Rolex is as abundant a affairs as it is a watch brand, but we feel that a hands-on Rolex Submariner analysis is still all-important as it is meant to be beat and used. The aggregation is a legend, and their articles are the cornerstone of an industry that sells dreams, status, superior and ideally, value. Whether or not alone entities in the affluence industry can bear on these promises is a altered story, but what makes Rolex so acclaimed is its constant adeptness to in fact bear these goals to a ample degree. So today I attending at apparently the a lot of accepted Rolex product, the Submariner.
For review, I am searching at two Submariner models in steel. These represent the newest bearing Submariner timepieces and are generally referred to as the Rolex Submariner Date and Submariner No Date. The aberration amid them should be clear. One has a date window with magnifier over that window on the azure crystal, while the No Date has none of that for a cleaner searching dial. While the aberration is minor, it is these little differences which are important to Rolex fans, and the amount aberration amid the two is not inconsequential.
While I am actual accomplished in all things “watches,” I don't accede myself to be a Rolex able compared to abounding humans that I know. I accept a basal compassionate of the brand's history, the change of its products, and what is ambrosial about watches like the Submariner. Added humans accept acutely abundant adeptness of anniversary and every product, hard-to-find timepieces, differences in articles as they evolves, etc… The purpose of this analysis is to altercate the avant-garde Rolex Submariner to the boilerplate watch lovers and those absorbed in why this is a aces timepiece. In short, the Submariner started the dive watch chic that fabricated those types of action watches the a lot of adorable blazon of alarm on the planet – and with its acme logo, the Rolex Submariner thematically rules over the lot.
The Movement
Let me accompaniment now that the Submariner is not the a lot of expensive, a lot of durable, a lot of complicated, or best searching high-end dive watch around. There are dozens of added big-ticket animate action watches, and bags that can yield abundant added of a beating. Rolex is aswell accepted for authoritative actual good, but simple movements (for the a lot of part). Rolex automated movements accept a acceptability for getting rather accurate, long-lived, and simple to plan on. Abounding of the watch makers that I've announced to articulation absolute sentiments in alive on Rolex movements. Still, application a automated watch is not all that cheap.
Inside of these two Submariner models are two altered movements (because one contains the date and the added doesn't) but about speaking they are added or beneath the same. The Rolex Submariner Date (Ref. 116610 AKA 116610LN) contains the centralized fabricated Rolex adeptness 3135 automated movements, while the Submariner No Date contains the Rolex adeptness 3130. Both of the movements affection Rolex's newer Parachrom hairsprings and accept a adeptness assets of about two canicule if absolutely wound. Rolex aswell has the majority of their watches (including all Submariner models) COSC Chronometer certified. The 3135 and 3130 are about as acceptable as can be hoped for from almost basal three-hand automated movements. No one per se buys a Rolex for the movement, but at the aforementioned time, the movements don't absolutely leave abundant to be adapted accustomed the amount and advised use. They are abiding and mechanically complete – abundant said.
The Design
Rolex claims to accept invented the water-tight watch case with the Oyster. True enough, they did aftermath the aboriginal commercially noteworthy baptize aggressive watch with the Oyster. For that acumen you see the “Oyster” characterization on a lot of Rolex products, even admitting there isn't a Rolex watch alleged the Oyster these days. It is a adumbration that the watch is baptize resistant. Of advance the Submariner is added than just that. Originally advised as a bartering diver's watch in the 1950s, the Submariner today has a baptize attrition of 300 meters and a architecture that is abundantly agnate to the original. This architecture that mixes action and able looks is one of the key factors to the design's success. The punch of the Submariner is clever, yet simple on the eyes. The atramentous and white architecture is meant to action a top adverse for simple account of the time. The lumed indicators and easily are meant to accomplish it simple to apprehend in the dark. A altered appearance of hour and minute duke are there for legibility, and a appropriate appearance for the 12 o'clock indicator is meant to accomplish it simple to mentally acclimatize the punch if searching at it from the side.
Rolex aswell uses 18k white gold on the punch for the easily and hour indicators. A few years ago Rolex switched from a blooming bass lumed to a dejected one. This not alone fabricated the lume afterglow blue, but allows for it to attending added white during the day. Rolex aswell added the admeasurement of the easily and hour markers a few years ago if they alien their “Maxi dial” appearance which I alone liked, but of advance accepted controversial. Every change the cast makes is controversial, even if they did something baby such as removing the lug bounce bar holes on the exoteric of the case. The Submariner punch is a attestation to accuracy and functionality. The Submariner is a apparatus watch with a glossy architecture that lasted the analysis of time. It is acceptable because it was never architecture to be annihilation added than a acceptable looking, clear dial. It is a tool, and we like accoutrement that plan well. Rolex aswell makes their own dials. Precision machining and press on the punch is actual good. If you attending at a Submariner's punch closeup, you'll apprehension that the lume is analogously applied, and that aggregate is cut actual well.
The Case
Even admitting the Submariner is a apparatus watch at heart, Rolex knows it is a affluence account today. So there are little things actuality and there meant for looks added than function. A acceptable archetype is the azure crystal. Rolex applies a covering of AR on the basal of the crystal, but not on the top. This allows for the top of the clear to be cogitating and array of makes it added agleam to onlookers. This is arguably a architecture accommodation by Rolex to accomplish their articles angle out more. It works too. The Submariner case has afflicted actual little over the years, but anniversary advance is welcome. The accepted admeasurement of the Submariner is 40mm wide, but it wears ample for that size. This is because of the lug structure. I would say that the section wears afterpiece to a 42mm advanced watch.
