Rolex Submariner
The Submariner is Rolex's dive-watch family, with an elapsed-time bezel and versions with and without a date. Rolex dates its origin to 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. Periods below are approximate; the linked reference pages discuss conflicting dates and individual examples. SS means steel, YG yellow gold and WG white gold. The early family page compares the 6204, 6205, 6200, 6536, 6536/1 and 6538.
| Reference | Approximate period | Movement | Depth | Case | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6204 | 1953–1954 | A260 | 100m | Steel | Early pencil-style hands; gilt dials |
| 6205 | 1954–1955 | A260 | 100m | Steel | Dials with and without SUBMARINER; pencil or Mercedes hands |
| 6200 | Mid-1950s | A296 | 200m | Steel | 8mm crown and Explorer-style 3-6-9 dial |
| 6536 | Mid-to-late 1950s | 1030 | 100m | Steel | 6mm crown; compare the 6536/1 |
| 6536/1 | c.1955–1959 (Phillips) | 1030 | 100m | Steel | Small-crown model with the /1 reference marking |
| 6538 | c.1956–1959 | 1030 | 200m | Steel | 8mm crown; the reference associated with Sean Connery’s Bond |
Phillips identifies an A260 in its 1954 6205; Christie’s lists caliber 1030 for both 6536 and 6536/1. Phillips places the 6200’s launch in 1954; Hodinkee dates the reference to 1955–1956. Phillips 6205; Christie’s 6536/1; Hodinkee’s early-reference comparison.
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 | Approximate period | Movement | Type | Case | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-date | |||||
| 5508 | 1958–1962 | 1530 | No-date | 38mm SS | Small crown, no crown guards |
| 5510 | c.1958–1959; later end dates published | 1530 | No-date | 38mm SS | 8mm crown, no crown guards; Phillips chronology |
| 5512 | 1959–around 1980 | 1530/1560/1570 | No-date | 40mm SS | Crown guards; gilt and matte dials; chronometer movements on later examples |
| 5513 | c.1962–1989/1990 | 1530/1520 | No-date | 40mm SS | Gilt, matte and later glossy dials; non-chronometer model |
| 5514 | 1972–1978 in Antiquorum’s chronology | 1520 | No-date | 40mm SS | COMEX; helium escape valve; exact endpoints disputed |
| 5517 | 1970s | 1520 | No-date | 40mm SS | British military issue; fixed strap bars |
| Date | |||||
| 1680 | 1969–around 1980 | 1575 | Date | 40mm SS | Red and white SUBMARINER text; detailed dial types on the reference page |
| 1680/8 | 1969–late 1970s | 1575 | Date | 40mm YG | Yellow-gold version; black and blue dials |
Five-digit era (1979–2012)
The references in this section use sapphire crystals. The short-lived 168000 belongs with the 16800 generation despite its six-digit number. 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.
| Reference | Approximate period | Movement | Type | Case | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-date (steel) | |||||
| 14060 | Around 1990–1999/2000 | 3000 | No-date | 40mm SS | Sapphire crystal; two-line dial |
| 14060M | Around 1999/2000–2012 | 3130 | No-date | 40mm SS | Caliber 3130; two-line and later four-line dials |
| Date (steel) | |||||
| 16800 | 1979–late 1980s | 3035 | Date | 40mm SS | Sapphire crystal; matte and later glossy dials |
| 168000 | 1980s; Sotheby’s dates one to c.1986 | 3035 | Date | 40mm SS | “Triple Zero” reference; catalogued example |
| 16610 | 1988–2010 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS | Black dial and aluminium bezel insert |
| 16610LV | 2003–2010 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS | “Kermit”: black dial, green aluminium bezel and larger hour markers |
| Date (precious metal) | |||||
| 16803 | c.1984–1987/1988 | 3035 | Date | 40mm SS/YG | Two-tone; blue or black dial |
| 16808 | 1979–around 1987 | 3035 | Date | 40mm YG | Gold sapphire-crystal model; Christie’s chronology |
| 16613 | From 1988; successor introduced 2009 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS/YG | Two-tone successor to 16803 |
| 16618 | From 1988; successor introduced 2008 | 3135 | Date | 40mm YG | Yellow-gold successor to 16808 |
Gold models gained ceramic successors in 2008, two-tone models in 2009 and steel Date models in 2010. Retail sales of the outgoing references could overlap those introductions. Five-digit chronology; Ceramic rollout.
