Reference:14060: Difference between revisions

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Fact fix: Submariner seconds hand is lollipop not Mercedes (per Reference:5508/5510/16760 convention); no-date Subs never had quickset so the distinction is chronometer certification; M suffix = modified caliber 3130 (cf Reference:14000M); SEO title dates aligned to 1989-1999 body
 
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 14060 Submariner}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Submariner 14060 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex Submariner 14060 — Non-Date, Cal 3000, 1989–1999 | BezelBase
|description=The 14060 is the first modern no-date Submariner and the direct successor to the long-running 5513. It arrived around 1990, closing a thirty-year chapter…
|description=The 14060 is the first sapphire-era no-date Submariner. 1989 to 1999, caliber 3000 (27 jewels, 28,800 vph, hacking, no quickset), 300m water resistance, two-line dial throughout, tritium → Luminova → Super-LumiNova lume transitions, 93150 / 78360 Oyster bracelet.
|keywords=Rolex, 14060, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 14060, Submariner, no date, caliber 3000, sapphire, 300m, tritium, Luminova, two-line dial
|type=article
|image=Ref 14060 hero 2.jpg
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:15Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:08:41Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] → '''14060'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] -> '''14060'''</small>


The 14060 is the first modern no-date Submariner and the direct successor to the long-running 5513. It arrived around 1990, closing a thirty-year chapter that stretched back to the original no-date tool watch tradition. Where the 5513 stayed with acrylic crystal and 200m water resistance through its entire life, the 14060 stepped into the sapphire-crystal, 300m, Triplock era from day one. It held that position until around 2000, when the 14060M took over with an upgraded caliber.
The 14060 is the first sapphire-era no-date Submariner, the bridge between the long-running [[Reference:5513|5513]] (acrylic, 200m, no date) and the modern ceramic line. Production runs 1989 to 1999. Caliber 3000 carries 27 jewels and 28,800 vph with hacking seconds, and no quickset, because there is no date to set.


A clear lineage runs through the no-date branch: 5513 → 14060 → 14060M → 114060. Each step adds specification without abandoning the core identity — no date, aluminum bezel, tool-watch intent.
The depth rating goes from the 5513's 200m to 300m on a Triplock crown, the first 50% upgrade the no-date Sub had seen. Everything else stays deliberately narrow: two-line dial throughout the run, all-black bezel only, black dial only. What moves across the production window is the lume — tritium, then Luminova, then Super-LumiNova. The [[Reference:14060M|14060M]] replaces the reference in 1999 with the chronometer-rated caliber 3130.


<span id="core-facts"></span>
<span id="core-facts"></span>


[[File:Ref 14060 hero 2.jpg|thumb|right|340px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060|Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060 (Bob's Watches)]]
[[File:Ref 14060 hero 2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060|Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060]]


== Core facts ==
== Core facts ==
Line 30: Line 37:
|-
|-
| production
| production
| approximately 1990 to 2000 (14060); 14060M from approximately 1999 to 2012
| 1989 to 1999
|-
| movement
| caliber 3000, non-COSC, 28,800 vph, flat hairspring (see movement notes for discrepancy)
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm, 904L steel, Oyster, drilled lug holes
| 40mm Oyster with crown guards, sapphire crystal, Triplock crown — first sapphire-era no-date Sub
|-
|-
| crystal
| water resistance
| sapphire, flat, no Cyclops
| 300m / 1000ft (up from the 5513's 200m / 660ft)
|-
|-
| water resistance
| movement
| 300m / 1000ft
| caliber 3000, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, ~48-hour reserve, hacking seconds. No quickset (no date complication on this reference). Non-chronometer
|-
|-
| crown
| dial
| Triplock screw-down
| 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
| bezel
| unidirectional 60-click, aluminum insert, black
| 24-hour bidirectional — all-black aluminium insert only
|-
| bracelet
| Oyster ref.93150, 501B end links, stamped hollow Fliplock clasp
|-
| dial
| 2-line (“Submariner” + depth rating), white gold applied markers
|-
|-
| lume
| lume
| tritium (early), Luminova (late, ~1998–1999)
| tritium "T<25" through approximately 1997 / 1998; Luminova "Swiss" through approximately 1999 (narrow transitional window includes "Swiss only" dials with no T<25 and no Swiss Made marking)
|-
|-
| rehaut
| bracelet
| plain, no engraving
| Oyster 93150 with 593 hollow end-links (early-to-mid run) → Oyster 78360 (later production); SEL service end-links 501B documented
|-
| case back
| solid steel, fluted
|-
| predecessor
| 5513
|-
|-
| successor
| successor
| 14060M
| [[Reference:14060M|14060M]] (1999 onward, COSC-rated caliber 3130, M-suffix indicates chronometer)
|}
|}


