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 more than 31 years of service it has earned the reputation of one of the most reliable and robust movements in general.
The model presented today is the successor to the 16613, which began its commercial life in 1983, the so-called “two-tone Submariner”, and became one of the most pursued and desired Rolex models in general. This particular version was launched in 2009 and remained in production until 2020, when the 41 mm Sub cases were introduced. The so-called “two-tone Sub” is offered in several colour combinations of dial and bezel, but it is precisely the blue one that deserves the right to become synonymous with the 116613.
We are sure that most colleagues reading this text are aware that Rolex call their water-resistant cases Oyster. In other words, when this name appears in the name of the watch, it means that you can boldly explore the depths of the sea – and of course, the Submariner meets this qualification 100%. Developed as a diving watch in the 1950s, today the Submariner offers water resistance of 300 m, and despite the fact that 60 years have passed since the launch of the model, the differences in appearance between the contemporary model and the original are not very great. But as you can imagine, all of this is only at first glance...
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 appearance of the model 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. The piece presented today is interesting for another reason as well – it is from the first series, produced only during the first 2 years, and has a different dial compared with the later series. There are several differences – the first and main one is that this is in fact a dial borrowed from the so-called “Smurf” – with white-gold indexes, and not yellow-gold ones as later, and the second is that it has a darker glossy appearance, rather than a “sunburst” effect. All this makes this model more sought after and valued by collectors and fans of the brand.
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 for a long time this function has 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 the sapphire, the next is of course the use of gold elements, and finally the noble blue colour – which seems to add a slight hint of “aristocratic origin”.
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, and in this particular model “everything yellow is gold” – bezel, crown, centre links of the bracelet, hands and indexes – everything is made of 18-carat gold and, combined with the main blue colour of the dial, gives a superb finished result. It is widely known that Rolex can be called fanatics when it comes to the steel 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. As far as the gold elements are concerned, Rolex also have their own foundry and produce cases and details not only for their own watches, but also accept orders for many other manufacturers.
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 insert is introduced, while the entire bezel is made of solid 18-carat gold. The material for the insert is again specially made and differs from the materials used more commonly, which is why Rolex call it “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, while the centre links are made of solid 18-carat gold. 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.
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. And this particular model, with its gold elements, gives additional aristocracy both to its own appearance and to the overall presentation of its owner.
