Rolex Submariner Desk Clock: The Real Desk Diver

Do you love the Rolex Submariner, but just found its classic 41mm diameter way, way too small? Like, about 39mm too small?  Have you looked at a barren corner of your desk and thought, Jeez, I wish my desktop had a jumbo-sized Submariner of its own, so people really know I’m about that Rolex Sub life? Well, if these questions have been keeping you up at night, I am here to deliver news of a possible solution to your problems. Though it didn’t get a ton of publicity (I think the Crown is saving its marketing campaigns for its wristwatches), Rolex quietly released its very first desk clock that is available for the general public. That’s right, you can now get your very own Submariner Date desk clock, given that a Rolex boutique near you has them in stock. 

Oddly enough, the Submariner Date desk clock marks the very first time Rolex has ever released a clock to the general public. You would have thought by now, the Crown would have a vintage archive of desk, wall, and other large-sized clocks somewhere in the heritage vault. I mean, just about every other major watchmaker with as much history as Rolex offered them throughout the 20th century, from Patek Philippe to Jaeger-LeCoultre and Omega to Longines and beyond. Even Bulova has an extensive repertoire of mid-century clocks, most significantly being its extensive array of mid-century clock radios (which you can find plenty of second-hand). But that isn’t to say that Rolex never explored making clocks – the Crown just didn’t make them for the general public. Rolex clocks were limited to display and commemorative clocks for its boutiques, and were gifted to VIP clients and internally on the corporate end for employees.

Image: Sotheby's

But now, all that has changed, and you can consider your dreams of owning a jumbo Rolex Submariner on the path to coming true. Measuring a whopping 80mm in diameter, the Submariner desk clock reimagines one of the most iconic watch designs of all time for your desk top. Or nightstand. Or any flat surface big enough to display this thing proudly. For the case that houses this clock, Rolex is calling its desktop Submariner redesign a Hemispherical case. Essentially, it’s broken up into two independent parts. The Submariner clock piece nestles and snaps into its rounded base, and allows you to swivel and orient the clock in your desired direction.

Image: Bezel

You might have already noticed, but the Submariner Desk Clock doesn’t have a visible crown in sight. To set the timekeeping and calendar functions (more on that later), you actually pop out the clock from its base. Seems like a pretty fun party trick to me. On the caseback (if we can really call it that), you’ll find the crown sitting on a heighty crown tube. But here comes another twist: as you pull out the crown, the LCD display activates, showing the relevant date, month, and year. Yep, this clock mixes in the analog with the digital, thanks to the newly developed ana-digi Rolex Caliber 8335, which keeps things ticking. 

Image: Bezel

So, pivoting back to the calendar functionality. While the Submariner’s signature Cyclops date window looks as we’d expect it to, positioned right at the three o’clock position, what’s working below the surface has a lot more than first impressions might suggest. Thanks to the aforementioned Caliber 8335, the Submariner Desk Clock is equipped with a secular calendar complication, which, as it turns out, is an upgrade even from a perpetual calendar. Whereas, even accounting for leap years, in theory, you’d have to correct a perpetual calendar (which utilizes a Gregorian calendar) every 100 years, the secular calendar doesn’t have to be touched until the year 2400. Though, unless there is some massive scientific breakthrough still yet on the horizon, we won’t be able to test this accuracy, as Rolex details, the secular calendar within the Submariner desk clock will correctly keep the date for a whopping 400 years. I don’t think the battery module will last nearly that long, so maybe brace yourself for changing that within the next century or so. 

Image: Bezel

In addition to the obvious difference in size, there are a few more subtle differences between the first Rolex clock and the Submariner we already know and love. First, and most importantly, being that, despite being made in the image of one of the most iconic dive watches of all time, the new Rolex clock is not capable of handling any swimming, diving, or even spills. It’s not waterproof in the slightest, which is, in my opinion, kind of a bummer. The bezel on the Submariner desk clock is something of a fakeout. While it is made out of the Crown’s Cerachrom and even has a luminous pip, the bezel is, in fact, fixed. I think for fidgeting purposes, it would have been a cool touch if you could actually rotate the dive bezel. Materially speaking, this Rolex clock is also made out of the more run-of-the-mill 316L steel, rather than the 904L stainless steel we typically see used by the Crown. 

So, if you’ve always wanted a Rolex clock of your own, you can now get a Submariner desk clock for the price of $10,270. Yep, you read that right, this thing costs just about as much as the wrist-bound Submariner Date that it's modeled after. Outrageous as it might be, apparently, the first Rolex clock has already begun to accumulate quite the waiting list and has even sold well above the retail price at auction. Personally, I’m feeling more inspired to low-ball an eBay offer for a vintage Bulova clock radio, in working condition, of course. You can learn more at rolex.com