Have you thought about a Rolex Submariner dive watch as an investment?
I never did.
I bought my Submariner because I always liked them and thought it might actually save my ass some day.
More on that later.
As a man over 50 looking back, I wish I had bought a few more, since I had the disposable income at the time.
If you have a Smart Phone, do you really need a Rolex to tell time?
Probably not.
Then again, a Ford Escort can reliably get you from point A to point B, but would you rather do it in an Audi?
As far as owning a nice watch that looks classy and is an icon, you can’t go wrong with a Submariner.
If you have some disposable income, a Submariner may be the right choice for you as an investment.
So let’s get on with the story.
“I may be compensated through the links in the post below, but the opinions are my own.”
Rolex – A Little History
In 1902 Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis, started a watch company in London, called “Wilsdorf and Davis”.
The two wanted to make better quality wristwatches, because at the time, most men carried pocket watches which were more reliable.
They started importing Swiss movements and had the watches assembled in London with their name on them.
Stamped W & D on the inside case.
In 1908 they decided to open up in Switzerland and registered ROLEX as a trademark.
They say the name ROLEX was used because it’s easy to pronounce in any language.
Wilsdorf always wanted his time pieces to be a type of adventure watch.
Up until 1953, ROLEX watches were what I call a dress watch.
That is when the Submariner was introduced as a sports/dive watch.
Why Rolex Submariner?
They are classic watches.
Remember the old James Bond movies with Sean Connery?
James Bond wore a Submariner in the early movies and is credited with an increase in sales because of it.
They look sharp, have a precision swiss movement, and they are a good investment.
My preference is the Stainless Steel casing and band with the black face and illuminated numbers.
I consider it the gold standard of divers watches.
There are a few other brands that are expensive and elegant, but I wanted what I consider a man’s watch.
With the Submariner, you can go out and beat the bush all day and then put on a suit at night and take your lady out to dinner.
I get a visual of Steve McQueen.
Make sure you wash the dirt off first.
Submariner vs Other Rolex Models
There are quite a few iconic Rolex models to choose from so let’s just do a quick comparison of the Submariner dive watch and Sea Dweller.
First of all, they look almost identical to me.
The first time I saw a Sea Dweller was in Denmark in 1989 working on a dive job.
My friend Duck, had recently gotten out of the Navy as a SEAL and was wearing one on that job.
Here we are in Baghdad, 2005 with Duck still wearing his divers watch.
Oh yeah, he still has it.
The main difference is that the Sea Dweller is made with the professional diver in mind.
Being slightly larger, it is rated Water Resistant up to 4000 feet and the Submariner is 1000 feet.
You will also pay a little more for the Sea Dweller.
I used to do a little diving, never going down to 1000 feet and don’t have plans to in the future.
The newer Submariner is slightly larger than it’s predecessor and has a “Cerachrom” bezel ring that is more resistant to scratches and UV rays.
They are also using a material on the face numbers that are brighter in a dark environment.
I never considered any other Rolex models, but there are some nice looking ones that are sharp and present a lot of value.
Which Model To Choose
As you know by now, Submariner is my choice.
ROLEX makes many fine watches and I suggest you go with the one that fits your taste.
You can really get into the weeds on this one.
Especially if you want to be a collector.
I just don’t have the interest or patience for that.
Some models have dates and others don’t.
I have a model with the date because that is the iconic Submariner to me.
That means it has a magnified bubble over the date.
As I’ve gotten older, I can’t see it without my reading glasses, so it really doesn’t do me any good.
New or Pre Owned
I bought mine new with all of the trimmings.
Well really, I got the basic Submariner and it came with a nice box, manual and instructions.
I kept all of those in case I want to sell it.
I’ll probably just pass it on to a family member, since it does have sentimental value to me.
If you buy one used, the depreciation has already taken place, so that’s something to keep in mind.
I would look at buying a used one if I were to do it all over.
They are such high quality time pieces and hold their value so well, that used seems the smarter way to go.
If you are thinking about investment only, then maybe buy a new one and keep it in the box and never wear it.
Also, I trust a couple of the online companies and their guarantees that I’m confident I wouldn’t get burned.
Rolex As An Investment
My watch has doubled in value and I have the lower end Submariner.
It’s also a great heirloom to pass on to your kids or grand kids.
I’ve made money in stocks (and lost some), but somehow that doesn’t give me the same satisfaction as buying a tangible item that increased in value.
I lost 3 rental properties in the housing bubble of 2008 and I wish I had just bought Rolex Submariners with that money.
