When Did the First Rolex Submariner Come Out?

The advent of the Rolex Submariner has truly altered the landscape for wrist watches. In this case, the Submariner is more than just a label because it has deeply rooted itself in the minds and imaginations of people all throughout the decades. This watch is what people think of when water resistant watches are being talked about. It is also thanks to some divers and diving companies that the name has been recognised by many people worldwide.

The world first met the Submariner at the Swiss Watch Fair in 1954. There were two watches produced with reference numbers 6204 and 6205, although it has been established which one came out first since both watches look exactly like the other. At that tiime, the first Submariner models lacked the Mercedes hand, which was first exhibited in Submariners in the ref. 6200 Submariner that was also produced in 1954. In the next decades, the Submariner would become warmly accepted in the community particularly because of its resistance to extreme conditions. It is this capability that other brands have come up with their own water-resistant models although they could not possibly copy the capability of the Rolex Submariner.

Its involvement as a main equipment in several deep sea diving expeditions have paved the way for establishing the model's reputation for resilience. For instance, the French diving company COMEX issued Rolex Submariner watches for their divers. Models of the Rolex Submariner were also used by members of the Moana Expedition, in which it demonstrated that can withstand more than a thousand dives to deep sea depths. And, did you know that the Submariner had managed to make it through very harsh conditions and temperatures as low as -45 degrees Celsius in Antartica? Finally, the Rolex Submariner has found a really good niche in the Royal Navy's frogmen. This is a special model that was commissioned only for the Royal Navy, with reference number 5513. Unfortunately, it would be difficult for collectors except perhaps the most inquisitive ones to find these watches unless they join the Royal Navy frogmen.

While its function remains the same, the Submariner has gone through an evolution in designs at different points for the past 40 years. The 2012 Submariner, which bears model number 114060, has a frame that is remarkably larger in size than the previous models. It does not display the date that other Submariner models have, and the hour markers are Chromalight. The 2012 114060 Submariner's bracelet is also a first, a feature that Rolex has dubbed the Glidelock extension system that could be expected to be present in other models of the Submariner that will follow.

It has been around 50 years since the Rolex Submariner first appeared in the market. In 50 years, numerous models or variants of the Submariner have been phased out, but newer models have also made an appearance in the market. However, some authentic specimens of the earlier Rolex Submariner models are still in existence and highly available today. Though they are not antiques, they could not be considered as modern as well because of their age. If you are fond of collecting discontinued models of luxury watches like the Submariner, you will be delighted because it is still possible to find surviving Rolex Submariners in antique shops that collectors like you could visit. Thanks to the help of the Internet, it is even easier for collectors to locate working articles of Rolex Submariners.