Who Has the Best Sub?

[TeeJay]

Who cares... :tu: At the end of the day, I'm not looking to discuss the pros and cons of the various dealers offerings, but would instead, rather pay homage to the Submariner itself. IMHO, I would say it is the ideal watch: Easy to read, comfortable to wear, durable and tough, but still elegant and appealing. Maybe not as elegant as the DateJust, of course, but still certainly capable of being worn on a day to day basis without looking hellishly out of place. Try wearing a Yacht-Master with T-shirt and Bermuda shorts, or a DateJust with sweatpants and a hood and it's simply going to look like overkill... Of course, the Submariner comes in several different flavors and different vintages: There is a Submariner for all tastes, wether that might be two tone, solid gold, bling-tastic, or abused and worn. In its sixty year path, I would liken the development and evolution of the Submariner design to the trajectory of a projectile, especially how it reaches an apex, then drops off... I would say that the 16610 was that apex point: maximum water resistance of the various Submariners, Luminova material on hands and dial markers, saphire crystal to weather the little dings that life throws at such a time-piece, and an overall aesthetic which is emulated by countless watch manufacturers the world over. But after the 16610, it all starts to go downhill... First came the 16610 LV... Maxi dial and hands, so increased visibility, but, I have to admit, more cluttering of the dial also, I'm starting to truly appreciate the slender elegance of the traditionally sized sub handset... But Rolex didn't stop there... If the 5512 and 1680 Submariners were watches worn by rugged Men of Action, the 16800 and 16610 Submariners were equally worn by Desk Drivers and Estate Agents as status symbols, rather than the functional time-piece of an outdoors sportsman. With the most recent release of the 116610, Rolex are moving further away from a simple, functional watch, and further into the realm of jewellery... Does the increased case size actually serve any purpose or house a larger dial, such as the variance between the 42mm and 45mm Omega Planet Ocean?  No...  Does the rehaut engraving actually serve a purpose of anti-counterfeiting? Not really, it just adds an unnecessary detail... Does the cerachrome bezel insert perform better in extreme conditions than the old annodized steel bezel inserts? Well, it won't scratch if knocked against something: It'll just crack and shatter instead... A worn metal insert can add character to a watch, display proudly battle scars that show it has been used as intended, rather than being Rapunzelled in a safe its entire life. A damaged cerachrome bezel insert will just look precisely that: Damaged... Then there's the overly engineered glidelock clasp: A feat of engineering which allows for the most precice micro-adjustment and custom fits, and which has been reported to suffer welding failures in the same strategic point...  No, I think it is safe to say, that the 116610 is not the watch once worn by such masculine individuals as Steve McQueen or Jacques Cousteau, but something better suited to a nightclub owner... And yet the Submariner was not always a piece of expensive jewellery, the 5512 is certainly a perfect ballance between function and aesthetics, with the 16800 evolving the technological aspects, ie increased depth rated case and saphire crystal, yet still maintaining the same primarily functional aesthetics as its predecessors.  To be honest, maybe the 16610 was not the apex of the evolution, but maybe the beginning of the decline, what with the unnecessary use of white gold surrounds to the dial markers, and the redesigned bracelet with solid end links, both purely aesthetic considerations, not functional ones...  Yet even amidst all this, this diversity in selection still makes the Submariner a watch for all takers, or rather, there is a Submariner for all tastes: Does the buyer want a 'birth year watch', or a particular variation which appeals to them the most, or do they simply want what would have been purchassed had they gone into an AD yesterday and dropped the cash on a gen, thus simply buying the latest edition which was being carried? Whatever the indiviual's answer, there will be a specific Submariner which is best suited for them.  I think it is interesting that the Submariner is the watch people ask about most frequently when first getting into replica watches, I would guess because it is such an iconic piece. I would also liken it to a gateway drug, opening the way for more diverse pieces, different brands, and yet remaining a reassuring constant: A watch which can be strapped on every morning and never fail to look good, a watch which can be worn without worrying if it is going to get wet, or if it is worn in a dark room: The hands and dial will still be visible, and a watch which can be efficiently and quickly used for timing various activities. The Submariner is a watch which takes all these challenges and tasks in its stride. That's not to say that the Submariner can do it all: Want to look like a playboy? Buy a Yacht-Master... Need to track the timezone in another country for business? Buy a GMT Master... Need to live on the ocean floor for weeks on end? Buy a Sea Dweller, or even a Deep Sea Sea Dweller, if you plan on accompanying James Cameron to the Titanic... But if you don't plan on doing or need to do those things, then the Submariner will not let you down

[Jkay]

well said. white gold surrounds? bleh.

[stillincontrol]

had to read it two times so good.

[duke1973]

Bravo! Bravo!!! Excellent write up!

[irolexu]

Man feel like I just read an article in a rep watch magazine...there's an idea

[TeeJay]

Double post

[archierocks]

brilliant post

[TeeJay]

Thanks for the kind words, amigos

[modelizer]

Great read! You hit the nail right on the head bro!

[danza1812]

Good point well made. Great write up.

[the_rymeister]

Great read buddy

[TeeJay]

Many thanks, guys, I'm glad people enjoyed reading my musings