<span id="no-date-lineage-and-historical-position"></span>
<span id="no-date-lineage"></span>
== No-date lineage and historical position ==
== No-date lineage and historical position ==


The 14060 is the transitional reference in the no-date Submariner lineage. Its predecessor, the 5513, ran from 1962 to approximately 1990 — one of the longest production runs of any reference in the Submariner family. No sapphire crystal, no 300m rating, and its later production overlapped with the earliest transitional Rolex sport models.
The 14060 closes the acrylic-crystal era of the no-date Submariner and opens the sapphire era. The [[Reference:5513|5513]] (1962–1989, acrylic, 200m, caliber 1520) 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 Sub fitted with both sapphire and Triplock, which makes it a structural step rather than a cosmetic refresh.


The 14060 resolved all of that at once. Sapphire crystal replaced acrylic, the 300m rating (a 50% increase over the 5513’s 200m) replaced the older specification, and the Triplock crown replaced the earlier types. But the no-date, non-chronometer identity carried straight through. The dial remained clean — two lines of text, no date window, no COSC certification language. That restraint is the connecting thread from the 5513 through the 14060 and into the later 14060M 2-liner.
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. Anyone after a sapphire-era Submariner with the plainest movement and the plainest dial ends up here.
 
Collectors who trace the clean no-date Submariner lineage start with the 5513 and run through the 14060. The 14060M 2-liner extends it; the 114060 continues it. The 14060 is the bridge — it retains classic aesthetics while incorporating contemporary movements and materials, sitting squarely between the vintage and modern eras of the no-date Submariner.


<span id="production-outline"></span>
<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
== Production outline ==


The 14060 run is short and uniform compared to the multi-era 5513. No dramatic dial families, no variant branches, no military contracts. A 1991 example looks much the same as a 1999 example, with one visible exception.
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.


<span id="production-date-discrepancy"></span>
<span id="tritium-period"></span>
=== Production date discrepancy ===
=== Tritium period (1989 to approximately 1997 / 1998) ===


Most independent sources place 14060 production at roughly 1990 to 2000. The Vintage Rolex Field Manual gives a wider range that overlaps with the 14060M era, likely reflecting factory parts or internal production records rather than retail availability. The 1990 to 2000 window from the independent collector sources is the working estimate here.
"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 datable and appear at auction regularly.


<span id="tritium-period"></span>
<span id="swiss-only-transitional"></span>
=== Tritium period ===
=== "Swiss only" transitional dial (approximately 1998) ===


Most of the run used tritium lume. These dials carry T &lt; 25 near 6 o’clock and read T SWISS MADE T at the bottom. Tritium-dialed 14060 examples are the majority and age distinctively — the lume darkens with time, giving the markers a warm patina that tritium collectors prefer. That aging is one of the most appealing characteristics of the reference.
A narrow window produced dials marked only "SWISS" at the bottom, with no T<25 and no SWISS MADE. These are factory output from the lume changeover rather than service replacements, and they are the rarest 14060 dial type.


<span id="luminova-period"></span>
<span id="luminova-period"></span>
=== Luminova period ===
=== Luminova period (approximately 1998 to 1999) ===
 
Around 1998–1999, Rolex switched the 14060 to Luminova lume. Late dials drop the tritium markings and read SWISS MADE at the bottom. Luminova stays brighter longer but loses the warm patina that comes with tritium degradation. Different appeal entirely.
 
