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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The Rolex Submariner launched in 1953 as a divers’ wristwatch rated waterproof to 100 metres (330 feet), according to Rolex. Its development brought higher depth ratings and practical design changes; later, film appearances helped carry the watch beyond its original diving purpose. The history below follows Rolex’s own account of the model, rather than treating the company’s descriptions as independent assessments.
What came before the Submariner?
Rolex traces part of the Submariner’s story to earlier efforts to make a wristwatch usable underwater. In 1922, the company says, it placed a watch in a hinged outer case. The design protected the watch, but the wearer had to open the case to reach the crown. Rolex’s 1926 Oyster case took a different approach: its screwed-down bezel, case back and winding crown sealed the watch against outside elements. Rolex presents the Oyster as an important predecessor to its later waterproof watches. Read Rolex’s account of the Submariner’s origins.
Rolex also recounts a 1952 test involving Oyster Perpetual watches aboard the Royal Navy ship HMS Reclaim in Loch Fyne. In the company’s telling, the divers took the watches to 73 metres (240 feet), and the watches remained waterproof. This is Rolex’s historical account of the test, not an independently established test report.
When did Rolex introduce the Submariner, and how deep could it go?
Rolex dates the Submariner’s launch to 1953 and describes it as its first divers’ wristwatch. The launch model was guaranteed waterproof to 100 metres (330 feet). In 1954, Rolex says, the guaranteed depth increased to 200 metres (660 feet). Those figures describe the watch’s historical specifications in the company’s account; they are not modern diving recommendations. Rolex’s Submariner history provides the model timeline.
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- Pre-Loved Condition: Excellent; Light scratching and tarnishing throughout hardware
- 40mm
- Made in Switzerland
- Flip-lock clasp
- Signature upon delivery required
The rotatable bezel served a practical purpose: it let divers track immersion time. Rolex’s historical feature also credits feedback from diver Dimitri Rebikoff as part of the model’s development. In 1959, the Submariner was among the Rolex watches to receive crown guards, intended to help protect the winding crown from impacts. These details show how the design evolved around use as a diving instrument, rather than being purely decorative.
How did the Submariner Date differ?
Rolex introduced the Submariner Date in 1969, adding a date display at 3 o’clock. That year, the company also introduced a yellow-gold Submariner. Rolex dates the Date model’s 300-metre (1,000-foot) depth guarantee to 1979; the standard Submariner reached the same stated depth in 1989.
| Variant | Distinguishing feature | Milestone in Rolex’s account |
|---|---|---|
| Submariner | No date display | 300-metre (1,000-foot) guarantee in 1989 |
| Submariner Date | Date window at 3 o’clock | Introduced in 1969; 300-metre (1,000-foot) guarantee in 1979 |
This is a comparison of historical milestones, not a catalogue of every reference or a guide to current models. Rolex’s timeline supports the variant and depth-rating distinctions shown here but does not establish a definitive early reference-number sequence.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did a diving watch become culturally visible?
The Submariner’s wider recognition grew partly through film appearances. Rolex identifies Sean Connery wearing a Submariner in the first James Bond film, released in 1962, followed by Steve McQueen in The Towering Inferno (1974) and Robert Redford in All the President’s Men (1976). These examples come from Rolex’s own historical feature, which connects screen exposure with the watch’s growing cultural visibility. They do not, by themselves, establish how audiences or collectors viewed the model at the time. Rolex’s “From tool watch to icon” feature discusses the model’s transition from tool watch to broader symbol.
That feature also quotes Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf describing the Oyster case: “like an oyster, it can remain an unlimited time underwater without detriment to its parts.” Rolex attributes the statement to Wilsdorf but does not date it in the feature. It reflects the company’s early waterproof-watch ideal; it should not be read as a literal guarantee of unlimited underwater use.
Quick Recap
What the timeline shows
- 1922: Rolex describes a watch protected inside a hinged outer case.
- 1926: The Oyster case uses a screwed-down bezel, case back and winding crown.
- 1952: Rolex recounts HMS Reclaim tests reaching 73 metres (240 feet).
- 1953: Submariner launch, with a 100-metre (330-foot) waterproof guarantee.
- 1954: Rolex raises the stated guarantee to 200 metres (660 feet).
- 1959: Rolex’s feature notes the addition of crown guards.
- 1962: Rolex identifies a Submariner appearance in the first James Bond film.
- 1969: The Submariner Date and a yellow-gold Submariner are introduced.
- 1974 and 1976: Rolex names appearances in The Towering Inferno and All the President’s Men.
- 1979 and 1989: The Date and standard Submariner, respectively, reach Rolex’s stated 300-metre (1,000-foot) guarantee.
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