Rolex Submariner 1680

Arguably the most important watch in history, the Submariner inspired not only future dive watches, but the entire sports watch category. When Swiss explorer Auguste Piccard first took his submarine down to an incredible depth of 3,131m, a specially-designed Rolex accompanied him, and emerged from the water keeping perfect time. This wasz the inspiration for the 1953 release of the Submariner, a waterproof watch that was sporty yet elegant, commissioned by a Rolex director who was a close friend of Jacques Cousteau. This model, the 1680, is an all-time classic – the last Submariner to feature a bi-directional bezel, but the first with a date window. The matte black dial and hands on this piece are original, and the beautiful patina and ageing on the tritium lume plots and bezel pearl has created a matching cream tone, whilst the aluminium bezel insert has faded to a gorgeous “ghost” colour. The newer bracelet dates to 1987, an update which was common at the time due to the weakness of the original bracelets. The movement is the original in-house cal.1575, and the “VD” code confirms the clasp as original as well. An historic piece in a class of its own.