Vintage Rolex Submariner: the complete reference guide from 1953 to 1989

In the world of vintage watches, some objects are collected — and some created a category. The Rolex Submariner belongs firmly to the second family. When Rolex introduced its first example in 1953, no one outside its workshops could have predicted that this watch would permanently define what a “dive watch” is.

More than seventy years later, the Submariner is not merely the most iconic diver ever produced: it is the absolute reference around which a significant portion of the high-end vintage market still rotates. But the Submariner is not a watch. It is a family. And understanding its references — knowing how to distinguish them, recognising their evolution, correctly placing them in their historical context — is what separates a buyer from a collector.

1953-1955: the birth of an icon (Refs. 6204, 6205, 6200)

The first Rolex Submariner appeared in 1953 with reference 6204, officially unveiled at Baselworld 1954. It was a restrained watch: black dial, radium-lumed indices, 37 mm case, 100 metres of water resistance. The crown was small, unprotected, the crystal a domed plexiglass, and the hands of the “pencil” type. Reference 6205, which succeeded the 6204 in early 1954, is remembered by collectors today as the “clean dial” Submariner, owing to the initial absence of the word “Submariner” on the dial. The very earliest 6205 watches still wore the pencil hands inherited from the 6204; it was only on the second series, still within 1954, that the Mercedes hands destined to become the Submariner’s signature appeared for the first time.

In 1954 came reference 6200, known today among collectors as the first “Big Crown”: an 8 mm unprotected crown designed to be operated even with gloved hands. Depth rating jumped to 200 metres. Produced in very small numbers, the 6200 is today one of the most desired and expensive pieces in the entire Submariner lineage. Some examples featured the “Explorer” dial with 3-6-9 indices, before the design was definitively standardised.

1955-1959: aesthetic standardisation (Refs. 6536, 6538, 5508)

From 1955, Rolex began rationalising the line. Reference 6536 — and its successor 6536-1 — offered 100 metres of depth with the smaller crown. The 6538 was the flagship: Big Crown, 200 metres, four-line dial. This is the reference Sean Connery wore in “Dr. No” (1962), cementing the Submariner in popular culture.

1957 saw the arrival of reference 5508: 200 metres of depth, small crown (6 mm). It featured the celebrated “chapter ring” — a minute track printed along the dial edge — and gilt dials, with text and indices in gold on a glossy base. These glossy gilt dials are today among the most sought-after elements in vintage collecting, capable of significantly shifting the value of an example.

1959-1980: the era of crown guards (Refs. 5512 and 5513)

The true aesthetic turning point arrived in 1959 with reference 5512. It was the first Submariner to feature crown guards — a detail that would become the signature of every Rolex sports watch to follow. Early 5512s had “square” crown guards, soon replaced by “pointed” and then “round” versions. From 1962 the 5512 received Chronometer certification, and the four lines “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” appeared on the dial — giving rise to the “four liner” nickname.

In parallel, 1962 saw the introduction of reference 5513, the non-chronometer version of the 5512, identified by just two lines on the dial (“Submariner 660ft=200m” — the “two liner”). The 5513 had the longest production run in Submariner history: it remained in the catalogue until 1989. Its longevity alone explains why the 5513 exists in dozens of variants: glossy gilt dials through 1966-67, then matte dials with white printing; Mark I, II, III and IV dial variations with subtle printing differences; “fat font” and “thin font” bezels. This richness of detail has made the 5513 one of the most studied — and most counterfeited — references in all of vintage.

Within the 5513 era belongs one of the most mythologised references of all: the MilSub 5517, supplied to the British Royal Navy during the 1970s, with 60-minute graduated bezel, fixed spring bars, and squared “sword” hands. Authentic MilSubs are among the rarest and most expensive pieces in vintage collecting.

1969-1979: the Submariner gets a date (Ref. 1680)

With reference 1680, introduced in 1969, the Submariner made a significant leap: the date was added. It was the first reference to incorporate the “cyclops” lens on the crystal — a visual signature now shared by every Rolex model with a date. The very earliest 1680 series, through roughly 1975, featured the “Submariner” text printed in red — giving rise to the legendary nickname “Red Submariner” or “Red Sub”. These Red Subs, divided by collectors into six distinct Marks, represent one of the most coveted variants in all of vintage Rolex.

Parallel to the steel production, Rolex produced the 1680/8 in yellow gold, often with blue or black dial. This was the first true “luxury Submariner,” the ancestor of the two-tone and full-gold range Rolex would develop through the 1980s.

What to look for today: the details that make the value

Assessing a vintage Submariner means decoding dozens of micro-signals. Three elements are crucial. First, dial originality: an untouched original dial, with uniform patina and tritium indices ageing coherently, can easily double the value of an example compared to one with a refinished dial. Second, case integrity: original, unpolished Submariners retain the characteristic “fat lugs” that polishing tends to erode. Third, production coherence: each reference has a specific serial number range, bracelet types (riveted, folded, Oyster), bezel inserts and hand styles consistent with the period. Any inconsistency is a signal worth investigating further.

For this reason, buying a vintage Submariner is never purely a financial act: it is an act of knowledge. And relying on a specialist dealer — someone who knows the production reference by reference, and can read the historical coherence of a given example — is not an added cost. It is the first real line item of the investment.