The serial bands for this changeover are collector-documented rather than Rolex-confirmed, but the observed pattern is fairly consistent. Tritium dials run from the X series through early P series (roughly 1991–1999). A short transitional run known on Rolex Forum as “Swiss Only” appears in the U to A serials (roughly 1997–1999), reading SWISS at 6 o’clock without the T prefix of tritium dials or the full SWISS MADE of settled Luminova production. Luminova dials take over from approximately the A series onward (around 1999), with SWISS MADE at 6 o’clock.
 
Rolex Forum members have documented 14060 dials that carry T &lt; 25 tritium text but were actually filled with Luminova at the factory. These watches are identifiable because the lume still glows brightly when charged — genuine tritium of this age would show minimal glow. The mismatch indicates that Rolex began using Luminova material before updating the printed dial text, creating a brief window where the dial marking does not match the actual lume compound applied.


These are collector approximations. Rolex assembled from stock, so individual watches near the transition may vary — a P-serial 14060 might carry tritium, and an A-serial might carry Luminova. The difference is visible on the dial foot text and is the main identification point for early versus late 14060 examples.
"SWISS MADE" at the bottom, Luminova in place of tritium. The run continues into 1999 before the 14060M takes over with the chronometer-rated caliber 3130. Late P-serial Luminova examples, some of them year-2000 watches, mark the production tail.


<span id="movement-notes-caliber-discrepancy"></span>
<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==
== Movement notes ==


Sources split on the 14060 movement. ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' lists caliber 3030. Most other collector sources list caliber 3000. The working position here is 3000, because that is the dominant reading in the published collector literature.
Caliber 3000: 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, approximately 48-hour reserve, hacking seconds, 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 practical collector point is simpler than the source fight. The 14060 is the non-COSC, two-line watch that comes before the 14060M. If the caliber matters on a specific watch, open the caseback and read the bridge engraving directly.


An early 3030 branch is plausible, but not mapped well enough to treat as settled. The cleaner line is the one that follows. The 14060M moved to caliber 3130 and later to the four-line COSC dial. The 14060 kept the simpler two-line format throughout.
The 14060 is deliberately non-COSC. The "M" suffix on the 14060M indicates "Modified" — the modification being caliber 3130, which on that reference also brought the chronometer pass the 14060 never had. The dial follows the movement: "Submariner / 300m=1000ft" and nothing else, where the 14060M would later add the two "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" lines.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
== Dial map ==


The 14060 dial is glossy black with applied white gold surround markers and Mercedes hands with luminous fill. Depth rating reads 300m / 1000ft.
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.


No major dial families or variant branches exist; the single meaningful split is lume type. Tritium dials carry T < 25 markings and T SWISS MADE T at 6 o’clock and cover the majority of the run, though some late examples were factory-filled with Luminova behind tritium printing. The “Swiss Only” transitional dials read SWISS at 6 o’clock without the T prefix, cover the U and A serial range of roughly 1997 to 1999, and are documented as a named variant on Rolex Forum. Luminova dials read SWISS MADE at 6 o’clock with no tritium marking and cover late production from approximately 1999 onward.
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 — genuine factory output, and rare. Later dials, 1998 to 1999, switch to "SWISS MADE" and Luminova, and they are the dominant late-run configuration.


The layout is 2-line: SUBMARINER above the depth line and OYSTER PERPETUAL below the coronet. No SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER text, because the watch is not COSC-certified. This is the clearest visual difference from the later 14060M 4-liner, which added chronometer text from mid-2007, and it aligns the 14060 visually with the 5513 tradition of an uncluttered tool-watch face.
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 paired 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.


