Rolex Submariner

The Rolex Submariner is a line of sports watches designed for diving and manufactured by Rolex, resistant to water and corrosion. The first Submariner was introduced to the public in 1954 at the Basel Watch Fair. It was the first watch to be waterproof up to 100 metres (330 ft), although Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms watch, which was introduced in 1953, was certified to 94.5m (being fifty Fathoms). The Rolex Submariner is considered "a classic among wristwatches", manufactured by one of the world's most widely recognized luxury brands. Due to its huge popularity, there are many homage watches by well-established watchmakers, as well as illegal counterfeits. The Rolex Submariner is part of Rolex's Professional line.

Today, the Submariner and Submariner Date models are equipped with Rolex Calibres 3230 and 3235, respectively, and feature luminescent hour markers, a unidirectional rotatable bezel with Cerachrom ceramic insert, and a solid-link Oyster bracelet. The models underwater diving depth rating is 300 metres (1,000 ft).

The Submariner model went into production in 1953 and was showcased at the Basel Watch Fair in 1954. This first Submariner's assigned case reference number was either 6204 or 6205. It is unclear which model came first; in any event, the two watches are nearly identical. Neither the distinctive "cathedral" or "Mercedes" hands are now so strongly associated with the Submariner line. Rather, both of these early submariners have straight "pencil" style hands.

Both the 6204 and 6205 were fitted with the A260 movement. Neither model displayed a depth rating on the dial. The 6204 was originally rated to a depth of 100 meters (330 feet), but by 1954, Rolex certified the watch as waterproof to 200 meters (660 feet) in the accompanying catalog. The 6205 was depth rated to 100 meters (330 feet).

Some 6204 models have the Submariner logo printed below the center pinion, while others have the logo blacked out. Few, if any, of the 6205 watches bear the name "Submariner" on the dial, a major distinction of modern Submariners. It is believed that there were unexpected trademark issues connected with the name "Submariner" at the time the 6204 and 6205 were released, accounting for the inconsistent use of the Submariner mark on these early Submariners. Trademark irregularities notwithstanding, both the 6204 and 6205 are designated Submariner models in Rolex product literature.

In 1954, Rolex also produced a small number of ref. 6200 Submariners. This was the first Submariner (although not the first Rolex) to make use of the Mercedes hand set, a feature of all subsequent Submariners. The 6200 also featured an oversized winding crown compared to the 6204 and 6205 models. Within a few years, Rolex revised its Submariner line, producing the 6536 (small crown) and 6538 (oversized crown) models. These watches had "improved" movements (the cal. 1030), including a chronometer version in some 6536 models (designated 6536/1), the now-familiar Mercedes hands, and the Submariner logo and depth rating printed on the dial.

By the early 1960s, these models had given way to the 5508 (small crown) and 5510 (large crown) models. All of these early Submariners used either gilt (6200, 6204, 6205) or gilt/silver gilt (6536, 6538) printing on glossy black dials. Radium paint was used for the luminous indices.

The next wave of Submariners, the 5512 (chronometer version) and 5513 (non-chronometer), marked a significant change in the appearance of the popular Rolex design. "Shoulders" were added to the case's crown side to protect the winding/setting mechanism. In early watches—until 1964, these shoulders were pyramid-shaped and ended in points. Later watches were manufactured with rounded shoulders. The 5512 and 5513 were both fitted with the oversized crown, which thereafter became a standard feature of the Submariner line. In the early 1960s, Rolex discontinued the use of radium paint for the luminous indices, switching to safer tritium-infused paint.