Why Watch Collectors Will Crawl Over Broken Glass To See a Milsub In Person?

The story starts over 50 years ago. The British MOD (Ministry of Defense) knocked on Rolex’s door and asked them for their best dive watch.

Not any dive watch. A watch reliable and sturdy enough for their new division of underwater combatants. A self­assured Rolex gave them 50 off­the­shelf Submariners to test out. After extensive field­testing, the MOD brought back 50 "well­used" watches.

That satisfied the MOD­ and they needed only a handful of alterations. Rolex made the requested changes to 1200 Submariners.

How Do Milsubs Differ From Civilian Submariners?

1. Milsubs used a larger bezel with a more aggressive "serrated" edge. This made it easier for divers to grip while wearing gloves. Off the shelf bezels had "coin" edges which Navy divers found difficult to turn with gloves.

2. Milsubs swapped the "Mercedes­style" hands for the thicker "sword and gladiator" hands. The hands were more robust, held more lume and were easier to read underwater.

3. Milsubs had a modified bezel insert to have hash marks on the full 60­minutes, rather than the first 15.

4. Rolex replaced the metal bracelet with a nylon NATO strap. They also replaced the spring bars with soldered­in bars. These changes made it impossible for a Milsub to leave the wrist.

These changes are what separates off the shelf Submariners from Milsubs. To some, it considered a rarity to have an off­the­shelf Rolex. But seeing a real Milsub is like seeing a steel penny. Nah. More like finding El Dorado! Basically impossible... a "myth".

Rolex made only 1200 Milsubs in the 70's and less than 180 exist today.

Rolex manufactured Milsubs for military use. Never made available to civilians. Clearance divers who engaged in mine clearing used these Milsubs. Milsubs were also used by the Special Boat Service. Special Forces soldiers are not famous for "taking it easy" on their equipment.

Most of the 1200 watches have been either lost or destroyed long ago. Only a handful lasted these last 50 years. They weren't worth $100,000 back then. Divers treated them as if they were modern­day G­Shocks. The scarcity of the Milsub is why they change hands at auction for $100,000...$150,000... $181,000 and more!

What If You Desire the Milsub's Aesthetic, But Don't Have $181,000 To Spend?

Now you don’t have too! We re­created the Mil­Sub for people with a fetish for military watches but don’t want to spend six figures on a watch. In our opinion, its the most true­to­original homage you can get for the money. Virtually exact in every measurement... dimension... weight... water resistance.

Does It Have a Stainless Steel Case Like The Original? Yes.

No ordinary “pot metal” stainless steel for the case. No, the Recon Mil­Sub’s case is genuine 316L stainless steel­ as Rolex used on their Milsub. It measures 13mm thick­ like the original. It weighs virtually identical­ down to the gram. And with the classic bezel diameter­ most men can wear it without it being too "blingy" or too clunky. It’s actually a very comfortable tool watch to wear.

Does It Have The "Maxi" Dial Like The Original? Yes

Milsubs have what's called the Maxi­Dial. This means the dial has enlarged the geometric markings (the dots, hash marks, and triangle). The only difference between the Rolex and Recon dial is the lume material. Radioactive Tritium they used back in the day is not available today. The Recon’s dial uses the top­grade luminous. Each hour indicator that define the dial is bolder than other Rolex. The black color is a dead­on match.

Does It Have a Stainless Steel Case Like The Original? Yes.

As accurate as the Recon Mil­Sub is, a genuine Rolex movement was not used. The cost of using the Rolex movement would skyrocket the price of this watch. But what is a movement's most important task? It's accuracy. The Swiss movement in the Recon is "regulated".

This makes it much more accurate than even the best current­day Rolex movements. The best 2020 Rolex will be off about 2 seconds per day. And that's amazing considering most watches are 4­6 seconds off per day.

Now consider the Swiss "hacking" movement used in the Recon Mil­Sub is accurate to -.3/+.7 seconds per day. Thank you modern technology! We went with crystal regulation in this movement for unheard­of accuracy. Accuracy not obtainable from today’s 2020's Rolexes, let alone beat­up old 1970's models!

Does the Recon Have The Graduated 60-­Minute Bezel Like The Original? Yes.

Off­the­shelf Rolex Submariners have minute markers for the first 15 minutes. Milsubs had minute "hash" marks for each of the 60­minutes on the rotating bezel. What's the purpose of the rotating bezel with minute markers?

Divers need to track diving time and decompression stops. That's the main purpose of the dive watch. What they do is rotate the bezel's lumed triangle to align with the minute hands current position. As the minute hand rotates around the dial, the bezel tracks how much time has elapsed for up to an hour. While you may not use the bezel to measure dive times, you could! You may find yourself using it to measure more civilian tasks.

Tasks like measuring your lunch break or the time you spent on the treadmill this morning. The edge of the bezel has a serrated grip that is easy to grasp and stays true to the Milsub look. Turning the bezel is a genuine pleasure. Each click reassures you of this great investment every time you turn it. The mechanism has much resistance to it. It won't budge without intentional force but is not so stiff to be impractical. And when you turn it, the snap of the bezel locking into place is sublime; it’s actually quite loud.

