There is no doubt Rolex is one of the most recognisable luxury brands in the world. The Rolex Submariner is an iconic timepiece that has been imitated by many watch manufacturers over a long period. The Submariner was first showcased at the 1954 Basel Watch Fair so whilst not a super old design, the Submariner has plenty of history to draw upon.

The oyster perpetual description relates to both the case and the automatic movement. The oyster is the first waterproof watch Rolex ever manufactured based on the design of Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret referring to the screw-back rear case, screw-down crown, rubber seals with the crystal forming a watertight seal as the pressure forces the crystal against an internal lip. Apparently the original oyster watches had a screw-down bezel but this appears to be a superseded design now.

Apparently, legend has it that the term oyster originated from Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf believing a real oyster was sealed so tight that debris from the sea floor is unable to penetrate the inside of the shell. An oyster key is required to get into these watches with only authorised Rolex certified repairers allowed to service the watch.

The perpetual refers to the self-winding mechanical movement driven by a coiled rotor spring encased in the Oyster water resistant case. This mechanism consists of a half moon-shaped oscillating weight rotating in both directions on its axis driven by the movement of the wearer. This maintains the mainspring under a continuous tension providing the watch with a stable and constant energy source.

French commercial diving company COMEX adapted the Submariner and the Sea Dweller as standard issue saturation diver timepieces beginning in the 1960s to the sale of the company. It is somewhat ironic that a luxury brand built its reputation on working class origins with saturation divers issued the watches for free.