The Rolex Submariner: The History and References Behind the World’s Most Famous Dive Watch
Few watches have influenced modern watchmaking as profoundly as the Rolex Submariner.
Introduced in 1953 as a professional diving instrument, the Submariner has evolved from a relatively simple steel tool watch into one of the most recognisable and desirable luxury watches in the world.
Its basic formula is remarkably simple: a waterproof Oyster case, rotating timing bezel, highly legible dial, luminous hands and markers, automatic movement and robust Oyster bracelet.
Yet more than 70 years of development have produced an extraordinary family of references and collector favourites.
From the early 6204 and legendary Big Crown 6538, through the 5513, 1680 Red Sub, 16610LV Kermit, 116610LV Hulk and today's 126610LV, the history of the Submariner is effectively the history of the modern dive watch.
1953: The Birth of the Rolex Submariner
Rolex introduced the Submariner in 1953, creating its first divers' wristwatch waterproof to 100 metres.
One of the earliest references associated with the beginning of the collection is the Submariner Ref. 6204.
Compared with a modern Submariner, the 6204 appears surprisingly delicate.
There were no crown guards. The winding crown was smaller, early examples could feature slender hands and even the Submariner name itself wasn't presented identically across every surviving watch.
But the essential concept was already there:
a waterproof automatic wristwatch with a rotating bezel that allowed divers to measure time underwater.
Rolex Submariner Ref. 6204
Era: 1950s
Bezel: Black rotating timing bezel
Crown guards: None
Why it matters: One of the references that established the Submariner family
The Big Crown Era
Rolex developed the Submariner rapidly during the 1950s.
References including the 6200, 6205, 6536 and 6538 demonstrate how Rolex continuously refined the concept.
Crown sizes changed.
Hands changed.
Dials changed.
Depth ratings evolved.
And one reference became particularly legendary.
Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538 — The Big Crown
The 6538 is one of the most desirable early Submariners ever produced.
Its defining feature is its oversized 8mm winding crown, which gave the watch its famous collector nickname:
The Big Crown.
Without protective crown guards, that oversized crown dominates the profile of the watch.
Today the design feels exceptionally pure — black bezel, gilt-style dial details, Mercedes hands and very little visual clutter.
James Bond and the Submariner
The 6538 also gained one of the most important cultural associations in Rolex history.
Sean Connery wore a Rolex Submariner in the early James Bond films, helping transform the watch from specialist diving equipment into something considerably more glamorous.
The combination worked perfectly.
Bond needed a watch that could look natural with diving equipment but equally convincing with formal clothing.
The Submariner did both.
That versatility remains one of the reasons the model is so successful today.
Ref. 5508 — The Small Crown
Not every early Submariner used an oversized crown.
The reference 5508 is associated with the cleaner "Small Crown" style.
It retained the beautiful crown-guard-free case of the earlier watches while presenting something much closer to the classic Submariner dial and handset we recognise today.
The 5508 represents the end of an important period.
Rolex was about to introduce one feature that would permanently alter the profile of the Submariner.
Crown guards.
Ref. 5512 — The Modern Submariner Takes Shape
Introduced in 1959, the reference 5512 represents one of the biggest evolutionary steps in Submariner history.
Rolex added protective shoulders around the winding crown.
Early examples appeared with unusual crown-guard shapes before the design gradually evolved toward the familiar rounded form.
The case was also approximately 40mm in diameter.
This created a design language that would define the Submariner for decades.
Rolex Submariner Ref. 5512
Introduced: 1959
Case: Approximately 40mm
Major development: Crown guards
Why it matters: Established the architecture of the classic Submariner
Ref. 5513: The Quintessential Vintage Submariner
If one reference captures the golden age of the Rolex tool watch, it may be the 5513.
Introduced in 1962, the 5513 remained in production for decades.
It is beautifully simple.
No date.
No Cyclops.
Black bezel.
Black dial.
Mercedes hands.
Oyster bracelet.
Nothing unnecessary.
The long production period resulted in numerous dial variations.
Collectors now examine details including:
gilt and matte dials,
metres-first and feet-first depth ratings,
Maxi dials,
different coronet designs,
dial typography,
luminous material,
bezel inserts,
and bracelet configurations.
Differences that once seemed insignificant can now dramatically affect collectability.