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 | Approximate period | 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 and green ceramic bezel |
| Date (precious metal) | |||||
| 116613 | 2009–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS/YG | Black LN or blue LB dial and bezel |
| 116618 | 2008–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm YG | Full gold, Cerachrom |
| 116619LB | 2008–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm WG | “Smurf”: white gold, blue dial and 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.
The 2020 configurations pair these materials and dial colours with ceramic bezel inserts:
| Reference | Material | Dial / bezel | Caliber |
|---|---|---|---|
| 124060 | Steel | Black / black; no date | 3230 |
| 126610LN / 126610LV | Steel | Black / black or black / green | 3235 |
| 126613LN / 126613LB | Steel and yellow gold | Black / black or blue / blue | 3235 |
| 126618LN / 126618LB | Yellow gold | Black / black or blue / blue | 3235 |
| 126619LB | White gold | Black / blue | 3235 |
Monochrome lists these 2020-generation configurations. Rolex specifies the 3230 and 3235 movements and approximately 70 hours of power reserve.
Special branches
Rolex dates its formal partnership with COMEX to 1971. The programme included Submariners and Sea-Dwellers; the 5514 was the dedicated Submariner reference with a helium escape valve. Documented examples include early non-logo watches, later service dials and Argentine Navy markings. Rolex chronology; Antiquorum’s reference overview.
The MilSub guide covers British military 5513, double-reference 5513/5517 and 5517 watches. Identifying features include fixed strap bars, a bezel graduated for all 60 minutes, sword hands, a circled-T tritium mark and military caseback engravings. A surviving watch may have replacement parts; the issued configuration needs to be checked against its own records. Phillips 5517, circa 1977.
Movement progression
Movements covers technical specifications, component variations and service-part identification.
| Caliber | Submariner use |
|---|---|
| A260 | 6204 and 6205 |
| A296 | 6200 |
| 1030 | 6536, 6536/1 and 6538 |
| 1530 | 5508, 5510 and early 5512/5513 |
| 1520 | 5513, 5514 and 5517 |
| 1560 / 1570 | Chronometer 5512 versions |
| 1575 | 1680, including gold versions |
| 3035 | 16800, 168000, 16803 and 16808 |
| 3000 | 14060 |
| 3130 | 14060M and 114060 |
| 3135 | 16610, 16610LV, 16613, 16618 and the 40mm ceramic Submariner Date generation |
| 3230 / 3235 | 41mm generation: no-date / Date |
Related families
- Sea-Dweller — Rolex’s saturation-diving line, with a helium escape valve.
- GMT-Master — an additional hour hand and a 24-hour bezel for reading another time zone.
- Explorer — a time-only sports watch without a rotating timing 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
- Phillips, Game Changers 2019, lot 54: reference 6205
- Christie’s, Watches Online, lot 228: references 6536 and 6536/1
- Phillips, Disruptors, reference 6536/1
- Monochrome, Submariner history, part 3: five-digit references
- Phillips, Geneva XXI, lot 97: reference 5517
- Sotheby’s, Watches Online 2020, lot 83: reference 168000
- Christie’s, reference 16808, case 6,412,142
- Antiquorum, Geneva 2006, lot 323: COMEX chronology
- Phillips, Geneva XX 2024, lot 220: reference 5510
- Rolex Newsroom, Submariner technical description
- Rolex, reference 126618LB
- Rolex, reference 126613LB