Rolex Submariner: history, references and official videos

Introduced

1953 (per Rolex)

Case

40 mm for decades → 41 mm since 2020

Movement today

Calibre 3230 (no date), 3235 (date)

Water resistance

300 m (1,000 ft)

Auction example

$1,068,500, Ref. 6538 (2018)

Where the Submariner comes from

Rolex dates the Oyster Perpetual Submariner to 1953. Other sources describe its public debut at the Basel watch fair in 1954. Rolex had built water-resistant watches since the 1930s, and the Submariner became the first of the brand's sport-specific lines. The first model was waterproof to 100 meters (330 feet). Today's Submariner is rated to 300 meters (1,000 feet). Jacques-Yves Cousteau is said to have worn early Submariners and to have played a part in their development.

The Submariner generations

The reference number tells you which generation you have. Four digits mean the early watches, five digits the 1970s to 2000s, and six digits the modern ones.

The no-date and date versions run side by side. The date version, with its Cyclops lens over the date window, arrived with the Reference 1680 in the late 1960s, and a yellow gold version followed in 1969. The modern no-date watches use calibre 3230, the date watches calibre 3235.

Notable versions

• Reference 6538 "Big Crown": Sean Connery wore a Reference 6538 in his first four Bond films.
• Reference 5513: a no-date model that stayed in production for almost three decades and is a favorite with vintage collectors.
• Reference 5517: the "MilSub", made from 1971 to 1979 for the British Royal Navy.
• Green bezels: the 16610LV "Kermit" (2003, for the 50th anniversary) and the 116610LV "Hulk" (2010).

Do not confuse the Submariner with the Rolex Sea-Dweller, which has its own references. Tudor also sells diving watches that look similar, but they are different watches at a different price.

What is a Rolex Submariner worth?

The value depends on the reference, the generation, the dial and bezel, the condition, whether the parts are original, and whether box and papers are present. Early references and well-preserved vintage watches draw the most attention from collectors. Modern watches are valued mainly on condition and completeness. As one example from the top end, a Reference 6538 "Big Crown" sold for $1,068,500 at Christie's in New York on 13 June 2018. That is an exceptional vintage piece, not a guide for a typical watch.

Own a Submariner? Upload a few photos and get a free value estimate: estimate my Rolex Submariner · How much is my watch worth?

Official Rolex Submariner videos

All videos come from the official Rolex YouTube channel. They show the design details, the Triplock crown and the Chromalight display – the setting guide is How to Set Your Rolex Submariner.

• Rolex Submariner – Triple Sealed2026-08-14
• Rolex Submariner – Below and Beyond2026-08-06
• Rolex Submariner – Dive Into Another World2026-07-02
• Rolex Submariner Date – Triplock Winding Crown2025-02-14
• Rolex Submariner Date – Chromalight Hands and Hour Markers2024-11-04
• Rolex User Guides – How to Set Your Rolex Submariner2021-08-17

More Rolex videos, sorted by model: all official Rolex playlists.

SwissWatchExperts is not affiliated with Rolex. Brand and model names are trademarks of their owners; the videos are embedded from the official Rolex YouTube channel.

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