Rolex Unveils the First Authorized History of the Submariner

Rolex’s newest release doesn’t tell the time, sit neatly on the wrist, or do anything else a good watch is supposed to. That’s because it’s not actually a timepiece.

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The Crown has just unveiled a new, beautifully designed monograph on the Submariner dive watch. Aptly titled Oyster Perpetual Submariner—The Watch That Unlocked the Deep , the 252-page tome chronicles the evolution of the legendary dive watch , from the 1950s up to the present day. It is the first authorized history of the Submariner from the notoriously secretive Swiss watchmaker , meaning the author received access to highly guarded archival information that is typically off-limits. As a result, the book should provide fresh, in-depth insight into this seminal Rollie.

The hardcover, which Rolex has labeled a “wide-ranging account of the Submariner,” was developed with publisher Wallpaper* and written by Nicholas Foulkes. The English historian and author has written extensively about luxury goods and horology, penning The Impossible Collection of Watches , Patek Philippe: The Authorised Biography , and Time Tamed , among other notable titles.

“As a historian with a lifelong obsession with watches, I was delighted and excited to be given unique access to the Rolex archives and flattered and honoured to be invited to set down in print the first authorized accounts of timepieces that have helped shape history,” Foulkes said in a statement.

Foulkes starts by diving into the creation of the inaugural model. Introduced in 1953 (but commerically available in 1954), the Submariner was the first dive watch water-resistant to 100 meters (330 feet). The timepiece was originally a rugged, rather affordable tool for divers, but later became a luxury status symbol in the 1970s and ‘80s, once offered in solid gold references like the 1680/8. The book details all the small but notable changes Rolex has made to the model over the past 70 years— Reference 1680 was the first to gain a date complication in 1969, for example—illustrating that innovation is key to the Sub’s enduring appeal.

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The tome isn’t all about the Sub, though. Some pages are dedicated to the subsequent dive watches Rolex released that became benchmarks in the diving world, such as the Sea-Dweller from 1967, the Deepsea from 2008, and the Deepsea Challenge from 2022. The latter can descend as far as 11,000 meters (36,090 feet).

Oyster Perpetual Submariner—The Watch That Unlocked the Deep will be available from October 1. You can pre-order a copy now on Amazon for $125. The silk-bound first edition will be available exclusively through the WallpaperSTORE* for pre-order from September 16 and purchase from September 20.

The best part is this is only the first in a series of authorized books that will profile models in the Rolex catalog. Stay tuned.

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