(From Rolex.com)
Rolex has recently redefined the Submariner, shifting its official description from a legendary dive watch to “the archetype of tool watches dedicated to diving.”
Since the release of Rolex's only authorized account on the history of the Submariner last fall, the brand has leaned into the tool watch narrative, a sign it wants to further distinguish itself from digital technology.
Before November, Rolex's website barely mentioned the term “tool watch” on the Submariner's page; it was presented primarily as a diver’s watch, emphasizing its technical evolution since the model’s 1953 launch.
Now, as the Swiss watch industry faces growing competition from smartwatches with health-tracking features, Rolex is putting “tool watch” front and center again, reinforcing the idea its iconic model is more than just a luxury timepiece — it’s a versatile tool even for non-divers, designed to endure where digital obsolescence often falls short.
(From Rolex.com)
If this marketing shift is a harbinger of things to come, we might see future models steered back to functionality — a change from last year’s releases, which some criticized for drifting too far from Rolex’s tool watch roots.