When Age Becomes Beautiful
Vintage Submariners can develop characteristics impossible to reproduce authentically in a modern watch.
Tritium lume may change from white into warm cream or yellow tones.
Black aluminium bezels can fade into grey, charcoal or almost silver.
Some dials can develop unusual changes in colour over decades.
Collectors often refer to heavily faded bezel inserts as ghost bezels.
IMAGE: Ref. 5513 with faded "ghost" bezel
Caption: Decades of sunlight, salt water and wear can transform a black aluminium bezel into the pale grey tones prized by vintage collectors.
Technically, these changes are deterioration.
Emotionally, they're something very different.
They give every vintage Submariner its own personality.
The Military Submariner: 5513 and 5517
The Submariner wasn't merely marketed as a professional watch.
Some examples genuinely became professional equipment.
Rolex supplied specially configured Submariners for British military use, including watches associated with references 5513 and 5517.
Collectors know them as:
MilSubs.
Military examples can feature characteristics such as:
fixed strap bars,
sword-style hands,
fully graduated bezel inserts,
military caseback markings,
and the circled-T marking associated with tritium
Correct, documented examples are among the most desirable military Rolex watches in existence.
COMEX and the Professional Diving Era
Another extraordinary chapter came through Rolex's relationship with French commercial diving specialist COMEX.
Saturation diving presented watch manufacturers with a difficult technical problem.
During prolonged periods in pressurised environments, helium could enter a watch case. As divers decompressed, that gas needed a safe route out.
Rolex's work around professional saturation diving eventually became associated with highly specialised watches and helium-release technology.
Rare COMEX-associated Submariners include examples of references such as the 5513 and 5514.
These watches capture a period when a Rolex sports watch could genuinely be issued as working equipment.
Ref. 1680: The First Submariner Date
For its early life, the Submariner was a time-only watch.
That changed with the reference 1680.
For the first time, Rolex added a date window at three o'clock together with the characteristic Cyclops magnification lens.
The move effectively created two different Submariner philosophies:
Submariner — no date
and
Submariner Date.
Both survive today.
The Red Submariner
Early examples of the 1680 featured one small detail that has become enormously important to collectors.
The word:
SUBMARINER
was printed in red.
These watches are now universally known as:
Red Subs.
Multiple dial configurations exist, with collectors separating them into different Mark variations.
Original examples with attractive tritium lume and strong cases can be particularly desirable.
Rolex Submariner Ref. 1680
Era: Late 1960s onwards
Major development: First Submariner Date
Crystal: Acrylic
Collector favourite: Early red-text dial
From Tool Watch to Luxury Watch
The 1680 era also demonstrated how Rolex's perception of the Submariner was beginning to change.
The arrival of precious-metal versions showed that a watch designed for professional diving could simultaneously become a luxury product.
Over subsequent generations Rolex introduced:
yellow-gold Submariners,
two-tone Rolesor models,
blue dials,
blue bezels,
and eventually white-gold configurations.
The Submariner hadn't abandoned its diving capability.
It had simply become something more.
Ref. 16800: The Transitional Submariner
Around the end of the 1970s, the 16800 moved the Submariner significantly closer to the watch we know today.
Important developments included:
sapphire crystal,
300 metres of water resistance,
a unidirectional bezel,
calibre 3035,
and quick-set date adjustment.
Early examples could retain matte dials, while later examples adopted glossy dials with white-gold surrounds around the hour markers.
That combination of old and new explains why the 16800 is often described as a:
Ref. 16610: The Modern Classic
For many enthusiasts, the 16610 represents the perfect everyday Submariner.
Introduced at the end of the 1980s, it combined the traditional 40mm case and aluminium bezel with Rolex's long-serving calibre 3135.
It remained in production for more than two decades.
That makes the 16610 an interesting bridge.
It feels substantially more modern than an acrylic 1680 but considerably slimmer and more restrained than the ceramic watches that followed.
For many people, this is the Submariner they picture when somebody says "Rolex."
Ref. 14060 and 14060M: The Purist's Submariner
Running alongside the 16610 was the no-date 14060.
Without a date aperture or Cyclops, the dial remained perfectly symmetrical.
Later 14060M examples introduced movement updates while preserving the traditional appearance.
For collectors who want vintage-style proportions without going fully vintage, the 14060 family remains extremely appealing.
