Rolex Submariner

 

My Rolex Submariner

The Rolex Submariner is, without a doubt, the most iconic watch of all time. First released in 1953, it has gone from a tough diver’s watch to being one of the most universally recognized status-symbols. So what makes this damn thing so special?  

In terms of specs, it can go 1000 feet underwater, has a unidirectional bezel, a helium escapement valve (ya know, for when you're breathing nitrogen-rich air in a submarine), and it tells the time!  Having said that, most Rolex Submariners these days only see water when the owner has a shower after a round of golf...

In 1953 Rolex was not the top-luxury watch brand like it is today. That honour went to Omega, which had released the first ‘dive watch’ in 1932. How did Rolex overcome Omega and all others to become the most iconic brand in the world? Marketing.

Translation: "If you were really 

adventurous, you'd wear a Rolex"

Rolex has the best advertising department of any brand, ever.  Don Draper would be jealous of what they accomplished with their decades long marketing campaign for the Submariner. They didn't just advertise watches; they presented a lifestyle of adventure, manliness, and exclusivity. 

Translation: "If you were a 

real man, you'd wear a Rolex"

At this point I should address the elephant in the room. There is no way to blunt this, so I am just going to say it: it costs $10,250.  Even if you did walk into an authorized dealer and put down that much money, you wouldn't actually leave with the watch. You would go on a 'waiting list' for up to a year...unless you were willing to pay double.

Translation: "If you weren't 

poor, you'd wear a Rolex"

So with the ridiculous cost and fact that just about every twat has one, why did I get a Rolex?  

Well, I got very lucky. While holidaying in Vietnam, I met a lovely chap who was selling watches at a stall in the Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City.  We got talking and he pulled out a special briefcase full of watches from behind the counter.  They all looked very nice, but the Submariner caught my eye. Because he liked me, he gave me a deal: Instead of $10,250 dollars, he sold it to me for 1 million Vietnamese Dong...which is about $40.

Funny enough, he told me not to go swimming with it. Weird.