Reference:submariner
Rolex Submariner
The Submariner is Rolex's core dive watch and the model that fixed the basic template every other dive watch later borrowed from. Rolex introduced the first Submariner, the 6204, in 1953, and the line has run continuously since. Four broad eras follow: pre-crown-guard watches through the late 1950s, the long acrylic crown-guard run led by the 5512 and 5513, sapphire-crystal five-digit references from 1979, and ceramic six-digit references from 2010.
Early Submariner (1953–1959)
Six years of unsettled design before the line found its shape. Crown sizes changed, depth ratings jumped from 100m to 200m, hands shifted from pencil to Mercedes, and the dial alternated between a clean three-line layout and an Explorer-style 3-6-9. The grouped sub-family page (early family) carries the cross-reference map across 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 |
Crown-guard era (1958–1990)
The Submariner takes the form it would carry for three decades. Crown guards arrived on the 5512 in 1959, the chronometer / non-chronometer split hardened into the 5512 / 5513 pairing, and the 1680 added the date complication in 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 | Rare transitional; crown guard + no crown guard variants |
| 5512 | 1959–1980 | 1530/1560/1570 | No-date | 40mm SS | Chronometer; crown guards; gilt and matte eras; 17,338 units |
| 5513 | ~1962–1989 | 1520/1530 | No-date | 40mm SS | 27-year run; non-chronometer; gilt, matte, Bart Simpson variants |
| 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 (1979–2010)
Sapphire crystal replaced acrylic, the movement line advanced from caliber 3035 to 3135, and Rolex broadened the catalog with two-tone and full-gold variants running alongside the steel benchmark.
| 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 | Superlative Chronometer certification |
| Date (steel) | |||||
| 16800 | 1979–1986 | 3035 | Date | 40mm SS | Transitional; first sapphire crystal Sub Date |
| 16610 | 1987–2010 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS | 23-year benchmark; solid end links, Parachrom late |
| 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 |
Six-digit era (2010–2020)
Cerachrom ceramic bezels, Glidelock micro-adjust bracelets, and, for the 126 series that replaced these in 2020, the move from 40mm to 41mm. The six-digit Subs are the most technically refined the line has been, though many collectors still prefer how the five-digit era wears.
| Reference | Production | Movement | Type | Case | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-date | |||||
| 114060 | 2012–2020 | 3130 | No-date | 40mm SS | "Last small Sub" — ceramic bezel, maxi dial |
| 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 | 2010–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm SS/YG | Two-tone, Cerachrom |
| 116618 | 2010–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm YG | Full gold, Cerachrom |
| 116619LB | 2010–2020 | 3135 | Date | 40mm WG | "Smurf" — white gold, blue bezel |
Special branches
Two institutional branches sit alongside the retail line. The COMEX program issued seven references (5513, 5514, 1665, 16660, 16800, 16600, 16610) 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 | Crown-guard transition |
| 1520 | 19,800 vph | — | 5513, 5514, 5517 | Non-chronometer path |
| 1530 | 18,000 vph | — | 5508, 5510, 5512 (early) | First crown-guard movements |
| 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 | Parachrom; Superlative Chronometer |
| 3135 | 28,800 vph | 48 hr | 16610–116619LB | The 3135 era; 23+ years |
Sources
- 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