2003: The Ref. 16610LV "Kermit"
For the Submariner's 50th anniversary, Rolex did something unusual.
It turned the bezel green.
The result was the 16610LV.
Collectors nicknamed it:
The Kermit.
The watch paired its green aluminium bezel with a black dial and larger Maxi-style hour markers.
What initially looked unconventional eventually became one of Rolex's most successful modern design themes.
Green would return.
And next time, Rolex would use considerably more of it.
2010: The Ceramic Generation
The six-digit Submariner represented one of the biggest visual changes in decades.
The 116610LN introduced the broad proportions commonly referred to as the Maxi Case or Super Case.
The familiar aluminium bezel insert was replaced by Rolex's highly scratch-resistant Cerachrom ceramic.
The bracelet and clasp were also transformed.
Rolex's Glidelock system allowed fine bracelet adjustment without tools.
The watch had become more substantial, more technical and noticeably more luxurious.
Ref. 116610LV: The Hulk
The most unforgettable watch from this generation was undoubtedly the:
116610LV.
Green bezel.
Green dial.
Ceramic insert.
Large case.
Collectors quickly gave it the obvious nickname:
The Hulk.
The dial is particularly effective.
Depending on the light, it can move between dark forest green and an almost brilliant metallic shade.
When Rolex discontinued the Hulk in 2020, the model immediately became an important reference within modern Submariner collecting.
Kermit vs Hulk
Placed alongside one another, the Kermit and Hulk demonstrate how much the Submariner changed in only a few years.
16610LV Kermit
Green aluminium bezel
Black dial
Slender 40mm case
Older-style bracelet and clasp
116610LV Hulk
Green ceramic bezel
Green sunburst dial
Broader 40mm Maxi Case
Modern Glidelock bracelet
One feels like the final chapter of the classic aluminium era.
The other unmistakably belongs to the modern Rolex age.
2020: The 41mm Submariner
Rolex redesigned the Submariner family again in 2020.
The headline change was a nominal increase in diameter to 41mm.
Yet despite becoming larger on paper, the redesigned proportions created slimmer-looking lugs than the outgoing Maxi Case.
New movements arrived too.
The result was a Submariner that combined modern specifications with proportions many collectors considered more balanced.
Ref. 124060: The Modern No-Date Submariner
The current no-date model is the:
Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060.
It represents the original Submariner formula distilled into a modern watch.
No date.
No Cyclops.
Black dial.
Black ceramic bezel.
Oyster bracelet.
Inside is Rolex's calibre 3230 with approximately 70 hours of power reserve.
Ref. 126610LN: The Modern Submariner Date
The modern black Submariner Date is the 126610LN.
It features a 41mm Oystersteel case, black Cerachrom bezel, black dial, sapphire crystal, Cyclops date display and Rolex calibre 3235.
Its water resistance remains 300 metres.
Modern technology has transformed almost every component.
Visually, however, it is still unmistakably descended from the early Submariners of the 1950s.
Ref. 126610LV: The Green Bezel Returns
Rolex discontinued the Hulk in 2020.
But it didn't abandon green.
Instead, the company introduced the 126610LV.
The green ceramic bezel remained.
The green dial didn't.
Rolex returned to a black dial, creating a design closer in spirit to the original Kermit.
Collectors commonly nickname the watch:
Starbucks.
As always, these collector nicknames aren't official Rolex model names.
Three Generation of Green
Few images demonstrate the evolution of the modern Submariner better than putting its three famous green references together.
The comparison perfectly demonstrates Rolex's evolutionary design philosophy.
The watches change.
But never enough to lose their identity.
The Blue Submariner
Green isn't the only colour with an important place in Submariner history.
Blue has become particularly associated with the more luxurious side of the collection.
Two-tone blue Submariners such as the 16613LB, 116613LB and 126613LB became known affectionately among collectors as:
Bluesy.
Then there was the white-gold 116619LB.
With its blue bezel and blue dial, collectors gave it another nickname:
Smurf.
Its successor, the 126619LB, retained the blue ceramic bezel but moved to a black dial.
These references demonstrate just how far the Submariner has travelled from its purely utilitarian origins.
