Everyone has had the experience of arriving home and realizing that something is missing. We’ve all lost a cap, sunglasses, or even a bag with beach stuff at some point. However, there are times when you lose something valuable, and believing that you’ve lost it forever is like suddenly having a heavy stone in your stomach. Thankfully, there are good Samaritans out there, especially good Samaritan divers.
This is the story of Logan Barnard, a diving instructor in Kauai, who was able to return one of his most precious possessions to someone who thought it was lost forever.
A costly dip in the Pacific Ocean
To tell the story, we have to go back in time: it was December 2023, on the south coast of Kauai. Gregory Geer, an old-school diver, decided to take a dip. He is one of those divers who has been practicing the sport for decades (he says he started in 1981). He describes diving as part of his personal folklore. In addition to his equipment, he always wore his Rolex Datejust 2002. This is not just any wristwatch, but the model that defined what a modern luxury watch for everyday use should be.
The Datejust made history when it was first launched in 1945. It was the first self-winding wristwatch with chronometer certification (meaning it was highly accurate) that displayed the date in a small window on the dial and changed instantly at midnight.
This Rolex is capable of being underwater thanks to its “Oyster case,” which is a watertight design. It works like a submarine hatch, only in miniature. In addition, starting in 2000, Rolex began using 904L stainless steel (Oystersteel). This steel is extremely resistant to corrosion, even in the most inhospitable environments, such as salt water.
Although it is not classified as a “sports watch,” it does come with a guarantee that it is water resistant to a depth of 333 feet.
Needless to say, you know how the story goes, right? When he reached the surface, Gregory instantly realized that his watch was missing. Unfortunately, he was unable to locate it on subsequent dives. He had no choice but to place an ad detailing the loss and offering a hefty bounty: $2,000 USD for the person who found his Rolex Datejust 2002.
Finding the long lost watch
It would be 20 months before anyone saw a metallic glint on the ocean floor off the coast of Kauai. In August 2025, diving instructor Logan Barnard was guiding a group near a buoy when he spotted something on the reef. Seeing the crown symbol on the watch, he realized immediately that he had found a Rolex.
The poor watch had survived almost two years underwater—its case and bracelet were intact—but the crystal had broken. When he came up to the surface and asked about the island, the other inhabitants remembered the reward notice.
Readers can imagine Gregory Greer’s surprise and joy in the Bahamas when he received a message saying, “We found your Rolex.” To top it off, Logan Barnard refused to accept any reward. Returning the watch to its rightful owner seemed like sufficient compensation to him. In his own words, “If I can make his day by returning this watch, that’s the priority.” The diving community often displays a level of integrity that should be replicated in the rest of society.
The poor Rolex Datejust 2002 will need a good spa session and repair at the service center. After all, after spending more than a year and a half under the sea—as if it were treasure from The Little Mermaid—it will need to be taken apart, cleaned, have its gaskets and crystal replaced, and be lubricated. What we do know is that it will once again shine on the wrist of its rightful owner.