Reference:14060M

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Submariner → 14060M

The 14060M is the last Rolex sport model with drilled lug holes, stamped bracelet clasp, stamped end links, and an aluminum bezel insert. When it was retired in 2012, it closed an era. Every Rolex sport watch that followed — the 114060, the 116610, the ceramic-bezel GMT and Explorer family — had already shed these features or was built without them. The 14060M was the last holdout. That is the defining collector story for this reference.

The M suffix marks the movement upgrade from caliber 3000 (used in the predecessor 14060) to caliber 3130. Rolex introduced the 14060M around 2000 and kept it in production until 2012, when the ceramic-bezel 114060 took over. Across those twelve years, the reference split into two clearly distinct versions: the 2-line dial era (2000–mid-2007) and the 4-line COSC era (mid-2007 to 2012). Both share the defining characteristic — last Submariners in the old-school mold.

Context from the 16610 sharpens the picture. The date Submariner lost its stamped end links in 2001 and its drilled lug holes in 2003. The 14060M kept both for longer, and the lug holes stayed until the reference itself was discontinued. Collectors treat the 14060M — especially early examples with lug holes — as the last expression of the original Submariner specification.

Core facts

detail value
reference 14060M
family Submariner (no date)
production approximately 2000 to 2012
movement caliber 3130, non-COSC (2000–2007), COSC certified from mid-2007
case 40mm, 904L steel, drilled lug holes (removed ~2003)
crystal sapphire, flat, no Cyclops
water resistance 300m / 1000ft
crown Triplock screw-down
bezel unidirectional 60-click, aluminum insert, black
bracelet (early) Oyster ref.93150, 501B stamped end links, stamped hollow Fliplock clasp
bracelet (late) Oyster ref.93250, solid end links (SEL), Oysterlock clasp
dial (2-liner) “Submariner” + depth rating only, no chronometer text
dial (4-liner) adds “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”
lume Super-Luminova (most of run), Chromalight blue (possibly very late ~2012)
rehaut (early) plain, no engraving
rehaut (late) engraved “ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX” + serial at 6
case back solid steel, fluted, unengraved
predecessor 14060
successor 114060

Where it sits in the line

The 14060M is the no-date partner to the 16610 (and later 16610LN) date Submariner. It holds the same slot its predecessor 14060 did, but now with caliber 3130. COSC chronometer certification appeared on the dial from mid-2007, which is when the four-line layout was introduced.

  • 16610 / 16610LN: date, COSC, caliber 3135
  • 14060M: no date, caliber 3130, COSC text on dial from mid-2007

One important distinction from the 14060: the caliber discrepancy that affects the predecessor does not apply here. The 14060M uses caliber 3130 without ambiguity. The 14060 caliber question (3000 versus 3030 per the Vintage Rolex Field Manual) is covered in the 14060 article and should not be conflated with the 14060M specification.

The last of the old line — what makes this reference significant

When the 14060M was discontinued in 2012, Fratello’s retrospective (written by Mike Stockton, December 2016) called it “the last Rolex sport model to feature drilled through lug holes, a stamped bracelet clasp, stamped end links, and an aluminum bezel insert — all hallmarks of the original.”

Not an accident of timing. The 16610, the date Submariner sibling, had already modernized in stages:

  • 2001: 16610 lost its stamped end links (replaced by SEL — Super End Links)
  • 2003: 16610 lost its drilled lug holes

The 14060M kept all four old-line features until 2012. Collectors who want the last expression of the original Submariner specification, with modern caliber and sapphire crystal, have only one option.

Production outline and specification timeline

The 14060M covers twelve years with overlapping changes that do not all occur at the same time.

2-line dial era (2000 to mid-2007)

Early 14060M examples look almost identical to the late 14060. Lug holes are present (removed around 2003, before the 2-liner era ends). The bracelet is the 93150 with 501B stamped end links and stamped Fliplock clasp. The dial carries only two lines of text: SUBMARINER and the depth rating. The rehaut is plain and unengraved. Caliber 3130 sits inside, but the watch does not carry COSC certification on the dial.

This is what collectors call the “clean dial” Sub. It is also the last Rolex Submariner with a plain, unengraved rehaut. Once the 4-liner arrived in mid-2007, every subsequent Submariner had chronometer text on the dial and engraving on the rehaut.

