Here’s a deep dive into the history of the most legendary dive watch ever
2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the world’s most iconic dive watch. For seven decades, the Rolex Submariner has enjoyed an uninterrupted run as the go-to tool watch for professional and recreational divers as well as those looking for the epitome of sports watch cool. Whilst the watch has been through myriad iterations including steel and precious metals, with and without a date feature and in various case sizes, the Submariner has always stayed true to its roots with an unmistakable DNA that is writ large across every permutation. Whether you yearn after a late 1950s Big Crown, 1970s Maxi dial or a 2000s Hulk with green ceramic bezel and every version in between, there is a Sub for everyone…
The Genesis
To really understand the Submariner Date, we have to look back to the genesis of the line that emerged in the mid-20th century. 1953 was a great vintage year for Rolex. It launched two of its most enduring sports lines, the Explorer and the Submariner. It's important to keep in mind that by 1953, Rolex had secured its position as one of the leading manufacturers of waterproof watches, helped by Hans Wilsdorf’s canny advertising opportunities such as the Mercedes Gleitze cross-channel swim. Wilsdorf was a pioneer of product placement at key events and on the wrists of important figures; a practice that the brand continues today with its Testimonee programme. The launch of the Submariner, in particular, was very much in tune with the prevalence of modern diving equipment that was becoming widely available. Post-Second World War developments in diving technology meant that more people were able to dive recreationally and the sport experienced an explosion in interest.
It was the first Submariner, the 6204, that set the blueprint for what was to follow. It was the first dive watch to be rated to a depth of 100 meters, had a highly legible dial with radium painted hour markers and hands and featured a rotating bezel. This was the life-saving part of the tool for divers, as it allowed them to measure elapsed time therefore knowing exactly how long they had been submerged. In 1955 Rolex unveiled the reference 6200, which had a much bigger winding crown that was easier to unscrew and a more robust case that meant it could withstand depths of up to 200 meters.
The Evolution
The final piece of the Submariner’s aesthetic jigsaw, or at least in terms of the watch we know now, came in 1959. All the Submariners up until this point had had exposed crowns, which made them vulnerable when in use, especially by professional divers. With reference 5512 came crown guards. These guards were built into the case on either side of the winding crown and afforded some much needed protection, settling into the rounded shape that was used for decades.
In 1969, things got a little complicated…but in a good way! Rolex introduced the Submariner Date. By this time the Sub had become a lifestyle watch and as such adding a date complication made sense. The watch heralded the introduction of a new shaped crystal with straight edges and a date magnifier known as a cyclops. Another decade on and the Submariner Date had a number of technical updates in 1979, when the bezel mechanism was made unidirectional and less prone to accidentally moving when knocked by the use of a ratchet system. The acrylic crystal was also swapped out for a more hardy sapphire glass, which meant the watch was depth rated to a 50-percent deeper depth of 300 meters.
Rolex clearly liked to do things a decade at a time, because in 1989 one the longest running Sub Dates was born in reference 16610. Aside from an updated movement, the primary difference in this model (and a very short-run transitional model reference 168000 before it) was the use of a new metal, 904L steel that replaced the traditionally used 316L steel. The 16610 enjoyed a healthy 21-year run that was punctuated in 2003 with a special celebration.
The Submariner Date “Kermit” and The “Hulk”
To celebrate half a century of the Submariner, Rolex launched the 16610LV watch in 2003. The Lunette Verde had new “maxi” hour plots that were noticeably bigger than a regular 16610 and the watches had a green bezel insert which led to the collector’s nickname “Kermit”, yes as in the frog. So popular was the green bezel Submariner Date, that with the introduction of the new generation of Subs in 2010, the reference 116610, the color was used again. The new watches featured a larger looking case with thicker lugs and a ceramic bezel insert. Rolex made two versions of the watch; a traditional black dial with black bezel combination and also a watch with green dial and green bezel. The new green watch very quickly got a nickname — The Hulk! The Hulk has been something of a phenomenon due to the amazing green dial. When Rolex releases a colored dial it immediately creates a hype that supply has no hope of keeping up with, making the watches sell for significantly over retail.
I’ve said it before, but I believe it's worth saying again. Rolex is never about revolution, but always evolution. In 2020 for the first time since the late 1950s, the Submariner had a size increase from 40 to 41mm and is currently available in steel iterations with black dial and black Cerachrom bezel plus a version with black dial and, of course, green Cerachrom bezel. This time the watch quickly adopted the name “Starbucks'' and is still a huge collector favorite.
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