death to the cyclops!
The title sound like it could be out of a "B" horror movie, but it's actually a growing trend within watch collecting circles.
The cyclops, or date magnifier has been an iconic identifier of Submariner styles throughout all brands, most notably Rolex. And the cyclops served a functional purpose, to make the small font used in the date wheel more legible.
Somewhere along the line, clean crystals started to become more desirable to watch collectors. Perhaps the prevailing thought, the crystal cyclops detracted somehow from the beauty of the dial. The desire to nix the cyclops was most likely further influenced by modders who change the attitude of a timepiece by changing-up the appearance of the dial and hands; the mod mavens certainly wouldn't want any part of their craft obscured by a magnified glob on the crystal.
For me, I still feel the cyclops remains a functional part of watch lore, and is the earmark of the classic submariner dive watch.
Many watch companies have begun to place the magnifier on the underside of the crystal, which offers the benefit of font magnification, while maintaining a cleaner look on the watch face.