Feature: 10 things to know about the Rolex Submariner
Want to know how the Rolex Submariner failed or what it should really cost? Today I’m talking about all those facts you didn’t know about this iconic watch. Stay until the end for the craziest fact of all of them.
The Rolex Submariner is a copy of another watch
The first Rolex Submariner was unveiled to the public in 1954, but Rolex had already started working on it in 1953 when they saw the US Navy-approved Blancpain 50 Fathoms. The Blancpain introduced many of the basics of dive watch functionality like the turning bezel and clear, luminous dial, and Rolex was able to quickly introduce those to a modified Turn-O-Graph watch to create the Submariner.
The Rolex Submariner uses a weird kind of steel
Most things made of steel use an alloy called 316L, which is both strong and durable and is known as marine grade steel. Rolex, however, has chosen to use a lesser-known grade of steel called 904L. 904L has a higher percentage of nickel and chromium than 316L, which makes it more corrosion resistant in saltwater, although it is softer, making it less scratch-resistant. The advantage of that, however, is that it polishes to a higher shine.
The Rolex Submariner failed US Navy testing
Pitched as a dive watch for professionals, the Rolex Submariner got off to a pretty shaky start. It was tested in 1958 by the US Navy for use in combat, but the findings of the Navy weren’t what Rolex hoped. According to the report, the Rolex was found to be not watertight, the bezel unsatisfactory and the strap too expensive. The US Navy did in fact recommend the watch for deletion from the approved lists.
The Rolex Submariner was Bond’s first choice
Before James Bond wore his Omega, he had a Rolex. In the books, Ian Fleming describes the watch as a Rolex, and from the description, likely an Explorer, but in the first film, 1962’s Dr. No, Sean Connery’s Bond gets a Submariner instead. Specifically a reference 6538, the Bond connection has made sure that other 6538s do very well at auction, fetching over half a million dollars.
The Rolex Submariner was issued to the Royal Navy
After failing to meet the standards of the US Navy, the Rolex Submariner soon found a home elsewhere. Issued to the British Royal Navy, the Submariner was mildly redesigned to incorporate the British military specification. This included broader, sword-shaped hands, minute markers around the entire bezel and a “T” on the dial indicating it had been painted with radioactive tritium luminous paint.
The Rolex Submariner was chosen by the underwater NASA
The NASA of the deep sea, French diving agency COMEX needed a watch that could go deeper than ever before. So, from 1970, they worked with a number of watchmakers to make something that could. Rolex was one of those watchmakers, and obliged by fitting a Submariner with a helium escape valve in the case side to prevent destruction during decompression. These COMEX Submariners can fetch up to $500,000.
The Rolex Submariner is the choice of celebrities
The Rolex Submariner has earned a reputation for being worn by the rich and famous. Some of its best-known owners include Jacques-Cousteau, who wore his during the filming of “The Silent World”, legendary actor Steve McQueen, musician and actor Jack Black, filmmaker James Cameron, Hollywood nice guy Keanu Reeves and even Queen Latifah.
The Rolex Submariner has been worn in space
You might think the Omega Speedmaster was the first and only watch to be worn in space, but the Rolex Submariner’s been worn up there too. On the wrist of Astronaut Kenneth D. Cameron aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, a Rolex Submariner 1680 joined the STS-74 mission for a trip to the Russian space station Mir. It’s not the only Submariner to go to space either, with another worn in 1998.
The most expensive Rolex Submariner cost more than you think
Image: Christies
A Rolex Submariner is not a cheap watch, but even the entry price of around $10,000 is nothing compared to the most expensive Submariner ever sold. The honours there go to a 1956 Submariner 6538 that, although missing its bracelet and bezel, sold for an incredible $1m. Why was it so expensive? It had a rare “Explorer” dial, where the typical markers are swapped out for the 9, 6 and 3 seen on a Rolex Explorer.
This is what a Rolex Submariner should cost with inflation
When the Rolex Submariner was first launched in 1954, it cost just a few hundred dollars. Of course, inflation means that this price isn’t relative to today. With inflation, a Rolex Submariner should cost around $1,200. In actual fact, a new Rolex Submariner costs ten times that. The watch is so popular and difficult to get that this price goes up even more second hand, tipping the scales at 15 times higher than inflation.
Were there any facts not on this list that you think I missed?