That two-line layout is the last expression of the uncluttered no-date Submariner dial before the 14060M added COSC text in 2007.
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
 
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


The case is 40mm 904L stainless steel in the classic Oyster architecture with crown guards: the final pre-Super Case design, slender and sweeping enough to read closer to the vintage five-digit references than to anything that came after. Drilled lug holes run through the entire 14060 production, making this the last Submariner to carry them; collectors value the detail because it allows strap changes with a simple pin pusher rather than the specialized tools the 114060 would require. The lugs are slimmer than the 114060 Maxi case, which keeps the 14060 visually tied to its vintage predecessors. The case back is solid steel with fluted edges.
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 bezel is unidirectional rotating with 60 clicks and a black aluminum insert — the same insert family used across the 5513, 16800, and 16610. Aluminum is susceptible to fading and patina from seawater exposure and UV light. It scratches and fades over time, a characteristic that ceramic bezels cannot replicate and that many collectors consider an honest marker of genuine use.
 
The crystal is flat sapphire, without a Cyclops magnifier. Sapphire is the defining upgrade over the 5513, which kept acrylic through its entire run. The absence of a date window and its lens leaves the face clean.
 
The crown is Triplock screw-down with three sealed zones for 300m water resistance. It carries the Rolex coronet and three dots below, distinguishing it from the earlier Twinlock crown used on the 5513 late production.


The rehaut is plain and unengraved, consistent with all Rolex sport models before the mid-2000s engraved-rehaut rollout.
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 no-date Submariner has never carried a coloured bezel.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


The 14060 ships on bracelet ref.93150, an Oyster with 501B end links and a stamped hollow Fliplock clasp with diver extension. The 93150 uses hollow center links and hollow end links throughout the 14060 production run, distinguishing it from the later 93250 with solid center links and solid end links (SEL) that appeared on the 14060M.
Early-to-mid production, 1989 through approximately the mid-1990s, shipped on the Oyster 93150 with 593 hollow end-links, the same cross-family bracelet code used on the 5513, 1680, 16800 and early 16610. Later production, in the late 1990s, moved to the Oyster 78360 — a heavier-feeling 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.


This is the same bracelet reference used on late 5513 examples and on the 16610 of the same era. Lighter and slightly rattly compared to the later solid-link bracelets, that characteristic rattle is part of the five-digit era identity and is expected on honest examples. A quiet, tight-feeling 93150 is a warning sign of a replaced bracelet.
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.


Exact clasp code variations across the run are not mapped in the current evidence set. The same caution applies universally: a clasp stamp dates the clasp, not the watch head.
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==


<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==
[[File:Ref 14060 hero 3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060|Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060]]
[[File:Ref 14060 hero 3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060|Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060]]


No major special branches exist for the 14060. The reference shipped as a straightforward commercial Submariner with no military contract or retailer-specific variants, so collector interest runs on condition, lume type, and completeness rather than variant hunting. The tritium, “Swiss Only”, and Luminova lume progression is the only meaningful production split.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year of watch !! Configuration
|-
| Sotheby's || — || c.1995 || cal 3000 27j, folding Oyster clasp
|-
| Sotheby's "Class of 2019" || — || c.1997 || two-line tritium, sold 2019
|-
| Sotheby's Watches 3 || — || c.2001 || late-run example
|-
| Antiquorum Geneva || 372/124 || 2024 || two-line full set with box and warranty
|-
| Phillips || — || 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
|}


<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
The 14060 trades primarily on the dealer market. Standard tritium examples cluster across a modest USD 6,000–10,000 band depending on dial-state originality, paperwork, and case condition. Authenticated "Swiss only" transitional dials sit above that. Full-set examples with box, warranty, and matching clasp dates carry the meaningful premium — box and papers drive the spread more than any dial detail does.
== Historical market and auction record ==


The 14060 sits in an accessible part of the Submariner market, too recent for strong vintage premiums and too old for the ceramic-bezel appeal of current production. Its draw is the clean two-line dial and the direct-succession line from the 5513.
== Related references ==


