Submariner

The Submariner began in 1953 as a watch for diving. Its rotating outer ring let a diver line up a marker with the minute hand and read elapsed time against the scale. Large luminous markers made the dial legible underwater, while the sealed case protected the movement.

The first version was rated to 100 meters. Later generations increased the rating, enlarged the case and added guards beside the winding crown. The basic arrangement survived because it was easy to read: a triangle at twelve, rectangles at the quarters and round markers in between.

A date window arrived in the late 1960s, followed by a growing choice of metals and colors. The Submariner had become more than a single-purpose instrument, but the dive-timing ring remained its most recognizable feature.

Three watches here show how much changed without abandoning that layout. The 14060M keeps the black dial and aluminum bezel insert, with no date or magnifying lens. The 16610LV, introduced for the fiftieth anniversary in 2003, adds a green aluminum insert to a black dial. The 116610LV of 2010 uses green ceramic and a green dial, with a broader-looking case.

Ceramic is more resistant to ordinary scratching than aluminum, but the change also altered the appearance. The older inserts have a comparatively flat surface; the ceramic ones are glossier and their engraved markings have more depth. They are not simply the same design in a newer material.

The modern family has continued to change, including a move to 41 millimeters in 2020. The earlier 40-millimeter watches collected here preserve two different stages: the relatively slim aluminum-bezel cases and the more heavily built ceramic generation that followed.