What do the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Aqualung have in common? Both watches pioneered the diving watch category exactly 60 years ago.
In 1953 Rolex came out with the first diving watch that could be used to a depth of 100m. The reference was the 6204 (pictured above). It was the first submariner made by Rolex available to the general public. It had a diameter of 37mm and like many early submariners had no crown guards (that would be introduced in the Ref 5512 in 1959). The watch was produced only for one year between 1953-1954 and was later replaced by the Ref 6205 and 6200.
There are a few things that distinguish this early submariner. Firstly it carried no depth rating, although like other references that followed it, it was able to allow divers to go to 100m or 330ft. Secondly it had ‘pencil hands’ unlike the later models that carried Mercedes type hands. Thirdly the seconds hand was distinctive in that it carried the lollipop form right until the minute counter. Lastly the watch carried the word ‘Brevet’ directly on the case, above the reference Nr between the lugs at 12 o’clock.
Furthermore like many early submariners, the word Rolex and submariner on the dial where printed in Gilt writing. The hands and second hands were also in gilt and as well as the minute markers. The bezel on this submariner and other very early submariners could also be found to have no minute markings for the first quarter. The 6204 carried a very small crown (4mm) which was later replaced in the 6536 with a somewhat larger crown (6mm). Early submariner with no crown guards and smaller crowns (4 or 6mm) are today called ‘Small Crown’ by collectors.
The 6204 is an important watch in Rolex history being the first submariner. It started off a line that is perhaps among the most legendary for Rolex. All subsequent submariner models especially the big crown 6200, the 6538 and 5510 (both made famous by Sean Connery in the early Bond movies) became legendary watches.
Rolex, with the very first submariner, invented the diving watch and with it opened another important category of the watch being a ‘tool watch’ and serving a purpose rather than just telling the time.
For an in-depth report on the 6204 Submariner please see our report here.
