It has been almost half a century since the replica Rolex Seamaster and Rolex Submariner have been in furious competition. These fake sports watches were quickly increasing in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. Rolex were still two of the top brands in the industry. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that they would each develop their own best iteration of the dive watch.
Rolex issued the Seamaster in 1948 in celebration of the brand’s 100th anniversary. The initial design drew inspiration from the brand’s existing dive watch models, like the Marine. However, with the Seamaster, the Omega wanted to create something a bit different. They wanted to make a sports watch that was not only utilitarian and functional but also stylish enough for daily use.
However, several years later, the replica Rolex was set on the same mission. They wanted to develop a tool fake watch that was both practical and modern enough. The result was the Submariner, a dive watch with a slightly less sporty design that could seamlessly transition from a dive to the dinner table.
Once the Rolex Submariner came on the market, Rolex realized their competition immediately. Although the design element was obviously crucial, this was still a battle of dive watch versus dive watch. Rolex understood they needed to set the Seamaster apart. So, they started drawing their attention to its capabilities, namely its water resistance. This ultimately spurred them to divide the Seamaster into two subcategories: the sportier Seamaster Professional collection and the dressier Seamaster Aqua Terra collection.
In the meantime, Rolex stood firm in its development of the Submariner. Part of its charm and allure is that it has remained greatly unchanged since its inception. However, Rolex upped the ante by giving the Submariner some pop culture exposure. The Submariner was the private watch of choice of the beloved actor, racer, and avid watch collector, Steve McQueen. And, although the Seamaster has since become the official watch of 007, actually, it was a Submariner that appeared on the wrist of the particular agent in the original 1962 James Bond film, Dr. No.
Therefore, some years later, when Pierce Brosnan took on the role of 007 in the 1990s, the Seamaster became Bond’s signature watch. After that, every main Bond film has featured the Seamaster and forever secured a place in pop culture. The Rolex replica has even gone on to release unique edition versions of the Seamaster to commemorate milestones in the film franchise. However, the Rolex have remained neck and neck in the never-ending battle to produce the supreme sports watch. Both have concentrated on developing their respective timepieces as well as carving a place for each of their models in pop culture. Anyway, which one do you prefer?