rolex military watch

Rolex Military Watch - Strictly speaking, Rolex's long and extremely successful association with the world's military forces dates back to the 1930s. The brand had already changed the entire direction of the wristwatch with its invention of the Oyster case the previous decade, which instantly transformed them into delicate accessories worn only by women into sturdy, elastic tools suitable for an active call of duty. From then on, the rugged build quality and reliability of Rolex watches such as the Submariner and Rolex GMT-Master made them go-to choices for the military for decades to come.

In the years leading up to World War II, a small Italian watchmaker called Panerai, who had been supplying his country's navy with high-precision instruments since the turn of the century, was tasked with issuing frogman commands of First Submarine Group Command equipped with a watch to wear during underwater demolition operations. Panerai immediately turned to Rolex and its waterproof case, and together formed the ref. 3646 - the first reference of what would become the Radiomir, named after the luminous material that Panerai had patented to allow the watch to read the depths.

Rolex Military Watch

The watches might have Panerai on the dial, but they carried a Rolex movement (the Cal. 618), were assembled by Rolex, and had the hallmark of the Oyster case to thank for its water resistance. A great success, the two worked together to supply the watches to the Italian army until 1956.

Best Military And Tactical Watches: A Complete Guide For 2023

By the time war broke out in Europe, Rolex had already established itself as the manufacturer of extremely durable and reliable watches. Their watches had accompanied the Houston Expedition - the very first flight over Mount Everest in 1933, and were also worn by Sir Malcolm Campbell during his chilling land speed record attempts at Daytona Beach, Florida, between others. Since Switzerland's neutrality was guaranteed by the Treaty of Paris in 1815, members of the Swiss watch industry were happy to supply both sides of the conflict, that is, all but one.

Although Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf was German by birth, his condemnation of Hitler's Fascist government was unwavering and he gave his company's full support to the Allied forces. Wilsdorf even sent watches to soldiers captured in POW camps to replace those their guards had seized, with the instruction that officers not "even think about payment" until they got home in completely safe.

A particular favorite of these models was the ref. 3525, an early attempt at a chronograph, with a Valjoux movement and monobloc construction which earned it the nickname "Monoblocco". Prized above all for its precision, it became instrumental in the mass escape from Stalag Luft III in 1944, the subject of the classic film

But it was air warfare that really came of age during WWII, and the new breed of military airmen, particularly in the British RAF, adopted Rolex as their watch of choice. Before the outbreak of war, pilots had already begun buying Oyster models out of pocket, preferring their larger size and greater readability. After their valiant defense of the United Kingdom in the Battle of Britain in 1940, Wilsdorf ordered a series of "Air" models especially for airmen. Simple three-hand-wound pieces, they were given names such as the Air-Tiger, Air Lion, Air-Giant and, one that is still known today, the Air-King.

Rolex Royal Navy Milsub

If you look at the Rolex Air-King, you'll notice that it was the only one still made in 1945, and has remained in production (with a few years from early 2014) until today.

1945 was also the year that Rolex celebrated its 40th anniversary, and to celebrate, they launched an all-new groundbreaking model. The Datejust was the world's first self-winding waterproof wristwatch that displayed the date through a window on the dial.

In 1953, Rolex introduced another piece that would eventually join the Datejust family, known as the Turn-O-Graph. However, the first reference bore a striking resemblance to a certain diver's watch about to hit the pits, featuring the first Rolex rotating bezel ever put into mass production. The mobile environment provided a simple way to measure and record time, which quickly brought it to the attention of the US Air Force Aerobatic Squadron. Known as the Thunderbirds, the group adopted the Turn-O-Graph as their official watch, and Rolex named the watch after them for the North American market.

Yet, although it recorded a number of firsts - other than the bezel, it can lay claim to being the brand's first sanctioned military watch, its first true tool watch, and the first to be launched in a Rolesor combination of gold and steel - the Turn - O-Graph struggled to find an audience and fell behind others in the collection. This would last until 2011, when Rolex finally pulled the plug and the 58-year run of the Turn-O-Graph came to an end.

Field Ready: The Complicated Story Of The Simple Field Watch

And it's the one that comes to mind when the words "Rolex" and "military" are mentioned. Released just a year after the Turn-O-Graph, but intended for far greater things, the Submariner was selected by the British Ministry of Defense as the Royal Navy's new issue in 1954. Rolex sent around 50 examples of the ref. 6538 (aka the Big Crown Sub, aka the Bond Sub - I think they all are) for field testing, eventually reporting back in 1957.

Proof of the flawless design and engineering of the world's favorite diver's watch, only two general modifications were needed to bring the civilian version up to specification. The spring bars were a potential weak point, so Rolex welded a strong bar between the lugs to hold the NATO nylon strap. And the rim has been widened to hang over the edges of the case, making it easier to rotate while wearing gloves. They also changed the earlier coin-style edge to the serrated edge we know today and forged it from German nickel silver instead of brass so it dents on impact instead of snapping. to break.

The changes were so minor that they didn't even warrant a new reference number, and these watches were simply classified as the A/6538. It became the first of four so-called MilSubs, the highest grail of grail watches for many collectors. These originals served until 1967, when the MOD followed the same path as James Bond himself and switched to Omega. However, the Seamaster 300 only lasted until 1971 before the Submariner returned.

The UK Special Forces regiments (the SAS and SBS) took delivery of approximately 1,200 examples based on the ref. 5513. All more or less identical, the watches, with the reference numbers 5513, 5517, and the double reference 5513/5517, introduced some additional adjustments on the A/6538.

Rolex Rare G.s. Mk Ii British Military Pocket Watch, Circa 1940's.

The bezel, now stainless steel with an aluminum insert, has hash marks for the full 60 minutes instead of the first 15 like on the commercially available Submariner. The Mercedes-style handset was replaced with a pair of 'Sword' or 'Gladiator' hands, and the seconds hand received an arrowhead. A small letter "T" in a circle above the six o'clock index indicated the use of radioactive tritium for the luminescence of the dial and hands. And the bottoms were engraved - 0552 for the Special Boat Service, W10 for the Special Air Service.

Of all the MilSubs made, only about 12 genuine examples of the A/6538 survive, and about 180 models of the other three. I specify “really” because, as you can imagine, the prices of these ultra-rare and historically fascinating pieces are exorbitant; something that is all too tempting to the counterfeiters of the world. Converting an ordinary Submariner into an extremely valuable MilSub isn't that difficult, and more than a few buyers have been duped. See one for sale? Ask lots of questions.

MilSubs were retired in 1979, but Rolex still remained the benchmark for many military forces. Elite units have been known to occasionally commission the manufacture of extremely limited editions of favorite timepieces, such as the Submariner and Explorer II pieces sent to the British Army's Special Reconnaissance Regiment.

Although Rolex is best known today as the ultimate in luxury, there is no denying that it still makes some of the best tool watches in the business.

Military Rolex Pocket Watch C1940

Paul is the founder and CEO of the company. He is responsible for all day-to-day buying, receiving, marketing and sales activities. Paul graduated from Boston College in 1979 and lives in California with his family., A bi-weekly column that highlights important and little-known watches with interesting stories and unexpected influence. This week: the Rolex Military Submariner.

If the Rolex Submariner is the most famous diver's watch, the Rolex Military Submariner, or MilSub, is the most famous military-issued diver's watch. What is now a highly sought-after piece of watch history – and one of the rarest collector's watches of all time – was once only Ministry of Defense Standard Equipment (MOD).

The British were one of the first armies to use divers for offensive wartime purposes, supplementing sustained reconnaissance and

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