Rolex Submariner
The Submariner is Rolex's dive-watch family, with an elapsed-time bezel and versions with and without a date. Introduced in 1953, the line includes early watches without crown guards, acrylic-crystal models such as the 5512 and 5513, and later sapphire-crystal references. The ceramic-bezel generation began with gold models in 2008.
Common entry points
Early models without crown guards
Early references differ in crown size, depth rating, hands and dial layout. The early family page compares the 6204, 6205, 6200, 6536, 6536/1 and 6538.
| Reference | Production | Movement | Depth | Case | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6204 | 1953–1954 | A260 | 100m | 36mm SS | First Submariner |
| 6205 | 1953–1954 | A296 | 100m | 36mm SS | Parallel early production; minor case/dial variations |
| 6200 | 1953–1954 | A296 | 200m | 36mm SS | "King Sub" — oversized 8mm crown, Explorer dial option |
| 6536 | 1954–1958 | A296/1030 | 100m | 36mm SS | Transitional; smaller crown, Mercedes hands |
| 6538 | 1957–1960 | 1030 | 200m | 38mm SS | James Bond Sub (Connery); large crown, no crown guards |
Acrylic models (1958–1990)
The 5512 introduced crown guards in 1959. Later 5512 production used chronometer movements, while the 5513 remained the non-chronometer model. Rolex dates the introduction of the Submariner Date to 1969. The 5512, 5513, 5514, and 5517 are tracked together on the 5xxx-family page.
| Reference | Production | Movement | Type | Case | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-date | |||||
| 5508 | 1958–1962 | 1530 | No-date | 38mm SS | Last pre-crown-guard no-date |
| 5510 | 1958–1960 | 1530 | No-date | 38mm SS | 8mm crown; no crown guards (Phillips) |
| 5512 | 1959–1980 | 1530/1560/1570 | No-date | 40mm SS | Crown guards; gilt and matte dials; early and later movement variants |
| 5513 | ~1962–1989 | 1520/1530 | No-date | 40mm SS | Non-chronometer; gilt, matte and later glossy dials |
| 5514 | 1960–1978 | 1520 | No-date | 40mm SS | COMEX; helium escape valve |
| 5517 | 1972–1979 | 1520 | No-date | 40mm SS | British Military; MOD markings, fixed spring bars |
| Date | |||||
| 1680 | 1969–1979 | 1575 | Date | 40mm SS | First date Sub; Red Sub (6 marks) and White Sub eras |
Five-digit era (1979–2012)
Five-digit references use sapphire crystals. Date models moved from caliber 3035 to 3135; the no-date 14060 and 14060M use calibers 3000 and 3130. Steel, two-tone and yellow-gold versions appear in the table below. Gold Submariners predate this generation: Rolex introduced one in 1969.
| Reference | Production | Movement | Type | Case | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-date (steel) | |||||
| 14060 | 1990–2000 | 3000 | No-date | 40mm SS | Sapphire crystal, caliber 3000 |
| 14060M | 2000–2012 | 3130 | No-date | 40mm SS | Caliber 3130 replaces the 14060's caliber 3000 |
| Date (steel) | |||||
| 16800 | 1979–1986 | 3035 | Date | 40mm SS | Transitional; first sapphire crystal Sub Date |
| 16610 | 1987–2010 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS | Black dial and aluminium bezel insert; caliber 3135 |
| 16610LV | 2003–2010 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS | "Kermit" — first green bezel, 50th anniversary |
| Date (precious metal) | |||||
| 16803 | 1984–1988 | 3035 | Date | 40mm SS/YG | Two-tone; blue or black dial |
| 16808 | 1984–1988 | 3035 | Date | 40mm YG | Full 18k yellow gold |
| 16613 | 1988–2010 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS/YG | Two-tone successor to 16803 |
| 16618 | 1988–2010 | 3135 | Date | 40mm YG | Full gold successor to 16808 |
Ceramic era (2008–2020)
The 40mm ceramic generation began with the yellow-gold 116618 and white-gold 116619LB in 2008. Antiquorum offered a 116619 at its December 2008 sale. The two-tone 116613 followed in 2009, the steel 116610LN and 116610LV in 2010, and the no-date 114060 in 2012. These watches have Cerachrom ceramic bezel inserts and Glidelock bracelet adjustment. See Monochrome's chronology and Fratello's January 2010 report.
