Rolex Submariner Watch In Steel & Gold Makes Subtle Splash At Baselworld 2009

Alright, so Rolex didn’t dazzle us in 2009 the way they did in 2007 and 2008 (both pretty significant years for the famously glacial-about-change brand).  Nothing on the level of the quirky Oyster Perpetual Milgauss, or the mighty Sea-Dweller Deepsea.  But, true to the Rolex philosophy of integrating technological and watchmaking innovations quietly and without fuss, some beloved classics got some of the latest updates.  A successful beneficiary was the steel and 18K gold Submariner Date, which inherited the slightly blockier “supercase” of last year’s 18K yellow gold model, as well as the sophisticated Cerachrom bezel.  

Based on the three-year progression of the updated GMT-Master II before it (gold-steel & gold-stainless steel), we saw this coming.  Of course, it paves the way for the wildly-anticipated stainless steel Submariner Date revamp in 2010.  I’ll play “Devil’s advocate” here and say that I’m not all that eagerly looking forward to the immortal steel Rolex Sub steel getting the spiffy updates–I like it just the way it is, old-school aluminum bezel insert, not-fancy but functional Oyster bracelet and all of that.  However, the revised Submariner watch design really looks outstanding in the two-tone designation–and I’m not a typically a fan of steel and gold combinations.

Particularly handsome to me is the version with black dial and bezel–the deliciously liquid black Cerachrom material really meshes beautifully with the glossy black Rolex dials.  The blue Submariner variant has a certain nautical charm, but as many commentators have noted, its unnaturally brilliant shade of blue suggests that Papa Smurf may perhaps have had some sway over the Rolex R&D department.

Beyond initial likes or dislikes, no one can argue the quality excellence of the updates–the Submariner has definitely progressed from “diver’s tool” to luxury watch. Such accoutrements as the revised Oyster bracelet with the sophisticated dive extension and the lovely bezel cannot be denied.  While purist Rolexistas may cling to the spartan charm of their vintage (and soon to be vintage) Submariners, modern luxury buyers are finding all kinds of new reasons to get reacquainted with the world’s best-known dive watch.