Tritium examples tend to carry a modest premium over Luminova examples because of the warmer lume patina and the connection to the older tritium tradition that ran through the 5513 and 16800 eras. Complete examples with original bracelet and papers are preferred; the 14060 is recent enough that box-and-papers originality is a reasonable expectation.
* [[Reference:16618|Submariner 16618]] — 1988–2009
* [[Reference:16610|Submariner 16610]] — Date, Cal 3135 (1988–2010)
* [[Reference:16613|Submariner 16613]] — 1989–2009
* [[Reference:16613LB|Submariner 16613LB]] — 1989–2009
* [[Reference:16613LN|Submariner 16613LN]] — 1989–2009
* [[Reference:16803|Submariner 16803]] — 1984–1988


Strong lot-level auction evidence for the 14060 is still thin.
See also the [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
 
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-3-the-modern-references/ History of the Rolex Submariner — Part 3, The Modern References] — Tom Mulraney (Monochrome)
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-submariner-14060/ Rolex Submariner 14060 Guide] — unknown, Millenary Watches
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent (Sotheby's)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-submariner-14060.html Rolex Submariner 14060 Listing] — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
* [https://journal.craftandtailored.com/the-rolex-submariner-ref-14060/ The Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060] (Craft and Tailored journal)
* [https://professionalwatches.com/rolex-submariner-reference-guide/ Rolex Submariner Reference Guide] — Professional Watches editorial, Professional Watches
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-14060-submariner-52mondayz-week-17/ 52Mondayz: Rolex 14060 Submariner] (Fratello)
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-submariner-14060m/ Rolex Submariner 14060M Review] — Fratello Watches editorial, Fratello Watches
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/hands-on-rolex-submariner-14060m/ Hands-On: Submariner 14060M] (Fratello)
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Morning Tundra
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/rolex-info/last-best-rolex-submariner-ref-14060.html Rolex 14060 Review: Why This Vintage Submariner Still Shines]
* [https://swisswatchtrader.co.uk/blogs/news/the-rolex-submariner-14060-no-date-the-complete-history The Rolex Submariner 14060 No Date: Complete History] (Swiss Watch Trader)
* [https://www.luxurybazaar.com/grey-market/rolex-submariner-14060-14060m/ Rolex Submariner 14060 and 14060M Collector's Guide] (Luxury Bazaar)
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/submariner/14060 Rolex Submariner 14060 reference page] (Watchbase)
* [https://millenarywatches.com/14060-submariner/ Rolex Submariner 14060 Complete Guide] (Millenary Watches)
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-bracelet-reference-numbers/ Rolex Bracelet Reference Numbers Guide] (Millenary Watches)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/bcd4c4c3-6871-4eed-ba6a-6e21f1011bc6/lots/7f5bc074-9265-4be3-b231-5c9a213ae3fe Submariner Reference 14060 c.1995 — Sotheby's immediate sale] (Sotheby's)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/class-of-2019/rolex-submariner-ref-14060-a-stainless-steel Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060 c.1997 — Sotheby's Class of 2019] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-3/rolex-reference-14060-submariner-a-stainless-steel?gQT=2 Reference 14060 Submariner c.2001 — Sotheby's Watches 3] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-14060-submariner-lot-372-124 Rolex Ref. 14060 Submariner — Antiquorum Geneva lot 372/124] (Antiquorum, 2024)
* [https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/Rolex-Submariner-No-Date-Swiss-Only-Dial-14060-Men-1990-1999/29802923-rolex_submariner-06.10.19-catawiki Rolex Submariner No Date "Swiss Only" Dial 14060 — Lot-Art / Catawiki] (Lot-Art, 2019)
* [https://www.craftandtailored.com/products/1998-rolex-submariner-ref-14060 1998 Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060 unpolished] (Craft and Tailored)
* [https://www.craftandtailored.com/products/unpolished-2000-rolex-submariner-ref-14060-p-serial-w-box-papers 2000 Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060 P-Serial unpolished] (Craft and Tailored)
* [https://bulangandsons.com/products/rolex-submariner-14060-two-line-tritium-dial-w1909 Rolex Submariner 14060 Two-Line Tritium Dial]
* [https://www.orologium.com/archive/rolex-submariner-14060-no-date-2-liner-tritium-dial-u-serial-1997 Rolex Submariner 14060 No-Date Two-Line Tritium U-Serial 1997] (Orologium)
* [https://watchcharts.com/listing/416988-rolex-93150-593-bracelet-oyster-5513-1680-14060-16800-16610 Rolex 93150 / 593 bracelet — fits 5513, 1680, 14060, 16800, 16610]
* [https://www.chrono-shop.net/en/bands-bracelets/10041-rolex-submariner-vintage-593-endpiece-endlink-93150-bracelet-solid-links-20mm-16800-168000-16610-14060-14060m-watches.html 593 endpiece / endlink reference for 93150 bracelet] (Chrono-Shop)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra


