Beyond Luxury: The Story of Rolex and the Navy SEALs

However, the close relationship between the U.S. Navy SEALs and Rolex began to change as technology and markets evolved. Over the subsequent decades, Rolex strategically repositioned itself as a premium luxury brand. The price of their watches skyrocketed, making them an impractical choice for a military that operates on a budget and needs to equip its personnel with gear that can be replaced if lost or destroyed. At the same time, the advent of digital technology brought about new generations of tactical timepieces. Modern-day divers no longer rely solely on a mechanical watch for tracking their time underwater. They are now equipped with highly advanced dive computers that can monitor depth, decompression stops, and even provide real-time data on gas mixtures, far surpassing the capabilities of any mechanical watch.