Posts Tagged ‘Submariner’
Pumpkin ‘Snowcone’ 76100 Tudor Submariner
Neo-vintage is not just collectable in Patek, VC, or AP; the era has more practical offerings as well. One, largely unsung, is the transitional 76100 Tudor sub. The reference was in production for just a few years in the mid-to-late 80s, but the 94110 ‘Snowflake’ of the same period stole majority limelight. That’s just a…
Read MoreTropical ‘Meters First’ Mk2 1680 Rolex ‘Red’ Submariner
Contrary to what it may seem here, I dislike spending money on anything but watches and a decent dinner out. It’s why I’ve owned the same pair of Wolverine boots for seven years. My car is about a decade old and I won’t replace it until children become a thing, which will hopefully be never,…
Read MoreIDF-Issued 7928 Tudor Submariner
The military Tudor rabbit hole goes deeper than you think. You will be familiar with the snowflake-handed 9401/0 Marine Nationale which has recently seen new life via the FXD. But Tudor’s military history extends far beyond France. South Africa issued its Navy divers a small run of ref. 7016 subs. There are US Naval 7928s…
Read More7016/0 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 MoreTropical ‘Root Beer’ 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 MoreExplorer Dial 5512 Rolex Submariner
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 MoreTropical 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 MoreTropical 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 MoreComex 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 MoreMeters 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,…
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