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Dive watch profile · Released 1954

Rolex Submariner — The benchmark.

8 min readPublished

The most-recognized dive watch in the world. Sean Connery wore it in Dr. No. Seventy years later, the design has changed less than you'd think.

Rolex SubmarinerPhoto by Eternalsleeper (English Wikipedia), via Wikimedia Commons, public domain (source)

What is the Rolex Submariner?

The Rolex Submariner is a luxury dive watch released 1954 — the most-recognized dive watch in the world. Current production: Submariner No-Date 124060 ($9,200) and Submariner Date 126610LN ($10,900), both 41mm Oystersteel cases with 300m water resistance, Cerachrom ceramic bezel, and in-house automatic Caliber 3230/3235 with 70-hour power reserve. Famously the first James Bond watch — Reference 6538 worn by Sean Connery in Dr. No (1962). Production has continued unbroken for 70+ years.

The reference history

The Submariner has had relatively few generations across 70 years of production:

  • 1954-1959 — Reference 6204, 6205, 6536, 6538. The original Submariners. 100m water resistance, A296 movement (6204), then 1030 (6536), then 1530 (6538). Reference 6538 is the "Big Crown" Bond Submariner — 8mm oversized crown for diving glove use. Auction prices: $50K-$500K+ depending on condition and provenance.
  • 1959-1962 — Reference 5512, 5513. Crown guards added. 5512 is the chronometer-certified version (extra "Officially Certified Chronometer" text); 5513 is the non-chronometer mass-production version. Reference 5513 ran 1962-1989 — the longest-running Submariner reference. Vintage 5513 in good condition: $15K-$60K.
  • 1968-1989 — Reference 1680. First Submariner with date function. Reference 1680 introduced the Cyclops lens over the date. "Red Sub" 1680 (red "Submariner" text on the dial) and "Comex" 1680 (with Comex caseback engraving) are particularly collectable.
  • 1988-2010 — Reference 14060, 16610. Modern Submariners. Sapphire crystal, 300m water resistance, COSC chronometer. Aluminum bezel inserts. Reference 16610 is the most common "modern" Submariner most buyers would have encountered before 2010.
  • 2010-2020 — Reference 116610LN/LV (Hulk), 116613LB (Bluesy), 114060. Cerachrom ceramic bezel introduced. 40mm cases. Reference 114060 is the no-date variant; 116610LN is the date variant.
  • 2020-present — Reference 124060, 126610LN, 126610LV (Starbucks), 126613LB. Current production. 41mm cases (replaced 40mm). Caliber 3230/3235 with 70-hour power reserve.

It just looks right on a man’s wrist. The bezel does what bezels are supposed to do.

Sean Connery on the Submariner, on-set Dr. No (1962)
Rolex — Submariner ref. 14060M (no-date)
Photo by Clyde94, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

What to look for at retail

The current Submariner production runs:

  • Submariner No-Date 124060 — 41mm, $9,200. The clean-dial choice. No Cyclops lens, no date.
  • Submariner Date 126610LN — 41mm black bezel, $10,900. The standard Submariner.
  • Submariner Date 126610LV "Starbucks" — 41mm green bezel, black dial, $11,200. The current green-bezel reference.
  • Submariner Date 126613LN/LB Two-tone — 41mm steel/gold, $15,300/$15,300. The dressier two-tone variant.
  • Submariner Date 126618LN/LB Yellow Gold — 41mm full gold, $42,500-$44,500. The precious-metal sport watch.

Authorized-dealer waitlists run 1-3 years for steel references. Allocation favors buyers with prior purchase history. Two-tone and gold references are typically more available at retail than steel.

The 124060 and 126610LN are the seventh-generation Submariner. Sixty-one years of refinement on a single case shape — almost no other watch survives that long.

Value retention and the secondary market

The Submariner is one of the most reliable luxury watches for value retention. Modern steel Submariners typically trade at 130-200% of retail on the secondary market. Recent grey-market prices: 124060 No-Date at $13,500-$16,000, 126610LN at $14,500-$18,500, 126610LV (Starbucks) at $18,000-$22,000. Vintage 5513 (gilt dial) regularly clears $30K-$60K depending on condition; 6538 (Bond Big Crown) reaches $200K+; original 6204 examples can exceed $300K-$500K.

