John Pacheco Blogs: James Bond Rolex

Bond: You expect me to talk Goldfinger?

Goldfinger: No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!

As a boy I saw the Rolex Submariner watch for the first time in the opening scenes of Goldfinger. In it, Sean Connery sets explosives at the bad guys’ base while in scuba gear, changes into white-dinner jacket, and then nonchalantly waits for the charges to go off. His clothing changed from commando-action-gear to sophisticate evening wear, but the watch remained the same; a Stainless Steel Rolex Submariner. I was hooked.

I’m not alone in this. If you carry on a conversation with a Submariner owner long enough, eventually you will hear some similar James Bond childhood influence.

The watch is about the size of an Oreo Cookie (40mm) and fits comfortably on the wrist despite its thickness. It’s water proof to 300 meters or 1,000 feet. (This means it can go places you can’t go.) It has a uni-directional black bezel to mark elapsed diving time. It also has an extension link on the stainless steel bracelet so that it can be worn over a wetsuit.

Most men will never use the diving features. (Lord knows I haven’t.)

What I do use frequently is the bezel, which is marked in minutes, to monitor elapsed time on flights or tasks. The glow-in-the-dark-face is also easy to read in low lighting situations.

Its technical specifications, while impressive, are of little relevance to aficionados. Instead, if you had to define its appeal in one blurb, it would this- the watch is manliness defined, period.

The watch is unaffected and masculine. It runs the gamut world wide. I’ve seen it on the wrist of a successful stockbroker in Manhatten; and I’ve seen it on the wrist of a bus driver in Rome. The Stainless Steel Submariner is the ultimate go-to-watch for a man. It can fit every occasion. It goes well with every outfit, every activity, and doesn't look ostentatious.

Aside from the basic stainless steel Submariner, there are also Submariner versions with yellow gold embellishments and blue faces, as well as a 50th anniversary model with a green bezel. As a purest, I’ve always held men who wear gold modified models as suspect. A man wanting an ornate dress watch would be better served to purchase a gold Oyster Perpetual Day Date or similar IWC, Patek Phillip, Zenith or Jaeger-LeCoultre offering. (And please don't get me started with the after-market-bling-jobs I've seen in which diamonds or other precious stones are added to the watch face. Trust me, they don't impress.)

As a point of humor on this, I was once in the middle of a software sales presentation with the owner of a business and his key subordinates, when one his lieutenants cut in, “I don’t know boss, this guy is wearing a Rolex. I think he’s going to take us downtown on the price.”

The owner replied, “No, No, it’s OK. It’s only stainless steel. It’s the jackasses with the gold ones that you have to worry about.”

John P.

Postscript-

OK let’s answer the basic question: Is the Rolex Submariner really a super 007 action watch? Is it in fact virtually indestructible? The evidence says yes. Remember it is stainless steel, and waterproof to 300 meters. That translates to about 433 pounds per square inch on not only the metal case, but the crystal as well.

However there are two caveats.

The first is that if you plan to use this watch for business wear, you need to be aware that the stainless steel on the Submariner will scratch, especially on the wrist bracelet. If you have nice things, you have to take care of them.

The second caveat is more important. Like Achilles, this watch does have a weakness – the winding crown. While screwed in place, the crown guard does a great job of protecting it, but while unscrewed (for winding or changing the time) it is the one delicate part of the watch you will come in contact with. Remember to treat it gently. This will save you the embarrassment and expense of an unnecessary repair.

An added benefit, chicks dig the watch

Labradors dig the watch too. When I can’t find my Submariner I know it’s because my Chocolate Lab “borrowed” it. (She is after all, a "watch dog.")

My Chocolate Lab is a little far-sighted resulting in nose prints on the crystal. Fortunately she periodically licks them off. (The watch reads 7 pm, that's really 2 am in dog time.)