Although the Rolex Submariner began its life in 1953 as a sturdy no-frills stainless steel dive watch, today, this famed diver is considered to be one of the world’s greatest luxury watches – while still very capable of plunging into the deep to accompany aquanauts. The Sub’s graduation from utilitarian to upscale no doubt began when Rolex introduced the very first Submariner in solid yellow gold. Nothing says fancy like armor made of shiny precious metal. Let’s find out which reference was the first Rolex Submariner gold watch and lay out the details. When your life depends on a limited tank of oxygen strapped to your back, you are naturally more concerned about the passing minutes rather than what day it is. Which explains why early dive models from the 1950s (Fifty Fathoms, Submariner, Seamaster 300, Breitling Superocean, etc.) didn’t worry about putting a date window on the already limited real estate of the dial. The First Yellow Gold Rolex Submariner Not only did Rolex make the Submariner ref. 1680 in stainless steel, but the company also manufactured a solid yellow gold Submariner 1680. It’s important to note that the first yellow Sub is sometimes simply called the yellow gold Submariner 1680 or the Submariner 1680/8; however, it is not the Submariner 16808 – that’s an entirely different generation. Back to the yellow gold Submariner Date 1680. Rolex’s first gold diver made its debut in 1969, flaunting an 18k yellow gold 40mm Oyster case fitted with a matching 18k yellow gold Oyster bracelet. Early examples of the Submariner ref. 1680/8 featured a rotating bezel with a black aluminum insert and a matching black dial.
And of course, the movements of both watches are COSC certified chronometers.But the bracelets are where we begin to see differences between the Sub and the GMT. The Submariner gets Rolex’s folding Oysterlock safety clasp with their Glidelock extension system. The GMT’s Oyster bracelet, on the other hand, buckles with a simpler folding Oysterlock safety clasp with and Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link. There have been multiple cases where the Submariner and the GMT are compared.The biggest difference between the two watches is the GMT’s additional hour hand tipped with a triangular “arrowhead.” This hand indicates the hours in 24-hour format. This fourth hand can be set independently of the main hour hand, and the 24-hour time is marked on the bi-directional rotating bezel.In fact, when moving across time zones, one can move the GMT’s regular hour hand to reset to local time without affecting the 24 hour hand’s position. This makes such adjustments easy and routine for the busy traveler.With the Submariner, choices of bezel and dial colors depending on the metal chosen means you have numerous variations from which to choose. The uni-directional bezel is marked in typical dive watch fashion of five minute increments, numbers each ten minutes, and the first fifteen minutes in one-minute tick marks.Even though the GMT features Rolex’s patented Triplock screw-down crown system, the watch is only rated to 100M/330Ft (in all metals). The Submariner is rated to 300M or 1000Ft. This is interesting, given that both watches are housed in the super case.So there you have it. The Submariner and the GMT-Master II are fraternal twins, nearly identical, but each with its own capabilities.5 of the Best Looking Rolex Cerachrom Bezels Rolex isn’t known for being particularly bold with design. However, what they are known for is being innovative, whether that’s creating their own alloys like Everose or mastering the art of hard-to-achieve colored dials. Most recently, one of their biggest innovations to roll out was their new and improved Cerachrom bezels, like those that can be found on the Rolex Daytona and GMT-Master II.Because the bezel on a watch is so exposed, it is often susceptible to shocks, corrosion, fading and scratching. Therefore, Rolex wanted to upgrade specific Professional models in their Oyster collection from aluminum bezel inserts to something much more durable. In typical Rolex fashion, they’ve created their own durable ceramic called Cerachrom – which is a mix of the words “ceramic” and the Greek word for color, “chrom.”Today, we’re looking at the best of the best of these Cerachrom bezels. The most good looking, handsome, and striking examples since this new material was rolled out.I wanted to note this one first because it just looks so different than the other Cerachrom bezels that Rolex has produced. That matte, sandblasted ceramic bezel has this effortlessly modern feel, and is kind of everything that you’d want to see out of a new material. Plus, that black bezel just totally pops against the Everose case.They said it couldn’t be done. When Rolex first unveiled their Cerachrom bezel in 2005, they did so in one solid color and actually admitted that it was just too hard to do a two-colored bezel with the material. Then in 2013, they presented us with this – a blue and black bezel that became instantly iconic. It was a great addition to the GMT-Master II lineup, but it also further illustrates Rolex’s dedication to innovation. Plus it’s totally sharp, right?This is a jaw-dropping look – that Chestnut brown monobloc Cerachrom against an icy blue dial. It’s unique, it’s beautiful, and it’s all executed so well. The Daytona is already a love-it-or-hate-it watch, so it’s fitting that they’ve chosen to go with such a bold, and frankly fun choice for the bezel here.The blue Cerachrom bezel on the Yacht-Master II is just striking. The way the bold blue contrasts against the white dial and Oyster case is just so elegant.
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