The first thing you will notice when you put on the Rolex Submariner is the quality of every detail of this watch. Everything is perfect, whether it’s the comfort of the wearer, the finishing of the case and bracelet, or the hands and applied indices. And I haven’t even talked about the movement.
These are in-house movements with a 70-hour power reserve and a guaranteed average precision of ±2 seconds per day. In addition, these latest Rolex movements have paramagnetic hairsprings and high-performance shock absorbers. Tudor’s movements are not bad either, and they were developed by Kenissi. But Rolex and Tudor don’t have much more in common today than a few departments unrelated to production, so don’t be fooled by salespeople telling you that Tudor is Rolex’s entry-level product. It’s just a different brand and product.
The real benefit of a Rolex (any) product is its bracelet. These straps are very comfortable and easy to adjust using the Glidelock extension system. Whether you choose a Presidential, Silver Jubilee or Oyster bracelet, they are hard to beat. Only a few other bracelets even come close to the Rolex bracelet.
The Tudor Black Bay may offer more variety, but the Rolex Submariner is as good as it gets. We could go on at length about why you’d want a vintage or one with an aluminium bezel, but each new iteration of the Rolex Submariner is technically better than its predecessor. Rolex is slow to change and update, but it’s all well thought out. And in addition to the regular black steel Submariner, there is also a version with a green ceramic bezel. There are also gold and steel models with black or blue dials, and an all-yellow/white gold Submariner with a blue ceramic bezel and black or blue dial.
I don’t like to overuse terms like “icon” or “cult watch”, but if there’s one watch that deserves that definition, it’s the Rolex Submariner. Yes, it’s hard to get (but not impossible), Rolex lacks proper distribution, and dealing with authorized dealers can be a nightmare (requiring you to buy some other imitation watch before you’re allowed to be put on a waiting list), but that’s not the fault of the watch itself. It’s a great watch, it’s just that when money is involved, people get nasty.
Aesthetically, the Submariner hasn’t changed much over the decades. It’s gotten a little bulkier, a little shinier, and now uses ceramic, but it is unmistakably related to those first Submariners from 70 years ago. If you don’t like this generation, you can also look at past models (like I did). There are enough to choose from.
