23 Jun 2025
Episode Two of Watch the Icon has surfaced — and this time, we are going deep.
Not just under the waves, but into Cold War espionage, red carpet style, and what happens when a tool watch becomes a global obsession.
The Rolex Submariner didn't just change how watches worked underwater — it redefined how they looked, how they were worn, and who could pull one off (spoiler: apparently, everyone from secret agents to tennis legends).
In under 15 minutes, The Sandy Times publisher Sofia Brontvein tells the tale of how a steel diving instrument became a design icon — and why collectors today are willing to spend small fortunes chasing rare “Red Subs,” “Hulks,” and “Smurfs” (yes, those are actual nicknames).
Here are four things you probably didn't know about the Rolex Submariner — unless you spend too much time on watch forums:
1. It began with a diver… who worked in PR. Rolex’s head of public relations, René-Paul Jeanneret, was a keen diver with an idea: why not make a professional-grade dive watch that you could also wear to dinner? The result was the Submariner — proof that good things happen when marketing gets involved early.
2. It made its debut not on a wrist in the sea, but in a tux on screen. The Submariner’s breakout role was on Sean Connery’s wrist in Dr. No. Suddenly, the watch designed for underwater survival was flirting with femmes fatales and ordering cocktails — shaken, naturally.
3. It was the first of its kind — and still the gold standard. Rotating bezel, luminous dial, waterproof case, and a bracelet tough enough for shark attacks (or board meetings). Every modern dive watch owes it a nod — and a royalty cheque, probably.
4. Some Submariners have nicknames. Some have nicknames and trust funds. From the “Red Sub” and “COMEX” to the “Milsub” and “Kermit,” certain models have become legends — and are now auction house darlings, selling for six figures if they so much as thought about the ocean.
Listen now
Episode 2 of Watch the Icon is now live on YouTube.
Listen in, and discover how a piece of steel, glass, and Swiss genius became the most recognisable watch on Earth — or under it.
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