Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1971 Reference No: 1680 Case No: 2'936'271 Model Name: Submariner, "Red Submariner" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, 1570 Bracelet/Strap: Stainless Steel, Rolex Oyster, reference 9315 Clasp/Buckle: Folding deployant clasp Dimensions: 39mm. Diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed, inside case back stamped II. 70 Literature: For another example of a "Red Submariner" please see 100 Superlative Rolex Watches, by John Goldberger, page 189
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex Submariner was not the first Rolex tool watch to feature a date indication. This privilege belongs to the GMT-Master reference 6542. However, it was the first Submariner model to feature the date of the month. The first generation of reference 1680 featured the Submariner denomination in red whereas the very earliest versions listed the meters before the feet on the depth rating, subsequent “Red Subs” had the feet before the meters. Scholars are still debating if, with an increase of demand overseas, this was due in order to meet the needs of countries not using the metric system. The present example is a very attractive specimen from 1971 and, over 40 years after its production, remains a most attractive watch for daily wear as well as for focused collecting.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.