Removing the date window and the cyclops left nothing behind but symmetry, and that turns out to be the entire point. Purists have chased that clean look ever since Sean Connery pushed back his cuff in Dr. No. Collectors who want the purest form of the most famous dive watch ever built tend to land right here.
Presents itself in mint condition with little to no signs of wear. Finished in deep black lacquer, the dial swallows light and pushes every luminous marker forward for an instant read. Carved from solid steel, the case holds a sharp line between its brushed top and mirrored flanks, and every edge remains crisp from the factory. Built from brushed and polished links, the Oyster bracelet closes into an Oysterlock clasp, and a Glidelock slider fine-tunes the fit without a single tool.
Functions include hours, minutes, seconds, and dive timing. Sitting at three o’clock, the Triplock screw-down crown unscrews counterclockwise. In its first position, it hand-winds the self-winding Calibre 3230 up to roughly seventy hours. Pulled out to its second position, it stops the seconds hand so you can land the time on the exact minute, then press it back in and screw it down tight to seal three hundred meters of water resistance. Turning the ceramic bezel counterclockwise marks your dive time.
Comes as a full set, double-boxed with warranty card, card holder, Submariner instruction booklet, worldwide service warranty booklet, green Superlative Chronometer hang tag, and white product tag.
Seven decades on, the formula has barely changed, and that is because Rolex got it right the first time. An example kept this close to the way it left the boutique does not surface often, and when one does, it tends to find its owner quietly.