Robert Redford (1936-2025) and his relationship with his cheap Rolex clone watches are almost as iconic as his film career – much like his ‘The Sting’ co-star Paul Newman and his Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona.
Known for wearing top replica Rolex Submariner 1680 watches in the 1972 classic All the President’s Men, Redford embodied the effortless blend of ruggedness and elegance that the Submariner was becoming as far back as the Sixties.
Playing Bob Woodward with Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein, it was rumoured that Redford was lent the Submariner for the film but, in fact, it was Redford’s own. He had worn it in the 1972 political comedy-thriller The Candidate and would sport it again in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman.
Unlike many celebrities who treat luxury China replica watches as accessories, Redford wore his Rolex as a tool – through decades of acting, directing, and his outdoor pursuits.
Today, his Swiss fake Rolex watches are remembered not just as a timepiece, but as an extension of Redford’s authenticity and enduring American style.
Production of the reference 1680 first began in 1966 and was the first Submariner to feature a date function at 3 o’clock, pairing it with the now-famous ‘Cyclops’ magnifier on the crystal.
The earliest of these models had the depth rating with metres positioned first, followed by feet rating (the sort of thing that really matters to Rolex collectors).
More famously, for over a decade the word ‘Submariner’ was depicted in red on the dial of the 1680 and as such has since earned the nickname of a ‘Single Red Submariner’ – almost as desirable to collectors as the fleeting ‘Double Red’ deep-sea-diving Sea-Dweller (the pre-1967 prototypes of which inspired the use of red for the Sub’).
Just last week, Bonhams’ London sale room offered a Single Red (above) with a fairly conservative estimate of £10,000-15,000. It fetched over £16,000.
Bearing in mind that Paul Newman’s ‘Own’ famed, eponymously nicknamed ‘Paul Newman’ high quality replica Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watches sold at Phillips in 2017 for $17.8 million, when vintage examples usually hammer for around $100,000?
All bets are off if and when Mr Redford’s personal number finds itself under the gavel…
It’s worth noting, however, that on screen, it wasn’t just his trusty Sub’: Redford has often worn his Doxa SUB 300T Sharkhunter (in Three Days of the Condor in 1975, below) and Victorinox Swiss Army (in 2001’s Spy Game).
Prior to the 1680, Submariners were no-date professional dive Rolex that epitomized Rolex’s utilitarian philosophy. With the 1680, best fake Rolex watches brought this ‘tool’ mentality into Hollywood and fashionista echelons – not to mention attracting a broader clientele who valued a bold statement but everyday practicality.
But while this enhancement improved legibility for everyday use – let alone conversational starters – it also drew criticism from purists who considered the addition non essential for a diver’s tool. (Aforementioned Rolex nerds, natch.)
Nevertheless, it cemented the AAA+ copy Submariner watches’ crossover appeal beyond professional divers, and spawned a taxonomy straddling many thousands of pub arguments; dial variations in font, spacing, and alignment … all prized by connoisseurs.
These variations, combined with natural patina from decades of use, mean that no two surviving examples are exactly alike.
Much as no actor will ever be like Robert Redford. Rest in peace.
