The Rolex Submariner Buying Guide

The Best Watches Under $100 | The Best Watches Under $200 | The Best Watches Under $500 | The Best Watches Under $1,000 |

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060

The purist’s choice from the current catalog, with a 41mm Oystersteel case, a black time-only dial, and Rolex’s latest automatic movement. If you actually use your dive watch for diving, you can’t do much better than this.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 16610LV

To celebrate the Submariner’s 50th anniversary in 2003, Rolex introduced a new model with a green bezel (the “LV” stands for lunette verte) that was eventually dubbed “Kermit” by fans, after The Muppets’ famous singing frog.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 116610LV

After the Kermit was discontinued in 2010, Rolex turned up the fun by adding a green dial to the mix, earning this steel Sub its “Hulk” nickname.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 116610

This 2010 model brought in some big changes for the Submariner Date, including a ceramic bezel, Chromalight lume, a new movement, and—most notably—a beefier case with enlarged lugs and crown guards.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538

This early Sub was produced from 1954-1959 and is recognizable by its oversized winding crown and lack of crown guards. More importantly, though, it was the watch worn by Sean Connery onscreen in such box office bangers as Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger, making it forever known as the “Bond Sub.”

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 116619LB

Rolex marked its 2008 centenary with the first Submariner to boast a case and bracelet made from 18k white gold. Fitted with a blue dial and matching bezel, this notorious (and since-discontinued) reference is now known as—what else?—the “Smurf.”

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 168000

The so-called “Triple-Zero” was the first Sub with a case made from upgraded 904L steel, and marks the shift between vintage and modern Submariner designs. Because it was made for less than a year in the late 1980s, this is one of the more collectible Subs of the modern era.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 1680

The advent of the first Submariner Date, the 1680, marked the Submariner’s shift from hardcore tool watch to quintessential desk diver. Made from the late 1960s until 1980, it was also the first Sub to be available in full gold and two-tone variants. Within this reference are also the so-called “Red Sub” versions, which are particularly sought after by collectors thanks to the Submariner name printed in red ink on the dial.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513

For anyone looking to get into vintage Subs without spending a fortune, this reference, which was in production from 1962 until 1989, is a good place to start. Later examples can be found in the high four figures (which, unfortunately, is about as affordable as it gets for vintage Subs), and it also has the distinction of being worn by James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 1680/16800/168000 “Comex”

The French underwater engineering firm Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises isn’t a brand most of us would be familiar with if not for its prominent place in the history of the Submariner. From the 1970s through the 1990s, Rolex produced a half-dozen different Submariner references for COMEX divers, many of them with the COMEX logo prominently stamped on the dial. Did it improve the look of the watch? Debatable. Does it make these some of the most collectible (and priciest) Subs out there? It sure does.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 5512

If you want to know the exact moment that the Sub came of age, many collectors will point to this historic reference produced from 1959-1979. The ref. 5512 was made in a whole whack of different variants during its life, but they’re all distinguished by a modern-sized 40mm case (up from 38mm previously) and guards on either side of the crown (Submariner collectors love to talk about crown guards). Oh, and it just so happened to be Steve McQueen’s Sub of choice.