The king of divers

SINCE THE ADVENT OF SCUBA DIVING in the 1940s, Rolex has continued to conquer greater depths with its diver's watches. The Submariner - first introduced in 1953 - is easily its most iconic, both underwater and on dry land.

A new generation of Submariners make up part of Rolex's 2020 novelties, with a total of eight different models including the Submariner (Reference 124060) which comes with the new calibre 3230 launched this year; and Submariner Date watches that are now powered by the calibre 3235.

Going by the online buzz during the release, the most talked-about models are the Oystersteel Submariner Date Reference 126610LV with a green bezel; and the white gold Submariner Date Reference 126619LB with a blue bezel.

All the new generation Submariner and Submariner Date watches have been redesigned to be slightly larger at 41mm but they don't look oversized on the wrist because of the slimmer lugs. Together with a bracelet that has also been redesigned to be wider for better proportions, the new watches also have better balance when worn. Here are the other things that make a Rolex Submariner the king of divers.

LEGIBILITY

The Submariner's dial is designed to be clean so that it can be easily read by divers underwater. Simple geometrical shapes and sizes are used to differentiate the hour and minute hands; while the Chromalight display ensures the hands and triangular zero marker on the bezel - which have been coated or filled with a luminescent material - emit a long-lasting blue glow in the dark.

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FUNCTIONALITY

The unidirectional bezel allows divers to monitor their dive times. The ceramic used for it and the bezel insert have been developed by Rolex to be scratch-proof and resistant to environmental effects. The knurled edges are designed for better grip even with gloves on. The Glidelock extension system also allows adjustments to be made on the bracelet without the use of tools.

TOUGH YET ELEGANT

The Submariner may be your best buddy underwater but on dry land, it's also an instant head-turner especially if you go for a Rolesor (steel combined with gold) or full yellow/white gold model. Its brand of steel (Oystersteel) is also corrosion-resistant.

ROBUST MOVEMENTS

Both the calibre 3230 and calibre 3235 incorporate the Chronergy escapement patented by Rolex and has anti-magnetic properties. The blue Parachrom hairspring manufactured by the brand is also 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring; while the Paraflex shock absorbers make the movements more robust than ever. Power reserve has also been extended to about 70 hours.

SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER CERTIFICATION

All Rolex watches including the Submariner and Submariner Date are covered by the brand's Superlative Chronometer certification. That means the precision is of the order of -2/+2 seconds per day - or more than twice that required of an official chronometer.