The Submariner is neither the most expensive, nor the toughest, nor the most complicated or most beautiful diver – so why is it so desired, valued and successful? One of the reasons is certainly its famous in-house Caliber 3135 movement, which has a reputation for being robust, accurate, long-lasting and easy to service. The movement’s faithful “service” for the glory and honour of Rolex began back in 1989, and over all these years it has earned the reputation of one of the most reliable and robust movements in general.
The model presented today is part of perhaps the brand’s most recognisable line – the Submariner – and is certainly one of the models of the cult brand that has helped it continue to hold leading positions in the watchmaking industry. The Submariner was first introduced in 1953 and almost immediately gained the reputation of a robust and reliable diving instrument. 50 years after its launch, Rolex released a commemorative edition that was destined to become one of the most desired and sought-after modern Submariners and that very quickly received its nickname “Kermit”. A few years later, thanks to the launch of the new, so-called ceramic version of the Sub, today’s model was also introduced and immediately received the nickname “Hulk”. The differences compared with the standard Submariner are not many, but they are significant – first, of course, is the bezel: here it is green, a colour which, being the “brand colour”, is used by Rolex for all anniversary editions of their models. The second is the dial, which only in this Rolex version receives a poisonous green colour, and combined with the “Maxi dial” with enlarged hour markers and hands, the final result is phenomenal. The model receives the reference 116610LV, or Lunette Verde. It was produced for only 10 years – from 2010 to 2020, in limited quantities, and the fact that relatively few pieces were delivered to the USA further contributes to the rapid increase in its price, since, as we know, this is the brand’s largest market and collectors acquire the desired “Hulks” on the secondary market.
Rolex guard their “special” models very zealously, so that a standard Submariner cannot be turned into a Hulk simply by replacing the bezel insert and the dial. The replacement procedure in this case is very different – the old parts are sent to the manufacture, replaced there and returned to the authorised service centre, while throughout the entire process the watch remains in the service centre...
The dial of the watch is very clean and easy to read, while the luminescence of the hands and indexes makes it easier to use at night. This particular model is one of the first in which Rolex replaced the green colour of the luminescence with blue, which has been proven to be much more pleasant and harmless to the human eye, while the so-called Chromalight used by Rolex allows the indexes to appear milky white during the day. Here Rolex also use the so-called “Maxi dial” style, which was launched a few years before the series and with which the manufacturer increases the size of the hands and markers – one of the reasons why we like this model much more than the previous ones.
Although the Submariner is a professional instrument, as intended by the manufacturer from the very moment of its launch, it is clear to everyone that for quite some time it has become a luxury attribute – and this function has increasingly prevailed over the original reason for its creation. Perhaps precisely for this reason, Rolex do many things in this model in such a way that the appearance and overall impression created by the watch prevail over its functionality. The first thing that makes an impression is, of course, the classic look with the protruding “Cyclops” for the date – according to marketing studies, the first brand mentioned by respondents when asked about a luxury watch brand is “Rolex”, while the most recognisable watch model in general is precisely the Submariner, and the Cyclops plays no small part in that.
For the caseback of the watch, Rolex use a plain solid back, as they do in all their models – in the case of the Submariner, it is devoid of any markings, inscriptions or other “decorations”. As we all know, Rolex use noble 904L steel for their watches – the difference compared with the 316L steel commonly used by other brands lies in its greater resistance, especially to salt water. It is widely known that Rolex can be called fanatics when it comes to the alloys they use – a large part of the metallurgical processes are carried out in-house in order to guarantee consistent quality of the raw material. Many watches have passed through our hands, but we can say absolutely categorically that few brands devote so much attention and effort to the quality of the final product from the point of view of case finishing – and as a result, the outcome can only be unique quality and presence.
The overall impression is complemented by the diving bezel of the watch – its purpose is clear: to measure time while you are underwater – trivial, isn’t it? In previous Sub models, the bezel insert was made of aluminium with minute markers printed on it, but with this model the ceramic bezel is introduced. Here again the material is specially made and differs from the materials used more commonly – this gives Rolex the right to give it its own name – “Cerachrom”. The traditional “pip” at 12 o’clock, and there you have the final product – unlike aluminium, ceramic is glossier, stronger and more resistant to scratching. Modest, isn’t it? First it was their own luminous material, now their own material for the bezel – what could come next?
For many years, the Submariner was offered with a three-piece steel bracelet with a profile tapering towards the clasp – with this model, the tradition has been preserved and, from this point of view, the bracelet remains just as comfortable. Where is the difference compared with previous generations? Mainly in the clasp – the new Submariner is equipped with a clasp featuring a micro-adjustment system called Glidelock.
The idea is that you can adjust the size of the bracelet by several millimetres on the move. We all know that our wrists change size depending on weather, humidity, temperature and so on – well, the guys at Rolex offer an ideal solution for such cases. It is important to know that this Glidelock system is offered only with the Submariner and Deepsea – another major plus for this model. The other fact that must definitely be noted is that the clasp is made from a steel block cut to the required shape, not from a bent steel sheet – we think that, besides Rolex, only 2 other brands do this.
Truly, in the 1950s Rolex created a great product and invested the following 60 years in improving and perfecting it. If at the beginning it was valued by customers as a not very expensive everyday watch, today it is to a greater extent a fashion accessory, which nevertheless has all the qualities to become a long-term partner of its owner. Besides not letting you down, it will also not lose much of its value, because it is no secret to anyone that this brand not only cannot be found with large discounts when new, but also has the reputation of producing some of the watches that best retain their value. And this particular model can confidently be placed among the front ranks of Rolex in terms of popularity and, accordingly, among the most sought-after and desired models. One of the reasons for this is certainly the fact that this watch looks equally good on your wrist whether you are wearing a formal suit or worn jeans and a white T-shirt – in both cases, the Submariner will help attract approving glances towards your appearance.