The Submariner is the canonical "buy and forget" modern luxury watch. Steel sport Submariners have appreciated (or held value) almost every year of the past 20 years; the only meaningful pullback was the 2022-2023 grey-market correction, during which prices dropped 25-40% from 2021 peaks but remained at or above retail.

Rolex (vintage) — Submariner ref. 5512 'four-liner exclamation mark' dial, pointed crown guards — shot 001
Photo: Phillips Auctioneers (source)

Read next

Frequently Asked

On the Submariner

When was the Rolex Submariner released?

The Rolex Submariner debuted at Baselworld 1954 — Reference 6204, with 100m water resistance, rotating timing bezel, screw-down crown, and the in-house automatic Caliber A296. The Reference 6204 was followed quickly by Reference 6205, 6536, 6538 (the "James Bond Submariner" worn by Sean Connery in <em>Dr. No</em>), and 5513 (the longest-running Submariner reference, produced 1962-1989). The Submariner has been in continuous production for 70+ years with consistent design language across all references.

What is the difference between the Submariner Date and No-Date?

The Submariner No-Date 124060 ($9,200 retail) has a clean dial with no date complication and no Cyclops magnifying lens. The Submariner Date 126610LN ($10,900 retail) adds a date window at 3 with the characteristic Cyclops lens. Both run the in-house Caliber 3230 (no-date) or 3235 (date), 41mm Oystersteel case, ceramic Cerachrom bezel, 300m water resistance. Most dive-watch purists prefer the No-Date for the cleaner dial; the Date is more practical for everyday wear and slightly more available at retail.

What does "Hulk" and "Kermit" mean?

Submariner nicknames. "Kermit" — Submariner 16610LV (2003-2010), green ceramic bezel insert, black dial. "Hulk" — Submariner 116610LV (2010-2020), green ceramic bezel and green dial. "Smurf" — Submariner 116619LB (2008-2020), white gold case, blue dial and bezel. "Bluesy" — Submariner 116613LB (2009-2020), two-tone steel/gold, blue dial and bezel. "Starbucks" — Submariner 126610LV (2020-present), green ceramic bezel and black dial. Collector slang has its own taxonomy.

Should I buy a vintage or modern Submariner?

Modern Submariners (post-2010) are mechanically superior — better water resistance (300m vs 100m), Cerachrom ceramic bezel (scratch-resistant vs aluminum), Glidelock clasp extension, in-house Caliber 3235 with 70-hour power reserve. Vintage Submariners (1960s-1990s) have aesthetic charm — gilt dials, faded "tropical" lume, smaller case proportions (40mm), service patina that cannot be replicated. For wearing: modern. For collecting and appreciation: vintage. Vintage Reference 5513, 6538 ("Big Crown"), and 6200 are particularly collectible.

Why is the Submariner so hard to buy at retail?

Authorized-dealer allocation. Rolex distributes Submariners in small quantities to authorized dealers worldwide, against demand that exceeds supply by orders of magnitude. The Submariner Date 126610LN waitlist runs 1-3 years at most authorized dealers. The Hulk 116610LV (discontinued 2020) trades around $20,000-$25,000 on the secondary market against $9,500 retail when discontinued. Buyers either wait, build dealer relationships, or pay grey-market premiums.

What was the first James Bond watch?

Rolex Submariner Reference 6538 — the "Big Crown" Submariner — worn by Sean Connery in <em>Dr. No</em> (1962). Connery wore it across the first six Bond films (1962-1971). The 6538 has an oversized 8mm crown for use with diving gloves and was produced in small numbers; original 6538 examples now sell for $200,000-$500,000+ at auction. Roger Moore wore Submariner 5513 (1973). After <em>The Living Daylights</em> (1987), Bond watches shifted to Omega Seamaster — first the Quartz Seamaster, then the Diver 300M (since <em>GoldenEye</em>, 1995).</p>

What is the Rolex Submariner?

The Rolex Submariner is a luxury dive watch released 1954 — the most-recognized dive watch in the world. Current production: Submariner No-Date 124060 ($9,200) and Submariner Date 126610LN ($10,900), both 41mm Oystersteel cases with 300m water resistance, ceramic Cerachrom bezel, and in-house automatic Caliber 3230/3235 with 70-hour power reserve. The Submariner was famously the first James Bond watch — Reference 6538 worn by Sean Connery in <em>Dr. No</em> (1962). Production has continued unbroken for 70+ years.

When was the Rolex Submariner released?

