The AAA US Rolex Submariner replica watches. It’s quite possibly the most recognized watch the world over. Despite practical origins, vintage references are treated with near mystical reverence and modern “Subs” are symbols of luxury and prestige. It can be intimidating to approach this world from the outside, but we’re here to help.

The prototypical dive watch, introduced in 1953, the Submariner has evolved over its lifetime. But high quality Rolex fake watches isn’t the type of company to introduce sweeping changes in one of its flagship products simply for the hell of it — in fact, the changes can be so incremental that a novice watch buyer (or even a watch nerd!) might have trouble identifying them.

Though the Submariner was in fact an outgrowth of the water-resistant, Oyster-cased luxury replica Rolex watches of the 1930s and 1940s, it emerged largely fully formed — to the extent that if a time-traveling Hans Wilsdorf (Rolex’s founder) suddenly emerged in the 2020s, he would certainly recognize a modern version. All of the classic Sub hallmarks were present in ‘53: the black, luminous dial; the rotating dive bezel; the matching steel bracelet; the screw-down crown.

And yet. Watch nerds love to get into the minutiae and really pick apart what differentiates one Sub from another. In fact, the taxonomy has become so dense that said nerds will differentiate different versions within a single reference number — matte vs. glossy 5513s, for example, or red or white 1680s. It gets intense.

But that’s what we’re here for — we’re going to break down each reference for you so that you can fit in at your next Red Bar meeting. (Alternatively, if you need to put normal, non-watch people to sleep, this is great ammunition to stuff into your Boredom Cannon.) But we’re not going to get into every single variation within every single reference. (If you want that type of breakdown, we recommend this post from our good friend Stephen Pulvirent at Hodinkee. It’s wildly detailed.) We’re here to give you a “comprehensive overview,” so to speak.

So without further ado, here we go…

A Bit of History

Rolex first employed a water-resistant (“waterproof,” in its own early terminology) watch case in the 1920s, which it dubbed the “Oyster.” Company founder Hans Wilsdorf was a brilliant marketer, and even had English swimmer Mercedes Glitz wear one of these Rolex copy watches for sale around her neck as she attempted to swim the English Channel in 1927, taking out print advertisements featuring her with the watch. In the early 1930s, he combined the Oyster case with an automatic movement, giving birth to the Oyster Perpetual. Today, all Oyster-cased, automatic Swiss movements Rolex replica watches bear this nomenclature in addition to their individual model names.

In 1953, as recreational SCUBA diving was taking hold in the public consciousness post-WWII, Rolex launched the Submariner, one of the world’s first dedicated diving watches. (The Zodiac Sea Wolf and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms launched at almost the exact same time.) Water-resistant to 100m and featuring a rotating dive bezel, it proved the prototype to thousands of Rolex fake watches shop online that followed it into the murky depths.

Throughout the years, Rolex iterated upon the initial design, adding crown guards, upsizing the case somewhat, and, eventually, offering a model with a date. (Technically, the Submariner and the Submariner Date are two different 1:1 best replica Rolex watches that often exist concurrently within the Rolex catalog at any given time.) It also began offering gold-cased Subs, and then Subs with different-colored bezels. These days, as a Rolex collector, the world is sort of your Oyster.

(See what we did there?)

The Current Crop

These are the Subs in the current Rolex catalog.

Ref. 124060 (2020-)

The ref. 124060 replaced the ref. 114060, upping the case size to 41mm for the first time and adding a new movement. Despite the larger case size, Rolex slimmed down the lugs from those of the “Super” case, making for Rolex super clone watches store site that wears more like a 40mm model. The Rolex crown is now featured at 6 o’clock, while the Cal. 3230 features 70 hours of power reserve. This is the basic “No Date” model.

    Diameter: 41mm

    Bracelet: Oyster

    Lug Holes: No

    Rehaut: Engraved

    Lume: Chromalight

    Movement: Cal. 3230 automatic

    Chronometer-Certified: Yes

    Water Resistance: 300m

Ref. 126610 (2020-)

The cheap replica Rolex Sumariner Date watches. In 2020, the ref. 126610 replaced the ref. 116610 and upped the case size to 41mm. It’s available in seven different iterations. Similarly to the ref. 124060, the 41mm case features thinner lugs than that of the previous-gen ref. 116610, while an updated movement features a 70-hour power reserve. This reference comes in two variants: one with a monochromatic look and black bezel and the other with a green bezel nicknamed the “Kermit.”

    Diameter: 41mm

    Bracelet: Oyster

    Lug Holes: No

    Rehaut: Engraved

    Lume: Chromalight

    Movement: Cal. 3235 automatic

    Chronometer-Certified: Yes

    Water Resistance: 300m

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