All of the classic Sub hallmarks were present in ‘53: the black, luminous dial the rotating dive bezel the matching steel bracelet the screw-down crown.Īnd yet. Though the Submariner was in fact an outgrowth of the water-resistant, Oyster-cased watches of the 1930s and 1940s, it emerged largely fully formed - to the extent that if a time-traveling Hans Wilsdorf (Rolex’s founder) suddenly emerged in the 2020s, he would certainly recognize a modern version.