The Rolex Submariner debuted at Baselworld 1954 — Reference 6204, with 100m water resistance, rotating timing bezel, screw-down crown, and the in-house automatic Caliber A296. The Reference 6204 was followed quickly by Reference 6205, 6536, 6538 (the "James Bond Submariner" worn by Sean Connery in <em>Dr. No</em>), and 5513 (the longest-running Submariner reference, produced 1962-1989). The Submariner has been in continuous production for 70+ years with consistent design language across all references.

What is the difference between the Submariner Date and No-Date?

The Submariner No-Date 124060 ($9,200 retail) has a clean dial with no date complication and no Cyclops magnifying lens. The Submariner Date 126610LN ($10,900 retail) adds a date window at 3 with the characteristic Cyclops lens. Both run the in-house Caliber 3230 (no-date) or 3235 (date), 41mm Oystersteel case, ceramic Cerachrom bezel, 300m water resistance. Most dive-watch purists prefer the No-Date for the cleaner dial; the Date is more practical for everyday wear and slightly more available at retail.

What does "Hulk" and "Kermit" mean?

Submariner nicknames. "Kermit" — Submariner 16610LV (2003-2010), green ceramic bezel insert, black dial. "Hulk" — Submariner 116610LV (2010-2020), green ceramic bezel and green dial. "Smurf" — Submariner 116619LB (2008-2020), white gold case, blue dial and bezel. "Bluesy" — Submariner 116613LB (2009-2020), two-tone steel/gold, blue dial and bezel. "Starbucks" — Submariner 126610LV (2020-present), green ceramic bezel and black dial. Collector slang has its own taxonomy.

Should I buy a vintage or modern Submariner?

Modern Submariners (post-2010) are mechanically superior — better water resistance (300m vs 100m), Cerachrom ceramic bezel (scratch-resistant vs aluminum), Glidelock clasp extension, in-house Caliber 3235 with 70-hour power reserve. Vintage Submariners (1960s-1990s) have aesthetic charm — gilt dials, faded "tropical" lume, smaller case proportions (40mm), service patina that cannot be replicated. For wearing: modern. For collecting and appreciation: vintage. Vintage Reference 5513, 6538 ("Big Crown"), and 6200 are particularly collectible.

Why is the Submariner so hard to buy at retail?

Authorized-dealer allocation. Rolex distributes Submariners in small quantities to authorized dealers worldwide, against demand that exceeds supply by orders of magnitude. The Submariner Date 126610LN waitlist runs 1-3 years at most authorized dealers. The Hulk 116610LV (discontinued 2020) trades around $20,000-$25,000 on the secondary market against $9,500 retail when discontinued. Buyers either wait, build dealer relationships, or pay grey-market premiums.

What was the first James Bond watch?

Rolex Submariner Reference 6538 — the "Big Crown" Submariner — worn by Sean Connery in <em>Dr. No</em> (1962). Connery wore it across the first six Bond films (1962-1971). The 6538 has an oversized 8mm crown for use with diving gloves and was produced in small numbers; original 6538 examples now sell for $200,000-$500,000+ at auction. Roger Moore wore Submariner 5513 (1973). After <em>The Living Daylights</em> (1987), Bond watches shifted to Omega Seamaster — first the Quartz Seamaster, then the Diver 300M (since <em>GoldenEye</em>, 1995).</p>

What is The Essential Watch Guide?

The Essential Watch Guide is an editorial publication covering luxury watchmaking — Swiss heritage houses, dive watches, vintage timepieces, and the makers worth knowing. Coverage includes Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Omega, Tudor, and dozens more. Editorial focus: history, signature collections, what to look for when buying, and how value holds.

Which Swiss watch brands are the most prestigious?

The "Holy Trinity" of Swiss watchmaking is Patek Philippe (founded 1839), Audemars Piguet (1875), and Vacheron Constantin (1755) — the three houses widely considered the apex of haute horlogerie. Rolex is the most recognized worldwide; Jaeger-LeCoultre supplies movements to many top brands; Blancpain is the oldest continuously operating watchmaker (founded 1735). Independent makers like F.P. Journe and Richard Mille operate at the same tier with smaller production runs.

What makes a watch "Swiss made"?

Swiss law requires that a watch labeled "Swiss made" must have its movement assembled in Switzerland, its movement cased in Switzerland, undergone final inspection by the manufacturer in Switzerland, and have at least 60% of its production cost incurred in Switzerland. The standard is enforced by the Federal Council and the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH.