Rolex 14060 Submariner
Submariner › 14060
The 14060 is the first sapphire-era no-date Submariner in the cited lineage, bridging the long-running 5513 (acrylic, 200m, no date) and the modern ceramic line. Specialist references place its production from 1989 to 1999, although some auction catalogues date individual examples to around 2001. Caliber 3000 carries 27 jewels and 28,800 vph with hacking seconds; there is no quickset because this reference has no date.
The depth rating rises from the 5513's 200m to 300m, with a Triplock crown replacing the earlier Twinlock arrangement. The 14060 keeps the two-line dial and all-black bezel used on this no-date generation. What moves across the production window is the lume — tritium, then Luminova, then Super-LumiNova. The 14060M replaces the reference in 1999 with the chronometer-rated caliber 3130.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 14060 |
| family | Submariner (no date) |
| production | 1989–1999 working span; some catalogues date individual examples later |
| case | 40mm Oyster with crown guards, sapphire crystal, Triplock crown — first sapphire-era no-date Sub |
| water resistance | 300m / 1000ft (up from the 5513's 200m / 660ft) |
| movement | caliber 3000, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, ~48-hour reserve, hacking seconds. No quickset (no date complication on this reference). Non-chronometer |
| dial | two-line throughout the run — "Submariner" + "300m=1000ft." Four-line OCC / SCOC text never appears on the 14060; that arrives only on the 14060M after 2007 |
| bezel | 24-hour bidirectional — all-black aluminium insert only |
| lume | tritium "T<25" through approximately 1997/98; a narrow "Swiss only" transition; later "Swiss Made" Luminova dials |
| bracelet | 93150 with 593 hollow end-links on cited early examples; 78360 and 501B service-end-link fitments also documented |
| successor | 14060M (1999 onward, COSC-rated caliber 3130, M-suffix indicates chronometer) |
No-date lineage and historical position
The 14060 closes the acrylic-crystal era of the no-date Submariner and opens the sapphire era. The 5513 (1962–1989, acrylic, 200m, caliber 1530 early on, 1520 for the long run) is the long predecessor; the 14060 carries the no-date position into the modern Sub case with a sapphire crystal, a Triplock crown and the 300m rating. It is the first no-date Submariner in the cited lineage documented with both sapphire crystal and a Triplock crown.
It is also the last no-date Submariner to ship without chronometer certification. The two-line dial reads "Submariner / 300m=1000ft" with none of the "Officially Certified Chronometer" wording the 14060M's caliber 3130 would go on to earn. The 14060 is the sapphire-era, non-chronometer no-date reference in this sequence.
Production outline
Production ran from 1989, replacing the 5513, through 1999, when the 14060M took over. Specialist coverage occasionally gives 1990, but 1989 is the dominant editorial reading and it matches the catalogue transition.
Tritium period (1989 to approximately 1997 / 1998)
"SWISS – T<25" at the bottom of the dial, tritium in the plots. The lume ages cream, then warm beige, then mustard depending on how much UV the watch has seen. Late-tritium U-serial examples from 1997 are represented in the cited auction and dealer records.
"Swiss only" transitional dial (approximately 1998)
A narrow window produced dials marked only "SWISS" at the bottom, with no T<25 and no SWISS MADE. The cited examples treat these as factory output from the lume changeover; their production share and service history are not established.
Luminova period (approximately 1998 to 1999)
"SWISS MADE" at the bottom, Luminova in place of tritium. The run continues into the 1999 transition to the 14060M and caliber 3130. Late P-serial Luminova examples are documented near the production tail; a serial or warranty date should not by itself be treated as an exact factory boundary.
Movement notes
Caliber 3000 carries 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, an approximately 48-hour reserve, and hacking seconds, and it is non-chronometer. It is the time-only sister to the 3035 and 3135 that run the date Submariners, and without a date complication there is no quickset. The architecture carries forward into the 14060M's caliber 3130 with chronometer regulation added and the no-date logic preserved.
The 14060 is a non-COSC reference. The "M" in 14060M is commonly expanded as "Modified" and marks the later caliber 3130 generation, which also received chronometer certification. The 14060 dial reads "Submariner / 300m=1000ft." The 14060M would later add the two "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" lines.
Dial map
Two-line standard layout throughout. The four-line dial — the two extra chronometer lines collectors abbreviate to OCC or SCOC — never appears on the 14060; that wording arrives only on the 14060M after 2007.
Early dials, 1989 to approximately 1997/98, carry "SWISS – T<25" tritium text and lume that ages to a cream-to-warm-beige patina. The narrow "Swiss only" run around 1998 shows just "SWISS" at the bottom. The cited examples treat this as factory output from the lume changeover; its frequency is not established. Later dials, around 1998–1999, switch to "SWISS MADE" and Luminova. The available sources do not establish the relative share of each late-run dial.
The dial wording stays "Submariner / 300m=1000ft" throughout. Applied indices with white-gold surrounds sit on a glossy black lacquer ground. Mercedes hour and minute hands pair with a lollipop seconds hand carrying a small luminous tip. A small subset of late-tritium and Luminova examples develop spider cracks in the glossy lacquer, a known formulation problem on the period dials.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
The case is the standard 40mm Submariner Oyster with crown guards in 904L stainless steel. The sapphire crystal sits flat over the dial without a Cyclops magnifier; the date Submariner references carry one, and the no-date 14060 has no date window to magnify.
The Triplock screw-down crown is the structural upgrade from the 5513's older Twinlock — three sealing points instead of two, which is what supports the 300m rating. The bezel is a 24-hour bidirectional aluminium insert in all-black only. The cited 14060 examples use an all-black aluminium insert; no coloured 14060 insert is documented in the reviewed sources.
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Case flank with the reference number stamped between the lugs -
Plain, unengraved caseback
Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes
Cited early-to-mid production examples use the Oyster 93150 with 593 hollow end-links, the same cross-family bracelet code used on the 5513, 1680, 16800 and early 16610. Later examples are shown with the Oyster 78360, a heavier bracelet with the same overall geometry as the 93150. SEL service end-links 501B replace the older 593 hollow end-links on service-era refits, so bracelet originality needs case-and-clasp-date verification rather than the end-link stamp alone.
The clasp-date code is the cleanest single bracelet-originality test. Folding Oyster clasps with stamped year codes appear on most documented examples, and a clasp dating later than the case head implies a swap or a service-era replacement.
Historical market and auction record
| Sale | Lot | Year of watch | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sotheby's | not stated | c.1995 | cal 3000 27j, folding Oyster clasp |
| Sotheby's "Class of 2019" | not stated | c.1997 | two-line tritium, sold 2019 |
| Sotheby's Watches 3 | not stated | c.2001 | late-run example |
| Antiquorum Geneva | 372/124 | 2024 | two-line full set with box and warranty |
| Phillips | not stated | 2022 | two-line tritium |
| Lot-Art / Catawiki | — | 2021 | c.1994 mid-run example |
| Lot-Art / Catawiki | — | 1990–1999 | "Swiss only" transitional dial — rare lume-window example |
The reviewed auction and dealer records show that condition, dial originality, accessories, and bracelet history affect asking prices. Dealer prices change over time and are not used here as a reference-wide band. A full set or matching clasp may help document a particular watch, but does not establish factory originality on its own.
Related references
- Submariner 16618: 1988–2009
- Submariner 16610: Date, Cal 3135 (1988–2010)
- Submariner 16613: 1989–2009
- Submariner 16613LB: 1989–2009
- Submariner 16613LN: 1989–2009
- Submariner 16803: 1984–1988
See also the Submariner family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.
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Rolex Submariner 14060, sapphire-era two-line dial -
14060 case flank and reference stamp
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14060 plain caseback
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78360 clasp interior documented on a 14060 bracelet
Sources
- History of the Rolex Submariner — Part 3, The Modern References — Tom Mulraney (Monochrome)
- The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide — Stephen Pulvirent (Sotheby's)
- The Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060 (Craft and Tailored journal)
- 52Mondayz: Rolex 14060 Submariner (Fratello)
- Hands-On: Submariner 14060M (Fratello)
- Rolex 14060 Review: Why This Vintage Submariner Still Shines
- The Rolex Submariner 14060 No Date: Complete History (Swiss Watch Trader)
- Rolex Submariner 14060 and 14060M Collector's Guide (Luxury Bazaar)
- Rolex Submariner 14060 reference page (Watchbase)
- Rolex Submariner 14060 Complete Guide (Millenary Watches)
- Rolex Bracelet Reference Numbers Guide (Millenary Watches)
- Submariner Reference 14060 c.1995 — Sotheby's immediate sale (Sotheby's)
- Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060 c.1997 — Sotheby's Class of 2019 (Sotheby's, 2019)
- Reference 14060 Submariner c.2001 — Sotheby's Watches 3 (Sotheby's, 2020)
- Rolex Ref. 14060 Submariner — Antiquorum Geneva lot 372/124 (Antiquorum, 2024)
- Rolex Submariner No Date "Swiss Only" Dial 14060 — Lot-Art / Catawiki (Lot-Art, 2019)
- 1998 Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060 unpolished (Craft and Tailored)
- 2000 Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060 P-Serial unpolished (Craft and Tailored)
- Rolex Submariner 14060 Two-Line Tritium Dial
- Rolex Submariner 14060 No-Date Two-Line Tritium U-Serial 1997 (Orologium)
- Rolex 93150 / 593 bracelet — fits 5513, 1680, 14060, 16800, 16610
- 593 endpiece / endlink reference for 93150 bracelet (Chrono-Shop)
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra