Ode to the Classic Rolex Submariner

[OPfan]

Great story! Awesome watch! Congrats!
Is it true that food aboard a submarine is really good?

[Michaeli Paulo]

Originally Posted by Livermoron

Great post. As a 14060M owner. I concur with all you said.
And thank you for your service

Thank you, Tim! Yes, with each passing day wearing this amazing watch, I’m more and more convinced that I did the right thing (for me) with the 2011 14060M. It’s like having a brand new, classic, eight year old watch, especially after it’s recent service at the RSC. Thanks again!

Originally Posted by Setarip

Michaeli - Beautiful post. Thank you for sharing and thank you for your service! Very happy for you and your new purchase! Enjoy and wear in good health!

Thank you for your kind words, Setarip!!!!

Originally Posted by 1SG MTB

What a great story! I love how the watch ties in so well with your military service. I’m a retired grunt and was fortunate enough to wear my 16710 (GMT “Coke”) during my last 5 years of service, it saw all sorts of field time, including a few jumps from a C-130. Congrats on your watch and wear it in good health!

Thanks 1SG MTB, and for your service, as well! Wow, jumping out of planes wearing your GMT! Now THAT’S a story!!!

Michael

[Michaeli Paulo]

Originally Posted by SCsailor

Great post and congrats. I’ve had my classic sub for 7 years and I still get a thrill each time I put it on.

Thanks, SCsailor, I’m sure it will continue to be the same with me!

Originally Posted by Wrist King

Great thread well done. Now...which one is next?

Thank you, Wrist King! I’m sure others have claimed that they’d forever be a “one watch man” and later acquired more. I’m quite certain that this is it for me. I won’t rule out the possibility of acquiring a four digit someday, but if so, I imagine I’d trade this one in for it. I just can’t imagine having more than one at one time.

Originally Posted by chopper7

Congrats shipmate. USN 79-85. Wear it in the best of health. Was going to ask Boomers or Fast Attack but then I saw SSBN 632. Boomers it is. All I can say about your post is it has SOUL. Thanks for a most enjoyable read.

Hey, Steve, we were in at the same time as I joined in ‘78! Yeah, definitely a Boomer! Thanks for your kind reply!

Originally Posted by OPfan

Great story! Awesome watch! Congrats!
Is it true that food aboard a submarine is really good?

Yep! One of the “perks” of the submarine service is the outstanding food. I’d tell people we eat steak and lobster and they thought I was pulling their legs! But when I’d add that it was because we’d spend 70 days straight under water, they’d wonder whether or not the superior menu was worth it!

Thank you for your warm words!

Michael

[nigelUK]

Brilliant story ! .. one of the best I've read on here. You truly deserve your awesome Sub !

[Xerxes77]

Congrats for a nice history review

[Michaeli Paulo]

Originally Posted by nigelUK

Brilliant story ! .. one of the best I've read on here. You truly deserve your awesome Sub !

Originally Posted by Xerxes77

Congrats for a nice history review

Thank you, nigelUK and Cosmin!

We’re refurbishing our church, so we donated some vintage doors to Architectural Salvage yesterday.



While waiting to be helped, I looked down and saw these interesting little bowls.



I didn’t dig through them too much; seemed to be mostly Timex. I imagine these are probably used for arts and craft projects or decorations.



Architectural Salvage is a neat place to visit if you like all things antique and vintage. You never know what you’ll find!



Thanks for looking!

Michael

[juktagt]

A brilliant back story. I too have a 14060M, it’s a 2 liner. Love it. As you pointed out, a perfect balance of classic design but with some of the newer features.

Enjoy wearing yours!

[JePro]

This is the best post ever! Thank you! Wear it in good health

[Michaeli Paulo]

Originally Posted by juktagt

A brilliant back story. I too have a 14060M, it’s a 2 liner. Love it. As you pointed out, a perfect balance of classic design but with some of the newer features.

Enjoy wearing yours!

Thank you, juktagt! “Classic” is the perfect adjective to describe the 14060M. It may not be “vintage” for many years to come, but it will always be a Classic.

Originally Posted by JePro

This is the best post ever! Thank you! Wear it in good health

Gosh, thank you JePro, for the very high compliment!

I love taking pictures of this classic Submariner, and though I’m still only using my iPhone as a camera, I enjoy trying to get some unusual shots.

Here’s one down by the water!

[BigPapiDoesItAgain]

Great post and looks great with those Alden Indy boots...Walking up to my safe to grab my beloved 30 years-with-me 16610 right now!

[Apia]

Thank you very much Michael for such a great story.
This iconic watch has also been my grail and has delighted my daily life for many years.

[FHFinster]

Fantastic read. Thank you for taking the time to post this.


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[genta]

Great story, thx!

My 5513, doing a rough desk-dive, says hello:



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[javier]

Congratulations from Argentina for your Rolex sub passion !!!

[Michaeli Paulo]

Originally Posted by BigPapiDoesItAgain

Great post and looks great with those Alden Indy boots...Walking up to my safe to grab my beloved 30 years-with-me 16610 right now!

Ha, ha! Glad the thread inspired you to pull out your Submariner Date!!!

Originally Posted by Apia

Thank you very much Michael for such a great story.
This iconic watch has also been my grail and has delighted my daily life for many years.

Thank you, Alexandre! Check back from time to time to see my progress on watch photos! You set the bar very high!

Originally Posted by FHFinster

Fantastic read. Thank you for taking the time to post this.

Thank you, FHFinster! It was my pleasure!

Originally Posted by genta

Great story, thx!

Thanks, genta!

Originally Posted by javier

Congratulations from Argentina for your Rolex sub passion !!!

Thank you javier!

[easterbunny]

Wow this thread is beautiful. Thankful it was bumped.

[Michaeli Paulo]

Originally Posted by easterbunny

Wow this thread is beautiful. Thankful it was bumped.

Thank you, easterbunny! Aside from the bumps from members replies and my appreciation of their posts, some of the activity is due to new photos being added to the thread. So for anyone interested, there are more photos buried within the thread of this classic Submariner!

Michael

[Michaeli Paulo]

Recently, after finally obtaining my Rolex Submariner, I thought I’d revisit my inspiration and rewatch some of the early James Bond films, starting with all of the Sean Connery movies (and the single George Lazenby one) before moving on to Roger Moore.

At the time of their theatrical releases (no home video back then!) I was still quite young and don’t remember much of watching the earliest films, but “Live and Let Die” which was released when I was 13 years old, remains a vivid memory.

I still recall walking with my friends down to our hometown theater and enjoying this first Bond outing with Roger Moore.

Rewatching it now, it’s obvious that this film planted the seed of my desire for the Rolex Submariner.



It’s amazing how the director showcases the Submariner throughout the film. The watch is repeatedly the center of attention and at the very least, quite visible in almost every scene where Roger Moore is present.



I started taking screenshots every time I saw the watch but eventually got tired of getting up to do so, it was so frequent!



The Submariner could have been awarded “Best Supporting Actor” considering it’s screen time.



Maybe the producers were concerned that the audience might have difficulty accepting this new James Bond since he was so different from Connery (and Lazenby) in his looks, mannerisms and demeanor.



The age old question, “Does the man make the clothes or do the clothes make the man?” might be relevant here. Sean Connery “made the watch” in the previous films and subsequently “the watch made the man” when Moore stepped in. Though Moore had already played a secret agent in “The Saint,” the producers needed to find a way to make him, “Bond...James Bond.”
Perhaps they felt that by showcasing the Submariner, (which both Connery and Lazenby wore so well,) it might lend some extra credibility to Moore’s rendition.



Regardless, the Rolex Submariner ends up being a Main Character in this film, with more screen time and action in “Live and Let Die” than in any other Bond film.



Besides having it’s bezel modified to perform as a circular saw, the watch was also designed to become extremely magnetic when necessary.



Seeing this film now, 46 years later, was an “ah-ha!” moment for me. “So that’s where it all began for me!!” I’m thrilled to have finally obtained the much dreamt about Classic Rolex Submariner!

[CarteBlanche]

Wonderful, wonderful story. Thank you for sharing.
Makes me want to put my classic black Sub on immediately!

[douglas225]

If you look close during the boat chase down on the bayou, you will note that he’s wearing a different watch with a Jubilee bracelet. It’s not the one that is digital in the very beginning of the movie. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve never heard anyone mention anything about it. Let me know if you can figure it out....

[Meyrin]

Wonderful photos here, of an iconic watch! I'm very lucky to have a 14060 I bought new in 1996, still my daily watch for 23+ years now. I really appreciate and understand your enthusiasm for the Sub...a magnificent watch, in all its variations, old and new! A classic. Here's my "old girl" saying hello
IMG_1725a.jpg

[thlax]

My new 50 year old 1969, 1 owner 5512 I just purchased with COSC certificate, punched serial number book. Complete set. !

[Michaeli Paulo]

Originally Posted by CarteBlanche

Wonderful, wonderful story. Thank you for sharing.
Makes me want to put my classic black Sub on immediately!

Originally Posted by Meyrin

Wonderful photos here, of an iconic watch!

Thank you!

More photos and thoughts throughout the entire thread!

Michael

[Michaeli Paulo]

Snapped this one while standing (ahem) in a public restroom in a posh hospital.

The mini spotlight lighting combined with the black and white tile patterns really made the watch pop.

Thanks for looking,

Michael

[Nikrnic]

I've been missing my 14060 since I traded it for a new 114060 in nov. '17. I just replaced it with a 14060m random. Reading this story really pushed me to pull the trigger a couple weeks ago instead of more looking and thinking..

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[Subterranean]

I own and adore a 1989 Submariner 16610 date.apparently 1989 was the last time James Bond wore a
Submariner."Licence to Kill" starring Timothy Dalton...don't know how much truth there is to this story
But sounds good to me :-)....
My mobile phone has the cover photo of this Particular James Bond movie and you can clearly see the Submariner on his wrist ..cheers all

[Michaeli Paulo]

Wow, Nick, you weren’t kidding! I thought I recalled you posting to this thread earlier, and when I looked back, I found that you were the first person to respond, when you said:

Originally Posted by Nikrnic

Thanks for your service Michael and for sharing your history with the Submariner. Your passion is well acknowledged and appreciated on the Rolex forum I'm sure. You scored a great example of the best tool watch ever made. I had a 14060m and now enjoying my 114060. Their all great, any Sub is a good Sub. Enjoy....

That post was just two and a half months ago!

And now, this!

Originally Posted by Nikrnic

I've been missing my 14060 since I traded it for a new 114060 in nov. '17. I just replaced it with a 14060m random. Reading this story really pushed me to pull the trigger a couple weeks ago instead of more looking and thinking..

I’m glad this thread helped you decide to get the Classic Submariner you really wanted!

Thank you for sharing,

Michael

[Nikrnic]

Hello Michael, hehe, thank you. It worked out good for me. I saw this one on C/24 the orig. owner got it new in june '12 for a wedding present from his father in law and he just put it away, he's a non wis,, younger tech guy from Cali and an avid runner who wears a garmin everyday. He said he forgot about it then realized so much time had passed that he could sell it without getting in trouble. It found a good home now. It's also a good runner, almost scary at - .0 + since I've had it. Again, thanks for sharing this great thread...

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[Michaeli Paulo]

Always on the lookout for a good backdrop to frame this iconic classic.

[GarbanzoNegro]

Hi again!