unidirectional bezel for timing dives and lets not forget the all important depth rating too! Over time all of these have evolved, including its use in modern society.
With some reference and inspiration taken from a ''reference points'' video on Youtube published by Hodinkee, lets take a look at some key milestones of the Rolex Submariner.
6204 era
The reference 6204 was the first Rolex Submariner to feature the text ''Submariner'' on the dial, and this is the reasoning behind this particular watch holding the title as the first. It entered production in 1953, the 6204 featured very little of what we see in todays Submariner lineup, its distinguishable for its ''pencil hands'' (no Mercedes hour hand, this came with the reference 6205) and its small crown (only a few mm in diameter and the smallest ever produced for the Submariner) no date or cyclops here either. However, even from these early days we can see the famous triangular 12 o'clock plot and circular indices placed around the dial which form such a prominent feature on current references.
This era of the Submariner saw so many variations; from small crowns to large crowns, hashed bezels, pencil hands and pointed crown-guards to eagle beak crown-guards. The list is endless, and this is before we even get onto the topic of dial variations and text. An extremely diverse time in the production history of the Submariner.
5513 era
The reference 5513 saw a particularly long production run, over several decades leading to a fair amount of variation throughout its time in production. However several versions stand out from the crowd and help form what is now almost a cult following by vintage watch collectors, known as the 'MilSub' commissioned by armed forces for serving personnel during the 1970's. These particular 5513's sport a unique 'gladiator' handset and fixed spring bars for use on NATO style straps, highly collectible in todays vintage market.
1680 era
The reference 1680 is the first time we see a Submariner with a date and cyclops, it is also affectionately named the 'red sub' (due to the submariner print being applied in red text). The production run was from the late 1960's through to the reference 16800 (the first 5 digit reference) in the late 1980's, the reference is also well known for its transitional period in which we see matt dials phased out into gloss versions. The 1680 also featured for the first time in the Submariners history the use of precious metal (ref 1680/8) a full yellow gold model with contrasting black and blue dial variants. This era also witnessed the Comex Submariner, which today is a highly sought after and collectable variant of the watch.
16610 and 116610
Now onto the more current and up to date versions of the Submariner, the 16610 was the last version we saw with a smaller case size before the maxi-case was introduced in the most recent 6 digit reference. Both examples currently house the famous 3135 calibre movement that has been used since the late 1980's, it has proven to be a reliable and robust movement for the Rolex Submariner lineup. Talks have been around for sometime now regarding a movement upgrade, in the hope of boosting its power reserve like some of its counterparts in the current GMT Master II lineup. The most striking differences between the 5 digit and 6 digit references has been the upgrade of the case size/profile and use of Rolex's cerachrom bezel, a tough ceramic material that has now replaced the previous aluminium bezel inserts.
My Rolex Submariner ref 116610LV
It has been a little bit of a love/hate relationship with this particular piece, I purchased the watch in early 2018, its pre-owned and dates back to 2012. Why, this particular model? If I am completely honest, I purchased this watch as an investment (did I just say that)? A few years later studying the market, watching trends and selling some pieces, Its safe to say I am an advocate in believing that no timepiece is truly an investment (unless you have got hold of something unique, your going to keep it inside the safe with all the papers blah blah for 30years... and you have a crystal ball of course)! However what I do believe in is value retention, and I believe this watch has just that, aside from its mesmerising dial and super reliable movement I believe that this is a future milestone in the Submariners history.
So why some hate you may ask? Well if Im being honest, I just haven't worn it as much as other watches I have in my collection. Its certainly a niche watch in terms of aesthetic, and this can be an issue when pairing it with what you are wearing. Its also pretty attention grabbing, with some of the stories I heard (especially when living in London) you just wouldn't want to wear a watch like this outside of your own home. Saying that though, when I do occasionally wear this piece I just lose myself in its visual appeal. Such a robust watch, built to be battered and bruised but unfortunately spends most of its time sat in the safe- thats where the hate part comes from.
So why is this watch special you may ask? Well its the first time in the Submariners history that you have the trademark Rolex green applied to not only the bezel (like its predecessor 16610LV) but the dial also. It is also leading the cartoon nicknaming craze of Rolex models, this one aptly sporting the nickname ''Hulk''. Its the Submariner a lot of people want but cannot get hold of, with lengthy waiting lists (although quite common for most sports models these days). When you look back at the history of the submariner line, this one is just 'different' and thats what makes it special.
Thinking forward I really don't know if I will hold onto this watch, its been one of the harder watch related decisions to make. As I am sure many of you would have experienced this emotion before, I just don't want to have that feeling of instant regret after selling. I know there are many other hulks out there, and most watches are replaceable, but theres nothing worse than losing something you wish you still had!
Thats it for this one, many thanks if your still here! I will do my best to keep articles coming! Feel free to leave a comment or get in touch.
All the best, Josh
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