Whether or not you agree that the brand is overrated, The Watch Goat can’t deny Rolex’s unmatched legacy and reputation for producing cult collectibles. The company ushered in the modern wristwatch with its groundbreaking precision and functionality, and its 115-year history has yielded G.O.A.T watches aplenty. But there’s one particular model that stands apart as the apex of everything that the brand represents: the humble Submariner.
The newest iteration of the venerable watch is the reference 116500, a reimagined Daytona with a black Cerachrom bezel that harks back to the acrylic bezels found on Paul Newman models and other early incarnations. It’s a bold statement that has piqued interest from collectors, and waitlists for factory-new pieces are estimated to be several years long. URL https://www.thewatchgoat.com/bust-down-rolex
But if you ask any knowledgeable Rolex fan why the Submariner is so special, they’ll likely point to its association with a certain fictional secret agent. Sean Connery wore a 6538 in the first four James Bond films, and the Submariner became synonymous with adventure. It was also a favorite of real-life men of mystery like Che Guevara and Steve McQueen, and it’s still the go-to choice for bold personalities today, from Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan to Jay-Z and Victoria Beckham.
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Rolex had already established itself as a purveyor of fine watches to the world’s greatest leaders by the time the Day-Date debuted in 1956. The brand gifted Datejusts to Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower in recognition of their role in winning World War II, and the prestigious Timex quickly became a go-to for political heavyweights from Michael Jordan to Jay-Z to Jack Nicklaus to Warren Buffett and beyond.