It is instantly recognisable, ridiculously robust and versatile enough to wear with everything from joggers to dinner jackets. It is the watch every man wishes was in his wardrobe as well as being the watch forum geeks argue over, thanks to its reference numbers and unreliable history.

The Rolex Submariner is one of those watches that you lust after, even if you’re not the type of person to lust after watches. It is comfortably the most iconic diving watch ever made, maybe the most famous watch of all watches. Everyone from James Bond to James Cameron has one on their wrist and it’s said that they never depreciate in value.

Admit it, you want one.

What Makes The Rolex Submariner Great?

At the bottom of this article, you’ll find an exhaustive, nerdy list of all the changes the Submariner has undergone since it first launched, but essentially it is still the same watch. Aesthetically it has remained almost unchanged since the 1950s.

The only thing Rolex has done is slowly incorporate new technologies, such as scratch-resistant ceramic and silicon hairsprings, into the timepiece. It is incredibly hard-wearing and reliable, which is ideal when you’ve got a style that seems to go with everything, and it won’t lose its value.

According to an oft-quoted anecdote, Philippe Cousteau, Jacques grandson, told Bloomberg that because everyone in the world understands the value of a Rolex it can be used as “currency” in the event of emergency should you find yourself in the kind of tight spots more associated with the Submariner’s most famous wearer, James Bond.

Before blue-eyed Brosnan defected to Omega, the British spy wore a Submariner. It was his choice in the original Flemming novels and made an appearance in 11 films starting with Sean Connery in Dr No. Just what you need on your wrist when attempting to take down SPECTRE, even if it is just on the Xbox.