The last time Rolex launched a new Submariner – the storied Swiss marque's classically masculine take on a diving watch – was in 2008, as the world stood on the precipice of that year's financial crisis.
Fast forward 12 years and we find ourselves in the midst of another global flashpoint, this time as much health-related as financial, and the elegant simplicity of Rolex's latest series of takes on the Submariner (which first saw light in 1953 and was the first wristwatch capable of diving to 100m) present an equally understated antidote to similarly troubled times.
The first thing to note is that each of the four watches in the new collection, which were launched digitally this morning and are available to buy immediately, come housed in a larger 41mm case.
The Oyster Perpetual Submariner is available in steel with a black dial, a matching Cerachrom rotating bezel and Rolex's new calibre 3230 movement. Excellent in its simplicity and its utter “Rolex-ness”, it's a watch that will appeal to brand fanatics and horological newbies alike, but also one that will no doubt have sales-deprived watch retailers champing at the bit.
Elsewhere, the Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date – which houses Rolex's new 3235 movement – is available in a number of more playful variants. The steel version features a black dial with a green bezel, the white-gold take comes complete with a black dial and blue bezel, while the jazzy yellow Rolesor version (which combines steel and yellow gold and fits neatly with the 1980s-inspired aesthetic mood set by the wider watch industry this year) features a royal-blue dial with a matching blue Cerachrom bezel.
A tool watch undoubtedly – arguably the tool watch – there is also something appealingly dressy about Rolex's new take on the Submariner. Perhaps it's something to do with the remodelled close-profile bracelet, maybe it's the abstracted simplicity of the iconic indices or, perhaps, its down to the monochrome appeal of the overall design, but to us this new, only very slightly updated take is the ultimate timepiece for wear in 2020 – when keeping things simple is key, but looking good while doing it is essential.
In addition to the new Submariner, today Rolex also launched a larger take on its classic Oyster Perpetual, with a 41mm dial, plus a series of poppy new dials on the classic 36mm line, while the Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller – Rolex's 1980s-inspired aviation watch – comes fitted with an Oysterflex bracelet for the first time.
Visit rolex.com to learn more about the new range of Rolex releases.
