Rolex presents the first history of the Submariner watch

Of the millions of words written about Rolex watches, few, if any, have been authorised by the brand. That all changes with the publication of Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch that Unlocked the Deep.

The emblematic diver’s timepiece, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2023, is the first subject in a series of books commissioned by Rolex and published by Wallpaper*, for which The Blend contributor, watch expert and historian Nicholas Foulkes has been given exclusive access to its archives.

Plotting its development, Foulkes recalls the work of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf in developing the waterproof Rolex Oyster case and the self-winding ‘perpetual’ movement, technical achievements later harnessed to create a robust, reliable watch capable of surviving prolonged immersion at ever greater depths – a journey, quite literally, to the bottom of the sea, to which successive generations of underwater explorers have contributed.

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From the earliest tests undertaken by Royal Navy divers in the frigid waters of Loch Fyne shortly after WWII, to Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh’s record-breaking descent of the Mariana Trench in 1960, the author’s absorbing narrative pays tribute to the indomitable Submariner, but also its even hardier siblings, the Sea-Dweller and the Deepsea.

We also encounter the broader cultural sphere in which these watches have excelled: not least as the original watch of choice of 007, and in a host of other film outings besides, culminating in director James Cameron’s epic descent to the Challenger Deep in 2012.

Indeed, it’s hard to argue with Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour’s own conclusion on a Rolex model whose legacy is as impervious as the watch itself: ‘Every single brand has a divers’ watch. But nobody has a connection with the sea like we have.’

A silk-bound edition of the book is available to order now at WallpaperSTORE*. For hardcover editions in English and French, visit ACC Art Books online.