[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]

Latest revision as of 22:51, 8 August 2026


Submariner -> 14060

The 14060 is the first sapphire-era no-date Submariner, the bridge between the long-running 5513 (acrylic, 200m, no date) and the modern ceramic line. Production runs 1989 to 1999. Caliber 3000 carries 27 jewels and 28,800 vph with hacking seconds, and no quickset, because there is no date to set.

The depth rating goes from the 5513's 200m to 300m on a Triplock crown, the first 50% upgrade the no-date Sub had seen. Everything else stays deliberately narrow: two-line dial throughout the run, all-black bezel only, black dial only. 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.

Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060
Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060

Core facts

detail value
reference 14060
family Submariner (no date)
production 1989 to 1999
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 / 1998; Luminova "Swiss" through approximately 1999 (narrow transitional window includes "Swiss only" dials with no T<25 and no Swiss Made marking)
bracelet Oyster 93150 with 593 hollow end-links (early-to-mid run) → Oyster 78360 (later production); SEL service end-links 501B 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 1520) 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 Sub fitted with both sapphire and Triplock, which makes it a structural step rather than a cosmetic refresh.

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. Anyone after a sapphire-era Submariner with the plainest movement and the plainest dial ends up here.

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 datable and appear at auction regularly.

"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. These are factory output from the lume changeover rather than service replacements, and they are the rarest 14060 dial type.

Luminova period (approximately 1998 to 1999)

"SWISS MADE" at the bottom, Luminova in place of tritium. The run continues into 1999 before the 14060M takes over with the chronometer-rated caliber 3130. Late P-serial Luminova examples, some of them year-2000 watches, mark the production tail.

Movement notes

Caliber 3000: 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, approximately 48-hour reserve, hacking seconds, 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 deliberately non-COSC. The "M" suffix on the 14060M indicates "Modified" — the modification being caliber 3130, which on that reference also brought the chronometer pass the 14060 never had. The dial follows the movement: "Submariner / 300m=1000ft" and nothing else, where 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 — genuine factory output, and rare. Later dials, 1998 to 1999, switch to "SWISS MADE" and Luminova, and they are the dominant late-run configuration.

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 paired 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 no-date Submariner has never carried a coloured bezel.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Early-to-mid production, 1989 through approximately the mid-1990s, shipped on the Oyster 93150 with 593 hollow end-links, the same cross-family bracelet code used on the 5513, 1680, 16800 and early 16610. Later production, in the late 1990s, moved to the Oyster 78360 — a heavier-feeling 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

Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060
Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060
Sale Lot Year of watch Configuration
Sotheby's — c.1995 cal 3000 27j, folding Oyster clasp
Sotheby's "Class of 2019" — c.1997 two-line tritium, sold 2019
Sotheby's Watches 3 — c.2001 late-run example
Antiquorum Geneva 372/124 2024 two-line full set with box and warranty
Phillips — 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 14060 trades primarily on the dealer market. Standard tritium examples cluster across a modest USD 6,000–10,000 band depending on dial-state originality, paperwork, and case condition. Authenticated "Swiss only" transitional dials sit above that. Full-set examples with box, warranty, and matching clasp dates carry the meaningful premium — box and papers drive the spread more than any dial detail does.

Related references

See also the Submariner family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

Sources

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