The Rolex Submariner. Arguably the most recognized, respected, and clandestinely reproduced wristwatch of the 20th (and 21st) century.
Wthin the almost 60 year span of the ultimate dive watch’s reign as the king of cool (yes, the actual king of cool wore one, too), the purest example of the Submariner – those that the purists among us often seek out, purchase, and wear the crap out of, are those without a date window. The “no date” Sub is the realest of the real.
This year at Basel World 2012, Rolex introduced a brand new dateless Submariner, the reference 114060. But what is different about the new Sub, when from 30,000 feet, it looks just like the 14060 that we loved so dearly? Well, it has a slightly redesigned case (still 40mm), a new bezel, and a new bracelet.
First, the case: Rated to a depth of 300 metres (1,000 feet), the middle case is crafted from a solid block of a corrosive-resistant 904L steel. The fluted case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool exclusive to Rolex watchmakers. The winding crown, fitted with the patented TRIPLOCK triple waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case in a manner akin to a submarine’s hatch. It is protected by a crown guard that is an integral part of the middle case.
Then the bezel: Like the Rolex Submariner of 2010 and the GMT-Master II, the new no-date Sub has a bezel of Cerachom, which is virtually scratchproof and completely resistant to fading and corosion. The graduations in the bezel are actually PVD coated with platinum, and the dial and hands are filled with Chromalight to emit a long-lasting blue glow.
And the bracelet: This SUBMARINER is fitted with a solid-link OYSTER bracelet in 904L steel. It features a new-generation OYSTERLOCK safety clasp and glidelock extension system. The patented systam, located beneath the clasp cover, allows fine adjustments of the bracelet length in 2 mm increments for a total of approximately 20 mm – without using any tools. This allows the watch to be worn over a diving suit up to 3 mm thick and provides additional comfort in any circumstance.
The new no-date Sub uses the excellent Rolex caliber 3130 featuring a parachrom hairspring and power reserve of 48 hours. The reference 114060 Submariner will retail for $7100 when it hits AD’s later this year.