A key internal split exists within the 2-liner era: early 2-liners (before ~2003) have lug holes; later 2-liners do not. This creates a sub-hierarchy that collectors track. The earliest 14060M examples — lug holes present, 2-line dial, 93150 bracelet — sit at the top of the reference’s desirability ladder.

Serial band approximations for the 2-liner era (collector-documented, not Rolex-confirmed):

  • Lug holes present: approximately X series through early F series (introduction ~2000 through ~2003)
  • Lug holes removed: approximately F series (~2003). The lug hole removal on the 14060M tracks the same period as the 16610. A 14060M with an F or later serial and lug holes present is unusual and worth verifying against the physical case.
  • Engraved rehaut introduced: this transition point is disputed. Some collector sources place the engraved rehaut at approximately D series (~2005–2006), while Rolex Forum documentation places it at mid-Z serial (~2006–2007). Earlier 14060M examples — Y, F, and early serials — have a smooth, unengraved rehaut. The engraving appears from approximately the D-to-Z serial band onward depending on the source consulted.

These serial band ranges are collector approximations. Rolex produced movements in batches; individual watches near any transition may not fit the expected specification.

4-line COSC era (mid-2007 to 2012)

From mid-2007, Rolex submitted the 3130 for COSC certification. The dial gained two extra lines: SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER and OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED. The inner rehaut received the repeating ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX engraving with the serial number at 6 o’clock. The bracelet had by now upgraded to the 93250 with solid end links (SEL) and an Oysterlock clasp.

Serial band for the COSC 4-liner (collector-approximated, not Rolex-confirmed): COSC certification was added to 14060M dials from approximately mid-2007. Multiple sources place this in the M serial range. Rolex Forum documentation places the 2-liner to 4-liner transition at the Z serial range (~2006–2007), earlier than the M-serial estimate found in other collector literature. Both positions are documented — the discrepancy likely reflects Rolex’s batch production practices, where individual transition points vary by example. A 14060M with a serial in the M band or later (M, N, V series — 2007 onward) is almost certainly a 4-liner COSC example. Earlier serials — Y, F, D — are almost certainly 2-liners. Serials in the Z band fall near the transition and could be either. When in doubt, read the dial directly. The 4-liner is unambiguous.

The 4-liner still retains the aluminum bezel and the non-Maxi case profile — two of the four defining old-line characteristics. It offers modern anti-counterfeiting features (engraved rehaut, laser-etched crystal crown) alongside the last aluminum-bezel no-date Submariner specification.

Lume

The 14060M uses Super-Luminova throughout the bulk of its production. Very late examples from around 2012 may have received Chromalight blue lume before the 114060 handover, but this is not firmly confirmed in the current evidence set.

Serial numbers

Rolex switched from sequential to random serial numbers around 2010, affecting the latest 14060M examples. Random-serial examples are late 4-liners. The earlier sequential serials provide conventional dating evidence.

Movement notes

Caliber 3130 — an automatic no-date movement beating at 28,800 vph with approximately 48 hours of power reserve. Closely related to the 3135 used in date Submariners, minus the date mechanism.

Early 3130 examples use a traditional Breguet overcoil hairspring. Later examples received the Parachrom hairspring, a paramagnetic blue alloy that resists temperature variation and magnetic fields better than the older spring. The exact transition date for Parachrom in the 14060M is not firmly established.

COSC certification — from mid-2007 — means each movement is individually tested across multiple positions and temperatures over sixteen days. But the 3130 was the same basic movement from the start of the run. What changed in mid-2007 was the COSC submission and the dial text, not the underlying caliber.

Dial map

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

2-line dial (2000–mid-2007)

The 2-liner reads SUBMARINER and the depth rating. No chronometer text. This is the same layout as the 14060 and connects directly to the 5513 tradition of a simple, uncluttered no-date Submariner face.

Collectors value this dial as the last of its kind within the 14060M run. Once the 4-liner appeared, every subsequent Submariner carried chronometer text. The 114060 that followed returned to a 2-line layout — but by then the rehaut was already engraved, the case had changed to the Maxi profile, the lug holes were gone, and the bezel was ceramic. Different watch.

4-line dial (mid-2007 to 2012)

The 4-liner adds SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER and OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED below the depth rating. The text is smaller than the main lines but changes the visual balance of the dial. Some collectors prefer the added text as a mark of quality. Others see it as clutter on a watch that should read as a pure tool.

All 14060M dials read SWISS MADE at 6 o’clock. No tritium period exists on this reference; the tritium-to-Luminova switch had already happened before the 14060M launched.

