Rolex Submariner

The Rolex Submariner was designed to be, in essence, a stripped-down tool watch. Each element that went into is construction stressed function over form. The larger and thicker Oyster case could withstand exposure to crushing pressure at depth. The artful symmetry of the dial, with its large luminous hour plots, stemmed from a need to be read, easily, whether on the surface or 300 meters below. For the first thirty years of its existence, it was viewed as a tool as rough and hearty as the divers and explorers who wore it, one that could withstand the rigor of a life at sea. And it did. But with the advent of the Quartz Revolution, a paradigm shift in the industry led to a gentrification of sorts. What was once a humble too became a luxury item, a status symbol. While purists resisted and lamented the change, others embraced it for what it was: a sign of the times. This shift occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the waning years of the production of this model, a Reference 5513. Long viewed by collectors as the purist expression of Submariner, the 5513 is the last great no-date Sub. Although Rolex still makes Submariners without dates, the 5513 retains the smaller diameter (39mm) and slimmer proportions that distinguish vintage Submariners from modern. Produced in the 1980s, this Sub bears the mark of that paradigm shift, bearing a glossy dial rather than the matte dial that the model bore in its early years. However, despite those small cosmetic changes, this 5513 is as redoubtable and handsome as anything you’d ever want to clap on your wrist. There’s truly a kind of elegance in the symmetry of the dial that defies explanation. While words like “beautiful” and “jaw-dropping” spring to mind, we’ll wrap it up with this thought: we can’t get enough of it.