Book Review:
ROLEX SUBMARINER STORY
Authors: Franca and Guido Mondani 
By: John B. Holbrook, II
August 8, 2009

The book “ROLEX SUBMARINER STORY” by Franca and Guido Mondani is the latest Rolex related publication to come from "Guido Mondani Editore" publishing.  While this isn't the first book Guido Mondani has done that's dedicated to the Rolex Submariner, it is the first which is in both Italian and English (he's previous volume was Italian-only).  I own and have reviewed several other books from Guido Mondani, including COLLECTING ROLEX GMT-MASTER WRISTWATCHES, and I've been looking forward to ROLEX SUBMARINER STORY since it was first announced as the Submariner is easily my favorite Rolex sport model.

The book is very narrow in focus but incredibly in depth with detail – it includes every Submariner and Sea-Dweller reference I’ve ever seen or heard about, and many, many examples of exceedingly rare and valuable vintage references which I’ve never before seen and many will never see in their lifetimes. There’s very little actual exposition or “story” in the book, so it’s a bit of a misnomer to call this book “THE ROLEX SUBMARINER STORY” – it’s a definitive reference guide more than anything else. The book jumps right in with the earliest known examples of the vaunted Submariner, and finishes with models which were just released at the most recent Baselworld watch fair - The Deep Sea Sea-Dweller. Each model examined has some explanatory text – in both English and Italian as in most Mondani books along with several gorgeous photos of each of the references examined.  Clearly this book is an absolute must-have guide for anyone who is serious about purchasing vintage Rolex diver models - the huge, detail photos from multiple angles take much of the guess work out of model identification and authentication. Contemporary models are given just as much detail as the vintage models as well, which is most welcome.

The book also has some nice reference tools at the end, such as this guide to Submariner bracelets:

It should be noted that THE ROLEX SUBMARINER STORY is considerably taller than previous Mondani volumes (which are already oversized “coffee table” sized books). This expanded size has both benefits and disadvantages. Of course, the larger size means that the photos in the book are larger and impart a bit more detail, which is nice - particular for those with aging eyes. However, the book doesn’t match my other Mondani books on the shelf of my office. In fact, I had to adjust the shelves of the book shelf in my office for the book to even fit on my book shelf (see below photo). This however is a minor quibble – many will appreciate the larger pictures and text which are afforded due to the book’s expanded size. I however would have preferred the book be in the same dimensions as the previous books which Mondani has published.

Mondani is the most prolific publisher of Rolex related books, and this latest volume does not disappoint .  THE ROLEX SUBMARINER STORY carries a price tag of € 420 - some may see that price as being inconceivable for book.  The reasons for the price are primarily the high production quality of Mondani books (beyond reproach) and the rather niche market they sell to.  If you're like me, and enjoy acquiring vintage watches, Mondani books easily pay for themselves by helping you avoid costly mistakes caused by buying accidentally purchasing counterfeit watches, or misidentified watches - a mistake which can cost thousands of dollars. Guido  THE ROLEX SUBMARINER STORY can be purchased from the COLLECTING WATCHES website by clicking here.