It’s good to (still) be green: Introducing the 70th anniversary Submariner
If you’ve been on the edge of your seat waiting for the release of a 70th anniversary Submariner, you can now sit back and relax.
It’s here. But it’s not quite the platinum version – or even a blue or yellow dial – as had been rumoured by numerous eager collectors.
Instead we have just had a subtle change – a soft launch for a new shade on the reference 126610LV.
And if you think the new watch looks very familiar to ‘Kermit’, you’re not wrong.
This one features a more yellowy-green, more frog-like bezel insert in homage to the 16610LV – but it’s different to the Kermit that was released for the 50th anniversary of the Submariner .
A brief look back at the Rolex Submariner
The Rolex Submariner first debuted in 1953, making this year its 70th anniversary.
While it wasn’t the first modern dive watch, it was considered the epitome of cool when it was released, often copied but never matched.
The first release was durable stainless steel casing, a black bezel and a black time-only dial, which created a neutral, practical watch.
It had a rotating 60-minute timing bezel to help divers keep track of how long they’d spent underwater, not to mention a good ability to read the dial thanks to the luminous (radium at the time) material on it.
And most importantly, it was waterproof to 100 metres. But its great functionality, top performance and timeless design make it popular as ever, today.
Of course, specification and features have changed over the decades but the main design concept remained at heart.
Between 1953 and 1962 eight more dive watches were released, with alterations to the main design including changes to the crown.007’s choice In the following years, everyone’s favourite secret agent appeared wearing the watch in the James Bond films.
By then the Submariner had become beyond useful – it was now a fashion must and was synonymous with 007, who wore the watch eight times with everything from dinner suit to wetsuit.
The reference 6538 got a glimpse in Dr No in 1962, while the same watch appeared again in Russia with Love – and by the time it retired, two more classic Submariners were on offer and became the modern dive watches. These were the 5512 and 5513. The 5512 The underlying design for this watch was so effective it stayed the same for 50 years. It was the first amalgamation of the best elements of all eight previous versions. It had a 40mm case, Mercedes handset, redesigned bezel and for the first time, crown guards.
Until 2010 when the cerachrom bezel and super case arrived, most adjustments made to the Submariner were updated movements or tiny revisions to the design. And only in 2020 did Rolex increase the size to 41mm.
And now of course, we have Submariners with and without date displays. Those with the calendar function are technically classified as Rolex Submariner Date watches. Looking for a Submariner? If you’re lucky enough to have a good amount of money to spend, there are plenty of Rolex Submariner options at the more expensive end. Some of the vintage references are rare and very expensive.
We have a fabulous buying team both here in the UK and further afield, who can try to source your dream watch for you. Contact us today.