Following its “birth” in 1953 as the first dive watch with 100-metre water-resistance, the Rolex Submariner has gone on to achieve cult status thanks to its storied legacy inextricably linked to the fascinating diving realm and the brand’s unwavering quest to create practical tool watches not only with superior technical attributes but sporty timepieces favourably appraised in the aesthetics department. Developing and evolving an enhanced dive watch is a constant at Rolex while retaining much of the classic design composition from early Submariners. The priority for time-reading legibility in darkness whether submerged or on land explains the characteristic luminescent hour-markers on a black dial while the “Mercedes” hours hand clearly differentiates itself from the slim minutes hand. The sweep seconds hand carries a luminous disc as it is the “heartbeat monitor” enabling instant visible confirmation of a running mechanical movement. The crown guard is a Rolex innovation. The 120- click rotatable bezel with the 15-minute reference scale for timing diving immersions and decompression stops is another distinguishing feature. Even improving the grip to rotate the bezel was taken into consideration with more pronounced knurling (on the bezel).
The Devil in the Details
In 1985, the Submariner was the first Rolex to employ the use of 904L stainless steel, not only because of the alloy’s high corrosion resistance in saline environments but also its improved polishing. That being said, water-resistance levels have risen, having graduated from the screw-down winding crown to the Twinlock winding crown with two seals and thereafter the Triplock winding crown with three seals. From the 100m depth rating for the first Submariner Ref. 6204, the water-resistance of the current collection stands at 300m.
The Submariner Date Ref. 116610 LN is no exception in terms of quality, functionality and aesthetics. Its engine is the Calibre 3135 automatic movement with the Parachrom hairspring and Breguet overcoil. It is equipped with the Triplock winding crown, the Glidelock clasp that allows for fine adjustments to the length of the bracelet, while legibility in dim conditions is enhanced with Chromalight luminescent coating on the hands and hour-markers. If you spot three dots below the Rolex coronet on the crown, it indicates a Triplock winding crown. Another salient feature is its rotatable bezel that comes with a black Cerachrom insert that is scratch-resistant.
Curiously, there are some who question why the Submariner Ref. 116610 LN is nicknamed the “Date”, as they deem the mention superfluous. Perhaps it is because they are only familiar with models featuring date displays, but the good news is that the uninitiated will be pleasantly surprised to discover the depth and richness of early time-only Submariners displaying just hours, minutes and seconds and without any date indications. The Submariner scored its first real date in its “teens” during the late 1960s when it was gifted the “cyclops” lens with a two-and-a-half times magnification enhancing date legibility. There are conflicting accounts with regards to the Submariner’s actual age then. Was it in 1969, as claimed by some, when the Rolex Submariner was “16 years of age” (1953 to 1969) that it was first introduced to the date display? On the other hand, mention the year 1969 to aficionados and they will doubtless contest that fiercely. The consensus among connoisseurs and hardcore collectors is that the Submariner was “14 years old”, citing the Submariner Ref. 1680 of 1967 to validate their claim. Early production series Ref. 1680 with the “Submariner” name in red on a single line inscribed on the dials are known as the “Red Sub”. Rolex enthusiasts also note that the Mark I and Mark II dials are evident on early production Submariner Date Ref. 1680 models of 1967. The uber rare Red Sub Mark I dial has a shorter “Submariner” inscription in red as compared to the Mark II. It is said that the “Submariner Date” moniker was coined by collectors for the Ref. 1680.
Did the confusion arise because the year “1969” is the caption below an image of a Red Sub on the official Rolex webpage? Even the brand’s official print publication, The Rolex Magazine Issue #06, features an image of a Red Sub with this accompanying this caption “1969 — Version with Date” in the pictorial spread “Milestones in the Evolution of the Submariner” (pages 65 to 67). The one-liner in its descriptive text states: “In 1969, the Submariner was launched in gold and in a version with date.” There was indeed an 18K yellow gold Ref. 1680/8 introduced in 1969 and it was the very first Submariner Date with its case and bracelet in gold, but it wasn’t featured in the said article.
Interestingly, 1967 was the very same year the date display was incorporated into “Single Red” and “Double Red” Rolex Sea-Dwellers. The “Single Red” bore the “Sea-Dweller” inscription in red on a single line while the “Double Red” has the “Sea-Dweller” in red on one line and beneath it, “Submariner”, also in red. Both were Ref. 1665 models and are known to be experimental prototypes. Technically speaking, both are also Submariners simply because “Submariner” is imprinted on their dials. While the year of introduction may be a point of contention, at least the widely-accepted narrative is that the Ref. 1680 is the first Submariner model to feature the date display.
While much can be said about the differences between the Rolex Submariner Date Ref. 11660 LN of 2010 and earlier or later variants, it would not be wrong to say that there will always be subtle or pronounced improvements. What is most impressive is that Rolex dive watches like the Submariner Date Ref. 116610 LN never seem to date.
This year GMT Magazine and WorldTempus have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the divers watch since 2000 in The Millennium Watch Book - Divers watch, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book - Divers watch is available in both French and English here:
