One fateful night back in 2014 while watching ‘Live and let die’, I made the decision to buy a Rolex Submariner. As an avid scuba diver I have always been drawn to dive watches with a clean aesthetic that can be worn everyday. I settled on the Rolex Submariner 14060 manufactured in 1990 for the reasonable price of £3500 and I have never looked back.

The model drew me in with its two lines of dial text, resembling the reference 5513. Although the movement isn’t chronometer certified, it is very accurate, reliable and easily serviced. The bracelet leaves something to be desired as it feels very tinny which isn’t helped by the hollow endlinks. The diver extension almost always falls out. This isn’t a problem for people who buy these for the neo-vintage charm but certainly is a drawback if you are diving with the watch regularly. The tritium hands and hour markers have long since faded which can make it difficult to read in the dark but I’m sure in time will turn to a nice custard colour. One of the better features is the holes case, dropped by Rolex in 2003. It makes for very easy strap changes, which can be a lot of fun and makes the watch very versatile. I personally wear the watch on a grey nato strap most of the time as it dresses the watch down and also lowers the risk of losing the watch if one of the spring bars were to fail.

I travel regularly and have enjoyed the peace of mind that comes with never having to take the watch off my wrist. Nothing ruins a spontaneous dip in the ocean like having to keep an eye on your precious possession by the shore.

To me the Rolex Submariner 14060 is the best of the sapphire submariners and one of the last great tool watches. However, with an over-inflated price tag of around £8000, compared to what I bought it for 6 years ago, I would give it a miss today. There are simply better watches out there for less!