The Essential Rolex Submariner References
For anyone exploring Submariner history, these are the reference numbers worth knowing:
ReferenceEraSignificance6204
1950sOne of the earliest Submariners
62001950sImportant early Big Crown reference
65381950sBig Crown and Bond association
55081950sClassic Small Crown
5512From 1959Crown guards and classic case architecture
5513From 1962Definitive vintage no-date Submariner
55171970sBritish military MilSub
55141970sRare COMEX-associated reference
1680From the late 1960sFirst Submariner Date
16800From around 1979Sapphire, 300m and quick-set date
1680001980sShort-lived transitional Triple-Zero
166101980s–2010Classic modern aluminium-bezel Date
14060 / 14060M1990s–2010sModern no-date classic
16610LVFrom 200350th Anniversary Kermit
116610LN2010–2020Ceramic black Submariner Date
116610LV2010–2020Hulk
1140602010sCeramic no-date Submariner
124060Current generationModern no-date Submariner
126610LNCurrent generationModern black Submariner Date
126610LVCurrent generationModern green-bezel Submariner Date
Understanding the Nicknames
Rolex collectors have effectively created their own vocabulary.
Big Crown — Early Submariners with oversized winding crowns, particularly the 6538.
MilSub — Military-issued Submariners associated particularly with references 5513 and 5517.
Red Sub — Early 1680 examples with SUBMARINER printed in red.
Kermit — Ref. 16610LV with black dial and green aluminium bezel.
Hulk — Ref. 116610LV with green dial and green ceramic bezel.
Starbucks — Popular nickname for the modern 126610LV.
Bluesy — Two-tone blue Submariners.
Smurf — White-gold Ref. 116619LB with blue bezel and blue dial.
These names aren't official Rolex terminology, but they have become an important part of collector culture.
What Collectors Look For
Vintage Submariner collecting can become remarkably detailed.
Collectors may examine:
dial typography,
luminous material,
bezel inserts,
hand sets,
crowns,
crystals,
bracelets,
end links,
serial ranges,
movement correctness,
case thickness,
and whether the watch has been heavily polished.
Originality can matter more than cosmetic perfection.
A vintage Submariner with faded lume and a scratched original bezel may be substantially more interesting than one fitted with sparkling replacement components.
The imperfections tell its story.
Why the Submariner Became an Icon
There are technically more complicated dive watches.
There are rarer watches.
There are watches capable of surviving much greater depths.
But extraordinarily few have achieved the cultural reach of the Submariner.
The reason is partly consistency.
Rolex has never radically reinvented it.
Instead, the company has gradually improved almost every component.
Acrylic became sapphire.
Aluminium became ceramic.
Movements became more efficient.
Bracelets became stronger.
Clasps became more sophisticated.
Luminous materials improved.
Water resistance increased.
Yet the Submariner remained recognisable.
From Tool Watch to Luxury Icon
Perhaps the most fascinating part of the Submariner story is how dramatically its position has changed.
Early watches were professional equipment.
Divers wore them underwater.
Military personnel were issued versions of them.
Commercial divers tested them.
Owners scratched them, repaired them and simply got on with wearing them.
Today, a Submariner is just as likely to be seen beneath the cuff of a tailored suit.
Rare vintage references can command extraordinary sums.
And watches once regarded as replaceable equipment are now treated as historical objects.
But underneath the collectability, celebrity and luxury status remains the original idea.
The Legacy of the Rolex Submariner
More than 70 years after its introduction, the Rolex Submariner remains a benchmark for the dive watch.
The 6204 helped begin the story.
The 6538 gave us the legendary Big Crown.
The 5512 established the classic crown-guard case.
The 5513 perfected the no-date tool watch.
The 1680 introduced the date.
The 16800 brought sapphire and 300-metre water resistance.
The 16610 defined the modern aluminium-bezel Submariner.
The 16610LV gave us the Kermit.
The 116610LV became the Hulk.
And today's 124060, 126610LN and 126610LV carry that history into a new generation.
FINAL IMAGE: Modern Submariner photographed underwater or beside vintage diving equipment
Caption: From professional diving instrument to global icon, the Submariner has changed enormously without ever losing its identity.
The Submariner began as equipment for divers.
It became a military watch.
A Bond watch.
A collector's watch.
A luxury watch.
And ultimately, an icon.
Yet its original philosophy remains beautifully simple:
build a watch capable of going underwater, make it exceptionally easy to read and engineer it to survive.
