Datejust. Rolex entered the 1950's, having released a watch five years earlier that would secure its place as the best known and most sought after watch brand in the world. The watch was the Rolex Datejust. Displaying the date in an aperture on the dial, it was the first wristwatch with an automatically changing date on the dial. Rolex continued to add innovations to its than flagship watch. When first released, the date displayed on the dial of the Datejust would slowly change as midnight approached. In 1953, this was refined by a new mechanism which would have the date change instantaneously in one click. The following year, the "Cyclops" lens, or the trademark Rolex curved magnifying glass was added. This would magnify the date display by two and a half times, making it easier to read. With these changes, the Datejust was completed, and the watch design has continued to be Rolex's most popular watch without substantial change in over fifty years. This was the 1950's and in this decade, the modern Oyster Perpetual was born.
Explorer. Having built watches that could withstand water two decades earlier with its Oyster case, in 1953, Rolex sought to conquer the challenge posed by adverse environmental cold weather conditions. With an expedition about to attempt to conquer Mt. Everest Rolex sponsored the expedition and supplied a modified Oyster Perpetual Bubble Back the members of the expedition. The watch was later to be known as the Rolex Explorer.
The name Explorer on the dial of the watch, the high visibility luminous triangle at the 12 o'clock position, large Arabic numerals used at the 3-6-9 o'clock positions, and Mercedes style hands were not present on the watch which first submitted Everest. But the success of the expedition resulted in the release of a new Rolex watch, the Explorer.
Turn-o-Graph. The Oyster Perpetual Date Just Turn-O-Graph Ref. 6202 was launched in Basel world of 1953. Rolex added A rotating bezel was added which was designed to measure intervals of time so sixty minutes of less. The Turn-O-Graph 6202 had a more solid oyster case than the typical Rolex Oyster and had a high visibility dial with Mercedes hands, a luminous triangle at the 12 o'clock, and high visibility round luminous hour markers.
Unlike today's Turn-o-Graph which is based on the Datejust, the original Turn-o-Graph looked a lot like the Submariner. We will go back to the Turn-o-Graph later.
Submariner. In 1952, two French naval officers, Commander Robert Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud were instructed by the French Ministry of Defense to set up an elite unit called "Les Nageurs de combat", a special operations unit of the French Navy, specializing in underwater operations. After surveying the watches in the market, Commander Maloubier and Lieutenant Riffaud found no diver's watch that could meet their specifications. The two officers contacted Blancpain Rayville SA, in Villeret, Switzerland, and together they created the the Fifty Fathoms. Using the same set of specifications Rolex placed the Submariner into production in 1953. It was first introduced to the public in the Swiss Watch Fair of 1954.
The watch commissioned by Commander Maloubier and Lieutenant Riffaud became the standard in diving watches until divers watches were replaced by dive computers. Exactly which watch came out first is subject to debate. However, while Blancpain was the one commissioned by the French Navy, the Rolex Submariner became the leading watch in the class. Later, Rolex Submariners were issued to members of the French Navy.
Probably, no tool watch has had as significant a history as the Rolex Submariner. Having served with the Canadian, French and Royal navies, and been used and co-developed together with COMEX (NASA of the deep), Rolex Submariners have seen probably seen more time doing mission critical tasks than any other mechanical wrist watch and history. Given the decline of mechanical watches as actual tools, its record will probably never be surpassed.
Enough with the history, what did the new watch bring out. Rolex improved it Oyster case for this watch to have a 100 meter water resistance rating. A rotating bezel was added which was designed to measure intervals of time so sixty minutes of less. This was useful in helping a diver determine how much air he had in left in his tank.
Turn-o-Graph Submariner Connection. While a cannot confirm this, I always suspected that the first Turn-o-Graph's were actually Submariners which failed to make the 100 meter water resistance grade. Any views on this would be appreciated.
This article is continued here.
Explorer. Having built watches that could withstand water two decades earlier with its Oyster case, in 1953, Rolex sought to conquer the challenge posed by adverse environmental cold weather conditions. With an expedition about to attempt to conquer Mt. Everest Rolex sponsored the expedition and supplied a modified Oyster Perpetual Bubble Back the members of the expedition. The watch was later to be known as the Rolex Explorer.
The name Explorer on the dial of the watch, the high visibility luminous triangle at the 12 o'clock position, large Arabic numerals used at the 3-6-9 o'clock positions, and Mercedes style hands were not present on the watch which first submitted Everest. But the success of the expedition resulted in the release of a new Rolex watch, the Explorer.
Turn-o-Graph. The Oyster Perpetual Date Just Turn-O-Graph Ref. 6202 was launched in Basel world of 1953. Rolex added A rotating bezel was added which was designed to measure intervals of time so sixty minutes of less. The Turn-O-Graph 6202 had a more solid oyster case than the typical Rolex Oyster and had a high visibility dial with Mercedes hands, a luminous triangle at the 12 o'clock, and high visibility round luminous hour markers.
Unlike today's Turn-o-Graph which is based on the Datejust, the original Turn-o-Graph looked a lot like the Submariner. We will go back to the Turn-o-Graph later.
Submariner. In 1952, two French naval officers, Commander Robert Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud were instructed by the French Ministry of Defense to set up an elite unit called "Les Nageurs de combat", a special operations unit of the French Navy, specializing in underwater operations. After surveying the watches in the market, Commander Maloubier and Lieutenant Riffaud found no diver's watch that could meet their specifications. The two officers contacted Blancpain Rayville SA, in Villeret, Switzerland, and together they created the the Fifty Fathoms. Using the same set of specifications Rolex placed the Submariner into production in 1953. It was first introduced to the public in the Swiss Watch Fair of 1954.
The watch commissioned by Commander Maloubier and Lieutenant Riffaud became the standard in diving watches until divers watches were replaced by dive computers. Exactly which watch came out first is subject to debate. However, while Blancpain was the one commissioned by the French Navy, the Rolex Submariner became the leading watch in the class. Later, Rolex Submariners were issued to members of the French Navy.
Probably, no tool watch has had as significant a history as the Rolex Submariner. Having served with the Canadian, French and Royal navies, and been used and co-developed together with COMEX (NASA of the deep), Rolex Submariners have seen probably seen more time doing mission critical tasks than any other mechanical wrist watch and history. Given the decline of mechanical watches as actual tools, its record will probably never be surpassed.
Enough with the history, what did the new watch bring out. Rolex improved it Oyster case for this watch to have a 100 meter water resistance rating. A rotating bezel was added which was designed to measure intervals of time so sixty minutes of less. This was useful in helping a diver determine how much air he had in left in his tank.
Turn-o-Graph Submariner Connection. While a cannot confirm this, I always suspected that the first Turn-o-Graph's were actually Submariners which failed to make the 100 meter water resistance grade. Any views on this would be appreciated.
This article is continued here.
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