Initially introduced in 1953, the Rolex Submariner was the first wristwatch to be water-resistant to a depth of 100 meters. Although the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms were technically the world’s first dive best replica Rolex Submariner watches, they were the Rolex Submariner that ultimately became the archetype of the modern diver’s timepiece. By employing the use of Rolex’s patented, screw-down crown and Oyster case, the Submariner was able to achieve a greater depth rating than the Fifty Fathoms, and also benefited from more reliable, water-resistant seals.
Since its initial release more than six decades ago, the Submariner has remained in continuous production; however, despite its remarkably long and illustrious history, the overall aesthetic of the Submariner has remained incredibly consistent – and for good reason too. The Submariner is a true classic, and its appearance is one of the most timeless and widely recognizable designs from any timepiece manufacturer.
While it was not the first watch to be specifically designed for SCUBA diving, no timepiece has played a greater role in shaping and advancing the overall dive watch category than the Rolex Submariner. The Submariner ranks among the most iconic and widely imitated designs in the entire wristwatch industry, and nearly every dive watch manufactured today has in some way been influenced by the aesthetic and feature-set of the original Submariner.
Then: Rolex Submariner Reference 6204
Three different Submariner references were released within the first two years of its production; however, the reference 6204 is widely considered to be the very first Submariner that Rolex ever put forward. Early Submariner references were largely based on the design of Rolex’s existing Turn-O-Graph watch; and as a result, the reference 6204 consisted of a 38 mm stainless steel case (without crown-guards) that was fitted with a black rotating timing bezel, a thick acrylic crystal, and Rolex’s now-iconic, “sport” dial.
For the first decade and a half of its existence, the Submariner was a highly water-resistant, self-winding watch that was capable of displaying nothing more than the time of day with a running seconds hand. Due to its incredibly early place within the Submariner’s history, the reference 6204 pre-dated the introduction of “Mercedes” style hands, and instead was fitted with “pencil” style hands, like those found on the original Turn-O-Graph.
As with other high quality Rolex fake watches of the era, the Submariner ref. 6204 features a glossy black dial with gold-toned accents (nicknamed the gilt-gloss dial) and uses radium for luminescence. It’s also important to note that while the dials started out glossy, many original 6204 dials should have taken on a matte finish after six decades of existence.
Additionally, its friction-fitted, timing bezel rotated bi-directionally and it was paired with a black aluminum bezel insert graduated to 60 minutes. It is common for original bezel inserts of vintage Submariners to be scratched and faded due to prolonged use and exposure to saltwater and sunlight.
Rolex fitted the ref. 6204 with the sporty and durable three-link Oyster bracelet and since then, the brand has only offered this particular bracelet style with Submariner watches. Powering the watch is Caliber A260, which was Rolex’s most robust automatic movement at the time, complete with shock protection.
Now: Rolex Submariner Reference 124060
In 2020, Rolex released the newest generation of the flagship dive perfect Rolex fake watches with the Submariner ref. 124060. Like the long lineage of time-only Submariner models that preceded it, the Submariner ref. 124060 is exclusively available in stainless steel and fitted with a black dial and black bezel. As such, the reference 124060 is the modern-day equivalent of the original Submariner 6204.
However, given the almost 70-year gap between the two models, many details have naturally been upgraded, modified, and amplified along the way. The Submariner 124060 features a 41mm case, which happens to be the largest Submariner size ever made, taking over from the once-traditional 40mm case size. The unidirectional bezel includes a Cerachrom insert, which is Rolex’s proprietary ceramic alloy material that’s both scratch and fade resistant.
The black glossy dial of the reference 124060 is home to Mercedes-style hands and the familiar mix of triangular, rectangular, and round hour markers – all coated with Rolex’s Chromalight luminous material that offers a long-lasting blue glow in the dark.
Like the preceding generation, the Oyster bracelet of the Submariner 124060 (which features solid links and solid end-links) benefits from the sturdy Oysterlock safety clasp and practical Rolex Glidelock extension system. However, to accommodate the larger case and broader lug width, the Oyster bracelet is now 1mm wider, measuring 21mm at the end-links.
Finally, one of the biggest advancements of the latest Submariner is its movement, the Caliber 3230. Entirely designed and manufactured in-house, the Caliber 3230 launched in 2020 and it joins the other new-generation Rolex automatic movements that are based around the brand’s proprietary Chronergy escapement and boast 70 hours of power reserve with accuracy ratings of -2/+2 seconds per day.
Also Now: Rolex Submariner Date Reference 1266xx
Though Rolex has clearly continued the legacy of the original Submariner tool watch with the current Submariner 124060, there’s another subset of the collection that’s positioned more so as the ultimate luxury sports perfect fake Rolex watches rather than utilitarian diver: the Submariner Date. The first Submariner Date made its debut in 1967 with the steel Submariner ref. 1680. Since then, Rolex has expanded the collection to include other material options and bezel and dial colors.
For 2020, Rolex released an entirely new lineup of the Submariner Date in several materials and colorways. These new references all feature the larger 41mm case size, wider 21mm Oyster bracelet, and new-gen Caliber 3235 automatic movement.
Interestingly, Rolex has selected to pair the steel and white gold versions exclusively with black dials, even on the versions with different color bezels. Conversely, the two-tone versions and solid gold versions continue the tradition of matching the dial color with the bezel color.
The Evolution of the Rolex Submariner Case
The earliest versions of the Submariner not only had 38mm cases but they also did not include crown guards. In 1959, Rolex launched the Submariner ref. 5512 with a larger 40mm case and protective shoulders around the winding crown. This reference established the Submariner size and silhouette for the next 60 years.
2020 marked the next biggest change to the Submariner case when Rolex increased it to 41mm, which is now the standard for the famed dive watch. Another significant feature of the Submariner case is, of course, its water resistance, which has since tripled from its original 100-meter rating to its current 300-meter rating.
The Rolex Submariner, Then and Now
Each new generation of the Rolex Submariner brought about incremental changes both in terms of aesthetics and mechanics, which has resulted in significant improvements over the course of almost 70 years. Though the Submariner has progressed since its introduction in the mid-20th Century, the link between the first and current model is undeniable.
A Submariner, regardless of its age, will always be recognized thanks to Rolex’s unwavering ability to stay true to the fundamentals while continuously and painstakingly improving every detail it can. As the model now approaches its seventh decade of production, it’s no wonder why the Rolex Submariner is the most famous and influential dive AAA+ clone Rolex watches in the entire world.