The Rolex Submariner and Deepsea Sea-Dweller with Glidelock Clasps are made for serious divers who don’t want to compromise. The Rolex Submariner was one of the first timepieces that was not only fully waterproof, but was designed with the diver in mind.
Hans Wilsdorf told his team in 1914 that “We must find a way to create a waterproof wristwatch.”
In 1922 they launched the Submarine which had a screw down bezel that made the outer case water tight. In order to get to the timepiece to adjust the time, you had to first unscrew the outer case.
They continued to perfect the design until in 1926 they created a screw down bezel, case back and winding crown which created a hermetically sealed timepiece. Hans Wilsdorf called it the Oyster, because it could remain underwater for an unlimited amount of time without hurting its components.
However, Rolex continued on the tradition set forth by Hans Wisdorf to continue to improve the waterproofness of the Oyster case. The bezel and caseback received a fluting design which allowed a special tool to more tightly screw the caseback and bezel to to the timepiece.
The crown received a double and eventually a triple seal (dubbed the Twinlock or Triplock system) that allowed the winding crown to have reinforced waterproofness.
The initial Submariner supported a depth of 660 feet. But by 1979 they had made enough improvements to support 1000 feet. However, in 1967 Rolex patented the helium escape valve which allows surplus gas to escape the timepiece.
This allowed the timepiece to essentially decompress itself as the external pressure drops – as happens when a diver slowly returns to the surface. This allowed Rolex to defy underwater pressure.
The escape valve with an ingenious Ringlock system the 2008 Rolex Deepsea was able to support an unbelievable depth of 12,800 feet.
Rolex didn’t leave anything to chance when designing this dive-ready timepiece. It enhanced the Oyster bracelet with a Glidelock extension system.
This allows the diver to easily remove their timepiece from their wrist and then attach it over the rubber wetsuit and adjust the tightness with ease. They also added a folding Oysterlock safety clasp to make sure the timepiece would not accidentally fall off into the depths of the ocean.
Rolex Submariner and Deepsea Sea-Dweller with Glidelock Clasps
Rolex Submariner ref. 124060, represents the technical pinnacle of the evolution of the Rolex Submariner model. In 2020, Rolex released the new generation of Oyster Perpetual Submariner timepieces.
This has long been talked about. The Rolex community knew that Rolex was going to eventually overhaul its Submariner lineup.
In recent years Rolex updated most of its timepieces with the new caliber which gives 70 hours of power reserve. However, the Rolex Submariner and Deepsea Sea-Dweller didn’t get their due update.
It is possible that Rolex realized that it is hard to mess with the best timepiece on the planet. The sales of Submariner watches have never dipped and certainly people were still clamoring for these unbelievable watches.
However, Rolex decided to release the new timepiece this year with minimal fanfare, since Rolex pulled out of Baselworld.
The new timepiece features a fully redesigned and slightly larger case. The 40mm case has been upgraded to a beefier 41mm case. The bracelet too has been remodeled to fit the new case sides and lugs.
The new Submariner has plenty of coloring options too. It has 8 total coloring options including a new black dial and green bezel steel option that replaces the popular “hulk” which had a green bezel and green dial.
The Submariner is a spectacular timepiece. The new 3230 caliber unit is outfitted with a Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring oscillator with high performance Paraflex shock absorbers.
It winds in both directions and is precise within 2 seconds. More importantly this diver is waterproof to 1000 feet and its visibility with bright blue luminescence is tremendous in the dark.
Although the Rolex Submariner and Deepsea Sea-Dweller are sister watches, they are both treated independently. The Sea-Dweller has its own set of 4 coloring options including a gorgeous 44 mm Deepsea which has a gradiated blue to black dial.
Although the base Sea-Dweller is 43mm and supports the incredible depth of 4,000 feet, the Deepsea takes it to the extreme – supporting a depth of 12,800 feet.
Rubber B developed a variety of vulcanized rubber watchbands specifically designed for the Submariner, the Deep-Sea and the Sea-Dweller. There are many styles that support the original Rolex glidelock clasp and mount tightly to the Rolex case.
All of these bands have been made in Switzerland of the finest quality and standards. For more information, visit our Rubber B Rolex page.
