Why the Rolex Submariner 124060 Is the Perfect All-Rounder

By the Man of the Hour Editorial Team

The appeal of doing less

The Rolex Submariner 124060 is defined as much by what it leaves out as by what it includes. There is no date window and therefore no Cyclops lens interrupting the crystal. The black dial, black bezel and steel case carry almost all of the visual weight. It is a simple arrangement, but simplicity is precisely what allows this Submariner to move between different parts of a wardrobe without looking as though it has wandered into the wrong room.

This is not an argument that every watch collection needs a Submariner, or that the 124060 is the only version worth considering. It is an explanation of why this exact reference works so well as a single everyday watch. Its design is clear, its diving credentials are genuine and its lack of extra display information gives it an unusual degree of visual calm.

The important word is “exact”. Submariners with different bezels, metals and dial layouts can produce very different impressions. Treating the whole collection as one interchangeable object weakens any useful recommendation. The 124060 makes the cleanest case for versatility because its black, steel and no-date specification removes almost every decorative complication from the equation.

One dial, one purpose

Rolex identifies the watch as reference 124060, model m124060-0001. It has a black dial, a black Cerachrom bezel and a 41 mm Oystersteel case. Those details matter because the Submariner family contains enough variations to make a vague image search unreliable. A green bezel, a date display or a two-tone case may still belong to the family, but it is not the watch under discussion.

On the 124060, the hour markers and hands have room to work without competing with a calendar display. That symmetry is one reason the watch looks so settled. The broad hands, geometric markers and luminous Chromalight display are rooted in underwater legibility, yet the same clarity is useful everywhere else. Nothing needs to be decoded at a glance.

Built as a dive watch

The all-rounder argument only works because the Submariner remains a proper dive watch rather than a sports watch borrowing aquatic styling. Rolex specifies water resistance to 300 metres, a Triplock screw-down crown and a unidirectional bezel. The Cerachrom insert is designed to resist scratching, while the graduated scale provides a direct way to track elapsed time.

Most owners will never approach the limits implied by those specifications. That does not make them pointless. Robust construction gives the watch a wide operating margin for travel, swimming and ordinary accidents. The important distinction is that the engineering supports the design instead of turning the watch into an oversized technical instrument.

Calibre 3230

Inside the 124060 is Rolex calibre 3230. Rolex states a power reserve of approximately 70 hours and precision of minus two to plus two seconds per day after casing. A reserve of almost three days is particularly useful in a watch that may share time with others: it can be set aside for much of a weekend without necessarily stopping.

The movement is part of the reason the 124060 feels modern despite its conservative appearance. The watch does not advertise its mechanics on the dial, and there is no display case back asking for attention. Its technical case is made through performance, reserve and the confidence to keep the exterior uncomplicated.

The bracelet makes the case

A versatile watch depends heavily on the part that actually holds it to the wrist. The Oyster bracelet uses an Oysterlock safety clasp and Rolex’s Glidelock extension system. Glidelock allows the bracelet length to be adjusted without a tool, which is useful well beyond its original purpose of accommodating a diving suit.

The bracelet also keeps the appearance coherent. Brushed Oystersteel links continue the practical character of the case, while the clasp gives the watch a secure, engineered finish. A strap change can alter almost any sports watch, but the 124060 makes its strongest visual argument on the bracelet designed with it.

Where it does not fit

Calling the Submariner an all-rounder should not become an excuse to ignore its limits. A 41 mm steel dive watch still has physical presence, and someone who prefers a small dress watch will not mistake it for one. The lack of a date is attractive to some buyers and inconvenient to others. Its familiarity can also work against it for anyone looking for something less recognisable.

Price and availability require a current check with Rolex or an authorised retailer rather than a guess. The 124060 should not be recommended on the assumption that it is easy to buy at a particular figure. The argument here is about the design and specification of the watch itself, not the purchasing experience around it.

Why the 124060 works

The Submariner 124060 succeeds because its different qualities reinforce one another. The no-date dial improves symmetry. The black-and-steel palette makes the watch easy to pair. The bracelet and clasp support everyday use, while the diving specification gives it far more capability than ordinary life demands. None of those qualities needs an invented lifestyle story.

A true all-rounder is not a watch that becomes invisible in every situation. It is one that remains convincing across enough situations that choosing it rarely feels like a compromise. The 124060 cannot replace every kind of watch, but as a single robust mechanical watch with a clear identity, it is exceptionally difficult to wrong-foot.

That restraint also gives the design room to age. Colour trends and extra functions can date a watch quickly; the 124060 relies instead on proportion, contrast and a recognisable tool-watch layout. Whether that familiarity feels reassuring or too obvious is personal, but it is central to understanding why the reference remains such a persuasive one-watch proposition.