Dial font variants

Rolex Forum collectors have documented font variations in the 14060M dial printing, most notably a “short F” versus “long F” distinction in the word “Officially” (on 4-liner dials) and potentially in “Certified.” The “short F” uses a more compact letterform; the “long F” has an extended vertical stroke. These font variants are not widely tracked in mainstream collector guides but are recognized within forum communities as micro-identification points that help date a dial within the 4-liner production window. No established market premiums attach to either variant, but they are useful for authenticating dial originality — a font style inconsistent with the serial band may indicate a service replacement dial.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The case is 40mm 904L stainless steel with crown guards. Slimmer and more tapered than the later 114060 Maxi case, this profile is itself part of what connects the 14060M to its predecessors. Lug holes are present on early examples and were removed around 2003.

The bezel is unidirectional with a black aluminum insert and a 60-minute dive scale with luminous pearl at 12. Aluminum scratches and fades over time, developing a character that the ceramic Cerachrom bezel on the 114060 cannot replicate. The 14060M is the last no-date Submariner with an aluminum bezel. Full stop.

Flat sapphire crystal, no Cyclops. Triplock screw-down crown with three sealed zones for 300m water resistance.

The rehaut divides the reference into two visible generations:

  • 2-liner (2000–mid-2007): plain, smooth inner rehaut
  • 4-liner (mid-2007–2012): engraved with repeating ROLEX text and serial number at 6 o’clock

The case back is solid steel with fluted edges and no engravings — a feature Fratello specifically noted as vault-like in the original review.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Early bracelet (ref.93150, ~2000–2003 and somewhat beyond)

Bracelet ref.93150 with 501B stamped end links and a stamped hollow Fliplock clasp with diver extension. The same bracelet used on the 14060 and late 5513. Hollow center links make the 93150 lighter and slightly rattly compared to later solid-link bracelets. That characteristic rattle is an expected feature of original five-digit-era examples. Fratello’s review specifically praised the 93150’s lightness and the stamped clasp’s look.

Later bracelet (ref.93250, ~2003–2012)

Bracelet ref.93250 with solid end links (SEL) and Oysterlock clasp. Solid center links make it heavier and more substantial than the 93150.

The 16610 lost its stamped end links in 2001 and its lug holes in 2003. The 14060M retained stamped end links on the 93150 for somewhat longer before transitioning to the SEL — one of the ways the no-date reference preserved old-line features after the date model had modernized.

The exact serial cutover from 93150 to 93250 is not precisely mapped. It is commonly grouped with other mid-era changes but whether the transition was simultaneous with the lug-hole removal (~2003) is unconfirmed.

Clasp date codes

Rolex stamped clasp codes that date the clasp, not the watch head. For the 14060M era the Field Manual gives: AB = 2000, DE = 2001, DT = 2002, AD = 2003, CL = 2004, MA = 2005, OP = 2006, EO = 2007, PJ = 2008, LT = 2009, RS = 2010. An S stamp on a clasp denotes a service replacement clasp.

Packaging

Packaging for 2000s steel sports Rolex includes the green box, warranty card (Rolex transitioned from paper to card format during this era), booklets, and hang tags. Fratello’s 2016 review noted that there was little reason to buy a 14060M without box and papers, given how recently the reference was in production. Complete examples with original documentation are expected and command a premium over naked watches.

Secondary market notes

Fratello’s 2016 review placed the 14060M at approximately $5,000 to over $7,000 at that time. A historical data point from December 2016, not current market conditions — but it establishes the reference’s accessible pricing at its own moment. Higher-end examples were often NOS (new old stock) held by speculators toward the end of production.

The market splits along the 2-liner / 4-liner divide:

  1. The 2-liner trades at a premium, driven by collectors who want the last clean-dial, plain-rehaut Submariner. Early examples with lug holes carry the highest premium within this group.
  2. The 4-liner trades at a discount relative to the 2-liner but offers modern anti-counterfeiting features, COSC certification on the dial, and solid end links.

Both versions trade below the 114060, which has the ceramic bezel and Glidelock bracelet. The 14060M is often described as the last Submariner that wears like a tool watch rather than a luxury piece — aluminum bezel, slim case, and (on early examples) lug holes and stamped bracelet hardware.

Special branches

No military or retailer-specific variants are known for the 14060M. The main collector split is the 2-liner versus 4-liner, which functions as two distinct sub-references within one reference number, further subdivided by the presence or absence of lug holes.

Sources

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