| Reference | Production | Movement | Type | Case | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-date | |||||
| 114060 | 2012–2020 | 3130 | No-date | 40mm SS | Ceramic bezel; enlarged luminous hour markers |
| Date (steel) | |||||
| 116610LN | 2010–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS | Cerachrom bezel, Glidelock bracelet |
| 116610LV | 2010–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS | "Hulk" — green dial + green ceramic bezel |
| Date (precious metal) | |||||
| 116613 | c.2009–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS/YG | Two-tone, Cerachrom |
| 116618 | 2008–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm YG | Full gold, Cerachrom |
| 116619LB | 2008–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm WG | "Smurf" — white gold, blue bezel |
41mm generation (from 2020)
Rolex introduced a 41mm case in 2020, with caliber 3230 in the no-date Submariner and caliber 3235 in the Submariner Date. Both changes appear in Rolex's 2020 chronology entry.
Special branches
Two institutional branches sit alongside the retail line. The COMEX program issued nine references (5513, 5514, 1680, 16800, 168000, 16610, 1665, 16660, 16600) to Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises in Marseille between 1971 and 1997 for saturation diving; the 5514 was built as a dedicated COMEX product, the rest are retail references modified or marked at supply. The MilSub is the British military configuration of the 5513 and 5517 issued to Royal Navy and Army units between roughly 1971 and 1979, with fixed bars, a fully graduated 60-minute bezel, sword hands, T SWISS T tritium dial, and broad-arrow caseback engraving.
Movement progression
| Caliber | Frequency | Power reserve | Used in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A260/A296 | — | — | 6204, 6205, 6200, 6536 | Pre-1530 era |
| 1030 | — | — | 6536 (late), 6538 | Used in references without crown guards |
| 1520 | 19,800 vph | — | 5513, 5514, 5517 | Non-chronometer path |
| 1530 | 18,000 vph | — | 5508, 5510, 5512 (early) | Used before and after crown guards appeared |
| 1560/1570 | 18,000/19,800 vph | — | 5512 | Chronometer path; hacking 1972 |
| 1575 | 19,800 vph | — | 1680 | Date complication |
| 3000 | 28,800 vph | 48 hr | 14060 | First modern no-date movement |
| 3035 | 28,800 vph | 48 hr | 16800, 16803, 16808 | First sapphire-crystal era date |
| 3130 | 28,800 vph | 48 hr | 14060M, 114060 | No-date |
| 3135 | 28,800 vph | 48 hr | 16610, 16610LV, 16613, 16618, 116610LN/LV, 116613, 116618, 116619LB | Date |
Related families
- Sea-Dweller — the deeper-rated sibling, helium escape valve, depth rating to 1,220m. Covers 1665, 16660, 16600, 116600.
- GMT-Master — the parallel sports line. Same case-era splits (acrylic, sapphire, ceramic), GMT hand instead of the Submariner's elapsed-time bezel.
- Explorer — same 1953 launch year as the 6204, a time-only dial and no elapsed-time bezel.
- Serial numbers by year — serial ranges and the limits of dating
- Movement reference — the calibers used across the Submariner line
- Bracelet & clasp guide — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes
Sources
- Submariner: From tool watch to icon — Rolex; dated historical milestones
- Reference 116619, lot 187 — Antiquorum, New York, 11 December 2008
- Rolex Submariner 116613 versus 16613 — Robert-Jan Broer, Fratello, 4 January 2010
- Reference 5510, lot 27 — Phillips, New York, 2021
- History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 1 — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
- History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2 — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
- History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 4 — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
- Submariner Collector's Guide — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
- Reference Points: The Rolex Submariner — Stephen Pulvirent, Hodinkee