7016/0 Tudor Submariner

7016/0-Tudor-Submariner

In the 70s and 80s, the Tudor Sub went through way, way more evolution than Rolex’s. Tudor couldn’t decide on a formula: snowflake hands or mercedes, square plots or round, shield logo or rose, PCG or SCG or NCG? This is all not even to mention the RCNs or Marine Nationales amongst other military configurations.…

Read More

Tropical ‘Root Beer’ 1680/8 Rolex Submariner

Tropical-1680/8-Rolex-Submariner

I’ve spoken once or twice here about the phenomena of what I call double take watches. This category I define loosely as the following: a watch which, at a glance under 2 seconds long, looks like something you’re very familiar with. Then you pause. And after spending 5 seconds staring in confusion, you realize the…

Read More

Explorer Dial 5512 Rolex Submariner

Rolex-Explorer-Dial-Submariner-5512

The Submariner is, today, a uniform mass market product. Mass as Rolex’s production today is about equal to the entirety of the rest of Switzerland, combined. And uniform because not one will age, or very minimally. Every single 124060 looks precisely the same, down to the tiny serifs on the repeat Rolex engraved on its…

Read More

Tropical Meters First 5513 Rolex Submariner

Tropical-Dial-Meters-First-5513-Rolex-Submariner

Like Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, wabi-sabi has a hold on me. I think what appeals to me so strongly in a tropical dial is that it’s a massive middle finger to the idea of putting a watch in a safe and waiting for appreciation. This is appreciation through love, which to my sensibility is…

Read More

Tropical 1680/8 Rolex Submariner

For decades, a gold Sub has always been the universal standard ‘F-you money’ watch. In much the same way that Rolls Phantom wafts past in total opulence, the 1680/8 wears with similar imperious grandeur. People know what it is, people know what it means. This one, though, it’s a bit different. One of the primary…

Read More

Comex 16610 Rolex Submariner

When Rolex turns to you for expertise, you’re doing something right. That was role of Comex in 1970, a French dive company that aligned well with Rolex’s aims to push the Submariner to new depths. The strategic partnership was simple: Rolex provided Submariners and Sea-Dwellers to Comex free of cost and, in return, Comex tested…

Read More

Meters First, Tropical Mk3 1680 Rolex Red Submariner

The path to learning is through making mistakes. Rolex are often said to never make mistakes. That’s not quite true. There’s the double 9 Air King, 16710 ‘Error’ Dial, Patrizzi Daytona, Fuchsia GMT, Cream Explorer, I could go on. There’s a trend here: do you see it? Rolex do make mistakes, but when they do,…

Read More

Tiffany 16800 Rolex Submariner

Tiffany is not complicated. It’s a brand. It sells stuff. So why does everyone behave as if anything bearing the holy stamp is the second coming? I’ll tell you why, it’s personal. Collectors look for any excuse to stand out. It could be patina, a stamp such as this, hell even a total flaw. In…

Read More

94110 Tudor ‘Snowflake’ Submariner

It’s often said that the 5513 is the prototypical dive watch. It’s a panacea, sitting on top of modern dive watch genealogy like Gengis Khan in Mongolia. But what I find very interesting about that time in watch design is that it didn’t have to be that way. People tried other things. Gruen went with…

Read More

Hybrid Royal Canadian Navy 94010 Tudor Submariner

For many years, Tudor hardcores had been noting Snowflake Subs with an odd combination of round hour markers, snowflake hands, and shield dials. They all seemed to emanate from Canada and often retired Royal Canadian Navy personnel. Scholars had known for many years that there were Tudor Submariners issued to the RCN, from the early…

Read More