There are more expensive watches than the Rolex Submariner. There are more complicated watches, watches that are harder to get, and watches that will earn more respect from the guy sitting next to you at the bar who knows entirely too much about watches. But I’m not sure there is a better aspirational watch than the Submariner.
The Sub sits in a very specific place. It’s expensive enough that buying one feels significant, but it isn’t completely ridiculous. It’s recognizable without being overly flashy. It’s a luxury watch that was originally designed as a tool, and it looks just as appropriate with a bathing suit as it does with jeans and a sport coat. More importantly, it feels like something you earn.
When I was younger, a Rolex felt like something successful adults owned. You’d occasionally notice one on somebody’s wrist: a friend’s dad, a boss, a guy at a golf club. You probably didn’t know the reference number or anything about the movement. You just knew what it was. Of all the Rolex models, the Submariner was always the one.
Part of the appeal is that it hasn’t really changed. Put a vintage Sub next to a current one, and there is no question they’re related: black dial, black bezel, Oyster bracelet, Mercedes hour hand, and that recognizable case. The modern versions are bigger and technically better, but Rolex hasn’t tried to reinvent the watch every five years. They didn’t need to. Looking down at one on your wrist has been a consistent experience throughout.
That matters when you’re spending real money. Cars change, clothes change, technology becomes obsolete almost immediately. A Submariner you buy at 30 will still look right when you’re 50, and it’ll still look right when you’re 70. If you eventually hand it to your son, he’s not going to wonder why you bought that thing. He’ll know exactly what it is. He’s been thinking about this day for a long time.
The other thing I love about the Sub is that you’re supposed to wear it. It isn’t some delicate dress watch that needs to live in a safe. It was designed for diving. It can handle water, sweat, travel, fishing trips, kids, airports, and pretty much anything else you’re likely to throw at it.
I actually think they look better with some evidence of life on them. A scratch on the clasp from your desk. A mark from banging it against the side of a boat. Whatever happened to it during that golf trip that you don’t completely remember. Those things become part of the watch. Buy good stuff, take care of it, but use it.
The Submariner also pulls off something increasingly rare with luxury goods. People who know absolutely nothing about watches appreciate it, while serious watch people still respect it. Your wife knows it’s a Rolex. Your buddies know it’s a Rolex. The watch guy notices whether you’re wearing a 5513, a 14060, or something current. Everybody comes at it differently, but almost everyone understands the appeal.
And yes, it’s expensive. That’s part of the aspiration.
I’m not suggesting anyone stretch their finances to put a watch on their wrist. Quite the opposite. The Sub is great because it can represent a marker. Get the promotion. Build the business. Turn 40. Turn 50. Pay something off. Hit a number you’ve been chasing. Give yourself a reason, then save for it.
I think that process is part of the fun. Research them. Find a great shop that can source one (Hello, Highland Diamond!). Try them on. Learn the references. Decide whether you want vintage or modern, date or no-date. Maybe the 14060 is your sweet spot. Maybe you want the character of a 5513. Maybe you want to walk into an authorized dealer and buy a brand-new one that’s entirely yours from day one. There is something satisfying about wanting something for a long time and eventually reaching the point where buying it makes sense.
And when you finally get one, you’re basically done. Sure, watch collecting can take you in a thousand directions: Speedmasters, GMTs, Tudors, Cartiers, and obscure vintage pieces that require a 20-minute explanation. That’s part of the fun. But you don’t need any of it. You can buy a Submariner and wear it for the rest of your life.
Wear it to work. Wear it fishing. Wear it on vacation. Wear it with a sport coat to dinner. Wear it to your son’s graduation. Twenty or thirty years later, it’ll still work in every one of those situations, except now it’ll have a few scratches and a whole lot more meaning.
Then someday, give it to your son.
That’s why I think the Rolex Submariner is the perfect aspirational watch. It’s expensive, but attainable. Luxurious, but useful. Recognizable, but timeless. It’s something you can spend years wanting and decades wearing.
In the end, owning the Rolex isn’t really the aspiration. It’s everything you did before you finally bought it.
