Luxury and Affordable Watches
Today we are going to talk about one of the most popular dive watches in the world. Do I even have to state the name of this watch? Well, for those of you who have not heard of this iconic timepiece it is indeed the Rolex Submariner. The Submariner dates back to 1954 at its debut ( Basel Watch Fair ) as one of the first true water resistant diving watches with a rotating bezel but there is a watch that did release a few months before which is the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Some will say Rolex “Copied” or produced a homage of the Blancpain but there is little proof or evidence to the exact dates these watches started planning or production. I will let you be the judge of that. This watch was also made popular in movies such as James Bond and is still seen here and there in movies. For example, Nicolas Cage wore a Submariner Pre-Ceramic date in “Lord of War” in a scene. ( Love that Movie ) Before we get way off topic the Submariner pictured and talked about below is the 114060, the Non-Date version of the most current Ceramic Bezel Submariner. It is my daily wear everyday watch that fits into literally every situation and dress code. Lets Dive into it, Shall we? Case The 114060 is housed in a 904L stainless steel 40MM Oyster case which is really proportioned quite nicely with its thickness of 12.5MM and 48MM Lug to Lug measurement. The case features 300M of true water resistance and has a sterile screw down caseback. Dial The black dial is almost a deep black and a lighter black depending on the lighting condition and is super legibile and certainly a watch that is easy to read at a glance. The applied circular markers surrounded by 18K white gold are beautifully placed creating a true symmetrical dial and one that is also great for consumers who want a clean no nonsense watch face ready to tell time at a glance. Bezel The Ceramic corrosion resistant Unidirectional 120 click rotating bezel is the best all around diving bezel in the watch industry in my humble opinion. Having operated numerous bezels from other luxury watch manufacturers I can surely say the buttery smooth precise clicks are to die for! Let’s not forget you can also time up to 60 Minutes with the dive bezel. Bracelet The 20MM Oyster bracelet comprised of 904L stainless steel is completely brushed besides the inner clasp and sides of the bracelet. Polished screws help insure quick adjustment/resizing as well. This new style bracelet featured on the 114060 does have the Oysterglide adjustment clasp allowing the user to quickly adjust the watch in MM incriments on the fly. It is really quite useful and functional and definitely is one of the most comfortable bracelets I have seen on a modern diver. The clasp contains a safety with the Rolex crown logo which is raised. Lume The bluish color lume on the 114060 is “Chromalight”. This lume is definitely super strong and does last quite some time. I think the last time I actually used the lume in a practical situation is when I was in the movie theatre watching Dunkirk and needed to know the time. Crystal The 114060 is equipped with a Sapphire crystal without Anti-Reflective coating. I would like to see Rolex use AR coating at some point in the future but this might be asking too much... Finish The finishing is 10/10 as you would expect from a Luxury brand such as Rolex. The polished sides of the case are precise and sharp. The brushing is superb as well on top of the lugs and the entire bracelet. You will not find a mistake in the finishing on a modern Rolex timepiece. Water Resistance The water resistance on this Professional diving watch is 300 meters. This is suitable for diving and is thoroughly tested before being shipped out from the Rolex factory located in Switzerland. To ensure water resistance the Submariner is equipped with a Trip-Lock screw down crown and a screwed down caseback. Although many consumers of the Submariner are not professional divers or even take part in recreational diving, it still is useful for water sports or general showering, swimming, snorkeling ect. Movement Entirely Developed and Assembled by Rolex The movement inside of the 114060 is no other than the classic 3130 COSC Chronometer certified automatic movement. This movement is used in a wide array of other non date rolex models and is one to trust. The 3130 contains 31 Jewels and beats at 28,800 VPH ( Vibrations Per Hour ). In terms of accuracy expect around plus 2-3 seconds a day which is superb for a mechanical timepiece in todays times at this pricepoint. The stated power reserve is 48 hours which is definitely accurate having owned and worn this model for over 2 years now. Another nice feature is the Parachrom hairspring which helps with shock resistance and temperature variation. Conclusion The Rolex Submariner is an all around well built, finished, and iconic watch. I do prefer the Ceramic versions over the previous Non-Ceramic versions due to the newer bracelets and the chunkier case though. They do feel a bit more luxurious than its predecessors. It contains a trusted and tried reliable accurate movement which will last you atleast 5+ years before you will need to service it which is great compared to ETA movements which generally need to be lubed and serviced every 2-3 years. Some will see this watch as a “Status Symbol” which is quite odd. I myself see the No Date 114060 as a true purists watch looking for a well made reliable diver with rich history and holds value. The symmetrical dial down to the classic Mercedes hands and the buttery smooth bezel action is also a plus in my book. The 114060 retails at $7500 USD from an Authorized Dealer and usually sells Pre Owned at around $6500+. I will let you be the judge of the value proposition.. Check out the full video review on my YouTube channel of the 114060 linked below as well as some detailed photos. Here are 5 Affordable Alternative to the Rolex Submariner which I have Worn and Reviewed * Buttons Below Are Clickable *
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