I. Getting Started
What does the name Vaer mean?
Can I swim with my Vaer watch?
Are Vaer watches Made in USA?
Are Vaer watches any good?
What is a sapphire crystal in watches?
Quartz vs. Automatic Watches - What's the difference?
Where are Vaer watches assembled?
Where can I find a list of Vaer watch reviews?
How do you install a single-pass watch strap?
Can you manually wind an automatic movement?
How do I change the time?
What is a quartz watch & How does a quartz watch work?
What is an automatic watch?
What is Horween leather?
How do I change Vaer's quick release watch straps?
Why is Vaer's roulette date wheel only red on every 4th day?
What is the bezel in a watch?
What is a caseback in a watch?
What is the index on a watch?
What are the hands on a watch?
What are the differences between each watch collection?
II. Company Info
When was Vaer founded?
Where is Vaer located?
Is Vaer available in any retail stores?
What was the first Vaer watch?
Are Vaer watches homages?
III. Shipping, Warranty & Troubleshooting
What is the Vaer 2-Year Warranty?
What is the Vaer Return Policy?
My watch case scratched - is this normal?
My crown action feels “rough”, what does this mean?
If I order from outside the United States, will there be additional taxes or tariffs?
Is it possible to scratch sapphire crystal glass?
My automatic watch is gaining (or losing) more than 1 minute per day - what do I do?
Why is my package coming from Kansas City?
Why is my date changing at noon instead of midnight?
How long does Vaer Service take?
Why doesn’t my second hand hit directly on the markers?
What should I expect in terms of my automatic watch accuracy?
My package is marked as delivered, but I haven’t received it
My automatic watch is gaining (or losing) more than 1 minute per day - what do I do?
My watch is on Pre-Order, what does this mean?
Can I change the order information on my Vaer purchase after it is placed?
Can my spring bars be replaced or removed?
My package is lost, what do I do (with OrderProtection.com)
What are Vaer Shipping Details?
IV. Water Resistance
Are all Vaer watches waterproof?
How do water resistance ratings work in watches?
What does 3 ATM water resistance mean?
What does 5 ATM water resistance mean?
What does 10 ATM water resistance mean?
What does 20 ATM water resistance mean?
Can I swim in my Vaer Watch?
V. American Sourcing
What exactly is involved in Vaer's USA watch assembly?
Are Vaer watches actually Made in USA?
Where in the USA are Vaer watches assembled?
VI. Straps and Bracelets
What should I do if I lose my spring bars (or need spring bars)?
Why does the price change from collection page to product pages?
Why is there an extra length on my single pass strap?
What are Vaer's strap sizes?
What's the difference between the Vaer's premium and standard stainless steel bracelet?
What is the difference between the lined and unlined leather straps?
VII. Product Design & Features
IX. Product Catalog
X. Watch Knowledge
Watch Terms & Components
What is the mainspring in a watch?
What is a stem on a watch?
What is a hairspring in a watch?
What are the lugs on a watch?
What is the crown on a watch?
What is the dial on a watch?
What is a pallet fork in a watch?
What is lume on a watch?
What is a balance wheel in a watch?
What is an escapement in a watch?
What is the rotor in a watch?
What is a dive watch?
How does a manual watch work?
When was the first smartwatch invented?
What was the first dive watch?
When was the first watch invented?
When was the first quartz watch invented?
What does COSC certification in watches mean?
When was the first digital watch invented?
When was the first automatic watch invented?
When was the first meca-quartz watch invented?
How does an automatic watch work?
What is a chronograph watch?
When was the first solar watch invented?
How does a quartz watch work?
- All Categories
- X. Watch Knowledge
- What was the first dive watch?
What was the first dive watch?
Updated by Vaer Watches
The first dive watch is generally credited to the Rolex Submariner, which was introduced in 1953.
The Submariner was specifically designed for use by professional divers and featured a water-resistant case, a rotating bezel for tracking elapsed time, and highly legible hour markers and hands with luminous paint for visibility in low light conditions.
Other companies also began producing dive watches around the same time, including Blancpain with their Fifty Fathoms and Omega with their Seamaster. These early dive watches set the standard for what would become a highly specialized and popular category of watches.
While there were earlier waterproof watches designed for use by divers, such as the Rolex Oyster, these early models did not have the specific features and capabilities that would come to define the dive watch category.
How much money was the original Submariner?
The original 1953 Rolex Submariner was sold for a price of approximately £100 (British pounds) in the United Kingdom at the time of its release. This is equivalent to roughly $275 USD at the 1953 exchange rates.
Adjusted for inflation, that would make the price equivalent to $3,081.34 in 2023 dollars.
However, today, vintage 1953 Rolex Submariners are highly sought after by collectors and can sell for much higher prices depending on their condition and rarity. The value of a vintage 1953 Rolex Submariner can vary widely, but it is not uncommon for them to sell for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction or through private sales.