For the first time, Rolex has authorised a wide-ranging account and full history of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner watch, in the first of a series taking a deep dive into the watches of the iconic brand. Oyster Perpetual Submariner. The Watch That Unlocked The Deep, written by author, editor, and watch expert Nick Foulkes, is published by global design authority,Wallpaper*, which brings its sharp, cinematic eye to the project, creating new and original photography in collaboration with Rolex to run alongside testimonies from renowned witnesses to the Submariner’s illustrious 70-year history, including marine biologist Sylvia Earle, photographer David Doubilet, and aquanaut Dr Joe MacInnis – further highlighting the role this iconic timepiece continues to play in the exploration and protection of the marine environment.

Nicholas Foulkes is the author of around 40 books, many on watches, and others on subjects as diverse as the Battle of Waterloo and gambling in the 1840s. He has written biographies of Count d’Orsay, Bernard Buffet and Princess Ira von Fürstenberg. He is well known for his writing on material culture, the arts, jewellery and timepieces. Over the course of a career spanning four decades, he has contributed articles to numerous British and international newspapers, magazines and websites. A graduate of Hertford College Oxford, he lives in London with his wife; they have two adult sons.