Does the Recon Have The Graduated 60-­Minute Bezel Like The Original? Yes.

Even to this day, Rolex uses what's known as the "Mercedes­style" hands­on their watches. The Ministry of Defense wanted an easier to read handset for their Milsub. So they had Rolex remove the off­the­shelf Submariner hands.

They replaced them with meatier "sword and gladiator" hands. Then they exchanged the second's hand to one with an arrow at its end. The fat hour hand of our Recon is a great visual detail. It shows this watch is not only accurate; it adds that military look. And that separates the Milsub from the civilian models.

These larger hands can even hold more luminescent paint on them. The handset on the Recon MilSub is a virtually identical recreation of the 1970's handset. They would use the same hands used on the Recon Mil­Sub as replacement hands on genuine $100,000 Rolex Mil­Subs!

How About 200/m Water Resistance Like The Original? Of Course.

While your Mil­Sub may never see water deeper than a shower or a swimming pool... it's nice to know your watch is a real tool watch and has 200/m water resistance. The original Milsubs from Rolex were good for 200 meters. So is this Recon Mil­Sub.

You can use this watch for diving, no different than how the originals were. The military wore these watches hard. Great lengths we traveled to make this Mil­Sub a genuine "tool" watch. This is not an homage in appearance only. It dives deep in water... but not in your pocket.

Swiss­Made Movement For Under $400..TODAY $130!

Swiss watch companies have only a handful of suppliers to work with. Case makers, crystal makers, dial makers, movement makers. We all use pretty much the same contract manufacturers. The glass a crystal supplier made for our $197 Mil­Sub also goes in other's $10,000 watches. The Recon Mil­Sub uses 316L stainless steel... the identical material used in $10,000… $20,000… even $30,000 watches today.

$30,000? Yes, 316L is the same material used in the Patek Phillipe Nautilus. That's a $30,000 watch. The same grade stainless steel! Ditto for the dial, the bezel, the crystal. The main thing you're paying for with $10,000 dive watches is the brand name and a fancy leather box. Our Mil­Sub uses the same metals, the same glass, everything is the same only it’s $147 today.

What Kind Of Man Wears a Watch Like This?

We’ll come right out and say it… This is not a watch for sissies. It's for guys who are fearless. Guys who have courage. Guys not scared to take a risk in life. Adventure­seekers. Guys who don't take crap from anyone. Guys who want to wear a watch that best describes their character. Confident. Astute. Educated.

Who needs one? Few. Who wants one? Everyone. Other guys will admire this watch in pure envy. It's masculine. It's attractive. The number of women who compliment it will astonish you too. It may have you wondering, is it me or is it the watch? In the end, does it even matter? No. Enjoy the newfound attention and admiration.

How’s It Feel On The Wrist?

The biggest drawback to this watch is you're not going to stop wearing it. You'll dread having to turn in for the night. You may find yourself sleeping with it on! The other watches in your collection are going to start gathering dust.

Trust me, you'll see! I don't know if it's the weight of the Mil­Sub. Or the polished 316L stainless steel case? Or is it the unique "sword and gladiator hands"? Whatever it is, it's a hard watch to take off. You'll find yourself reaching for this Mil­Sub every morning... even if you own $10,000 Submariners made by Rolex.

Risk Free 30­day On­Wrist Evaluation Period

Look, you can see from the photos on this website that this is a high-quality watch. But to be 100% sure you want this watch… you need to feel its high-quality in your own hands. You need to strap it on your wrist. Play with the features. Wear it to work, at a night on the town or even the gym. Swim with it. Dive for treasures. Treat it as your own.

If after a full month, you are not 100% thrilled with the Recon Milsub – send it back and we’ll refund your money. No questions asked. No fine print. No hassle.

There’s no way you can lose, other than missing out on this deal! You’ll be kicking yourself for years to come if you miss out on the action. Don’t be that “I should have” kind of indecisive guy… take action and get one today, before someone else beats you to it!

Here’s What You Do Now

See the big button below? Click it and you’ll be taken to our 100% secure form where you can type in your shipping information. Once I get that… I’ll box up your Mil-Sub and drop it off at the post office.

But, you have to hurry! I only have a few boxes of inventory and once they are gone… offer is over. So if you want one or even think you might… click the button below now and get in on the action now! Do it now while you’re thinking about…it makes no sense to pay $300 more later.

Price: $379… Only $147. That’s a $268 saving! You can review your order before placing it on the next page. Limit 3 per customer. No brokers, resellers or purchasing agents at this special price. End users only. No exceptions! Sales price guaranteed until December 2, 2024 or until we're out of inventory.

Thank you,

Ron Adams
Vice President
Recon Watch Company

P.S: Do you like the watch but still aren’t sure if you want to order now? No problem, order now at the discounted price and take a full month to decide if you want it or not. Wear it to work, the gym, the range- treat it as your own. If you’re not totally blow away by it… give us a call or send a quick email and we’ll arrange a full refund. This way you’re not deciding anything for sure right now… you’re just taking it for a 30 day risk-free test drive. Doing that makes a helluva lot more sense than coming back and paying double later. Hit the 'add to cart' button above now to get in on the action and savings.