I probably should have done more research at the time, but the housing market was taking off in the mid 2000’s and everyone was saying that rental houses were the place to put your money.
I recommend that you do your own research.
If I had been paying attention, the black face with a green bezel ring nicknamed THE KERMIT was made available in 2003.
It was the 50th Anniversary model and has now appreciated in value more than mine.
But I wanted the basic Stainless Steel with a black face, because I planned to wear it.
I also wasn’t impressed with the green ring.
They even came out with a green face with green bezel ring called THE HULK.
As far as an investment goes, that would have been the one to buy.
The basic Stainless model starts around $10K from a reputable dealer.
You will need to do your research if you are buying for investment purposes because you’ll want the best return when you sell it.
You’ll also want to keep the box and paperwork, if available.
Before I bought mine, a guy I knew in Afghanistan had a Submariner and said it had appreciated about $500 per year since he had bought it.
That helped push me forward in laying down that much cash for a watch.
Adventure Watch
As far as saving my ass, I haven’t had to rely on it yet, except to pick up my girlfriend on time.
At the time I bought mine, I was working as a military contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Most of the time, I was around US military and relied on them for transportation and security.
That wasn’t always the case.
I figured if I had to buy my way out of a bad situation, a Rolex may help.
But then again, with all of the fakes on the market, it may have backfired on me.
Thankfully I never was in that situation.
I knew a guy who carried gold South African Krugerrands for this same reason.
It seemed to me that having a Rolex was a better idea all the way around, since it has utility and value.
Also, I still have a useful tool that increased in value 12 years later.
Anyway, I probably would have lost gold coins if I carried them around all of the time.
My watch has a few small scratches on the band, but to me, that’s my life experiences and adds sentimental value.
I remember cringing as it got slammed against the inside of a helicopter one night in the dark.
I just knew it had to be shattered, but when I got into the light, there were no marks or scratches.
I was really surprised by the ruggedness of the sapphire crystal and was sold from then on.
Military Use
The US and British military issued the Submariner to their Naval forces for a period of time.
They were issued to units conducting underwater operations because of their reliability.
I first took notice of them at Ft Bragg, NC, while I was stationed there back in the mid 80’s.
Some of my friends had them, but I never really gave it serious thought to buy one.
The Submariner was a really popular watch among the soldiers, especially the Special Forces community.
I remember talking to a Special Forces officer who had a stainless steel model on his wrist.
He said he had been enlisted and they were training some soldiers in Saudi Arabia.
At the end of the mission, the head Saudi guy presented his team with Submariners.
The kicker was that the officers’ models were gold.
That’s when he decided to become an officer.
I don’t know if that’s true, but it made a good bar story.
Gratitude Reminder
When I wear my watch now, I think how lucky and blessed I am.
It serves as a reminder to me that some of my friends did not return from Iraq and Afghanistan.
I used to wear an aluminum bracelet with the name of my friend who was killed by an IED, but it has since broken.
My Rolex gives me that daily reminder that I need.
With that said, it has also been an emotional investment.
How to buy a Rolex Submariner
So, what it boils down to is that you may want to buy a Submariner or you wouldn’t have read this far.
I would go to the to the Amazon Submariner page first.
If you are looking for a specific model and don’t see it, contact the companies to be on the lookout for you.
Also, some of the dealers will sell your watch for you.
Online Companies
If you want to buy a watch, Jomashop is an online company to check out for the new and used market.
They are a reputable dealer and if you are new to watch buying, you may have concerns like I did.
They guarantee your purchase.
I bought mine from Jomashop and the service was first rate.
When I bought mine, I was kind of nervous about throwing down thousands of dollars on a watch.
I thought they might be fake and I would get taken.
So I understand any caution you may have.
If you buy one and aren’t satisfied, they have a return policy.
Conclusion
Would I do it all over again?
Yes I would and as stated previously, I would buy a few of them.
If you want more information on the Rolex, there are many sites with professional knowledge of the history of the Submariner.
I don’t care to go that deep in this article.
I know what I like and don’t really care about what year they increased the case size by 1milimeter.
The Rolex Submariner is a timeless classic that I’m confident will give you a feeling of satisfaction with your purchase, as it has me.
I still consider it one of my better investments.
I’ve had my watch since 2008 and it still looks good and runs like a Rolex.
There are other Submariners that are prettier, but I’ve made memories with mine.
If you can afford it, I’d say take the plunge.
Here is a Link to AMAZON for purchase.
I can’t guarantee they will go up though.
Good luck to you and I hope you are happy with your new Rolex as I have been.