Rolex abundantly uses apparent casebacks on its watches. The Submariner's screw-in caseback is bare of any markings. The watches I accept for analysis were loaned from our accompany at the Rolex bazaar adjacent in Beverly Hills. We agreed not to abolish the careful artificial on the abandon of case, which you'll apparently see in the pictures. There is aswell a blazon of bar cipher on the ancillary of the case which is a consecutive identifier. That is removed if humans buy the watch. Rolex uses a brand of animate alleged 904L. A lot of animate watches use 316L steel. The differences are minor, but absorb added bane attrition in 904L animate from what I understand. So if your Submariner spends a lot of time in saltwater, again it will attending better.
It is broadly accepted that Rolex is biased about their metal. They do a lot of metallurgy in-house, and not all animate of the aforementioned brand is fabricated equal. I've apparent a lot of animate watches in my time and can say that no one makes animate or polishes a case absolutely like Rolex – and they so do fantastically application high-tech machines in rather ample assembly volumes. This isn't about tiny details, but rather that the animate of a Submariner looks and feels a bit altered than the animate of added watches. This is of advance due in allotment acknowledgment to Rolex's amazing brushed finishing that is activated to abundant of the Submariner case. Added locations of the case (such as the sides) are accustomed a able finish. These “alternating finishes” advice the case to attending its best.
Around the punch is a alternating diver's bezel which is added or beneath a accepted aspect on the majority of dive watches. This bezel can be angry by your duke and gives you the adeptness to band up the 12 o'clock point with the minute duke to admeasurement something that is up to 60 account long. This has a purpose while diving, but a lot of humans use it to admeasurement abbreviate things like parking meters and affable times while getting an calm chef. The basal band is that even admitting the Submariner is a diver's watch, a actual baby allotment of the humans who own it dive. Why buy a dive watch then? Able-bodied it is absolutely about an acknowledgment for what a dive watch can do and what it represents. Activity, backbone and exploration. While we aren't affianced in these things all the time, we like to accumulate able items abreast us.
The alternating bezel on the Submariner acclimated to accept an aluminum admit with the minute indicators printed on it, but a few years ago Rolex confused over to authoritative bowl bezels. This was a audible advancement and Rolex calls their bowl “Cerachrom.” Sounds adorned right? The assembly action of the bezel cover engraved numerals and lume. Some dive watches accept lume in the absolute bezel, but the Submariner is added acceptable with a individual lume point (pip) at 12 o'clock. The atramentous bowl bezel is shinier than aluminum, but is abundant added abiding and actual blemish resistant. Bowl bezels are a admirable thing. Among the assorted Rolex Submariner models accessible you can get bowl bezels in black, blue, and green.
On the wrist, the Rolex Submariner is a actual abundance affable watch. Rolex has had in fact decades to advance the design. It feels so accustomed on your wrist and for a dive watch it doesn't accept a actual alpine contour either. There is a acceptable acumen that abounding humans accept the Submariner as a circadian wear. Aside from getting actual comfortable, the Submariner has the added superior of searching acceptable on a lot of wrists. Plus, it has able appearance that acutely works with aggregate from jeans and bodice to about a tuxedo. Actual few watches can affirmation that.
The Bracelet
Rolex offered a cogent armlet advancement for its newest bearing Submariner models. The a lot of important elements of the advancement are the bracelet's contour and adeptness to be micro-adjusted. Added on that in a second. For years, the Rolex Submariner armlet was a three-link cone-shaped animate bracelet. Cone-shaped agency that the lugs get narrower afterpiece to the deployant clasp. This in fact helps the armlet be added comfortable, and visually makes the case attending a bit larger. Few brands accomplish bracelets with cone-shaped links because it increases the numbers of allotment types they charge to aftermath to accomplish them. Admitting I acclaim cone-shaped bracelets if they are available.
For abounding years, Rolex deployant clasps ashore out abominably beneath your wrist. With the newest bearing bracelets, they action a abundant added apple-pie contour – which was a acceptable improvement. A lot of humans buy the Submariner over added Rolex watches because of its Glidelock acclimation system. The abstraction is that you can micro-adjust the admeasurement of the armlet aural a few millimeters on the fly. This agency that as your wrist by itself expands, you can re-size the armlet with ease, or access the admeasurement of the armlet to be beat over a anorak or dive suit. The architecture and abundance of the armlet should not be under-estimated, nor should you avoid these elements as a above affairs point abaft this archetypal of Rolex watch. Sadly Rolex doesn't action the Glidelock arrangement with even agnate watches such as the Explorer II – admitting you can get it in the beefier Deepsea models. As an absorbing tangent, you should analysis out the spring-loaded arrangement that Rolex/Tudor advised for the Pelagos here.
The Value
Now it all comes down to amount in the end. For some humans a Rolex Submariner is a bargain circadian wear, but for abounding humans it is an account of aspiration with a amount in the several thousand dollars. Over the years, the amount of Rolex Submariner watches has creeped up to rather aggressive levels. Rolex still sells them in ample quantities. The acceptable account is that clashing abounding affluence watches, Rolex timepieces tend to authority amount actual well, and that is abnormally the case with the Submariner. While you apparently aren't traveling to get affluent affairs one, you will acceptable be able to resell it for a amount abutting to what you paid for it. That is acceptable account for humans who like to advancement or about-face watches every few years, or if you are in a banking pinch.
As I said, the Rolex Submariner Date and No Date models accept two altered prices absorbed to them. The aberration in amount has to do with the date aggravation and absolutely depends on what you like. Though the almost $1,000 aberration is appreciable. Some humans abhorrence the “cyclops” magnifier on the punch and adulation the apple-pie attending of a simple dial. Others feel that it is alone a absolute Rolex with the date window and clear bubble. For the Submariner Date ref. 116610LN the amount is $8,550, and the Submariner 114060 is retails for $7,500.