Used Rolex Submariner checklist: what to inspect by generation

A used Submariner is easy to find, which is good news for buyers: there is plenty of choice, and our data has many sold results to compare against. The flip side is that tired, modified and fake examples are easy to find too. This is a checklist for inspecting a used Submariner, organized by what to check and where each generation differs. For the full list of references and their prices, see our Submariner price guide.

WristPrices is an independent price guide. We publish ranges from sold results and don't sell or authenticate watches, so treat this checklist as preparation for a professional inspection, not a replacement for one.

Step 1: identify the generation

Most used Submariners on the market fall into three groups. The reference number tells you which one you are looking at, and the details below come from our catalog.

Older references, such as the 5512 and 5513, belong to the vintage market. They follow different rules, covered in our vintage Rolex guide.

These are the steel references from the three groups with a published range on our data:

The no-date Submariner 124060 and the Submariner Date 126610LN are the current steel pair; their pages list the individual sales behind each range.

Which generation suits you

Step 2: check that the parts belong together

A used Submariner should look exactly like its reference. Swapped dials, bezels and bracelets are common, and they change both value and, according to Rolex, warranty status if the parts are not genuine.

• Dial. Our catalog records a black dial on the 16610LV, a green dial on the 116610LV and a black dial on the 126610LV. A green dial in a 16610LV or 126610LV case, or a black dial in a 116610LV, needs an explanation. Heddels reports a case where an authentication team found a replacement dial fitted to a GMT-Master II to pass it off as a more valuable dial variant; the same trick works on any model where dial color changes the price.
• Bezel insert. Five-digit references used aluminum inserts; later ones use Cerachrom. Our catalog records the Rolex Submariner Date 16610LV “Kermit” with a green aluminum insert and the Rolex Submariner Date 116610LV “Hulk” with green ceramic. A ceramic insert on a five-digit watch, or the reverse, is a modification.
• Date window. Rolex says the Cyclops lens has been fitted over the date since 1953. A Submariner Date should have one; a no-date Submariner should have neither date nor lens.
• Nickname. Names describe colors, not references. Check the nickname against the reference on our Rolex nicknames page before trusting a listing that leads with "Hulk" or "Kermit".

Step 3: inspect the bezel

Rolex fits a unidirectional rotatable bezel to all its diving watches, with a 60-minute scale and a luminous marker at zero.

• Turn it a full circle. It should move one way only, with crisp, even clicks.
• Check that the zero marker lines up with 12 o'clock on the dial.
• Look for chips in a ceramic insert and fading or scratches on an aluminum one.
• Ask whether the insert was ever replaced, and with what. Fratello notes that an aftermarket bezel on an old Submariner is worse than a genuine service replacement.

Step 4: inspect the case and crown

• Crown guards. Rolex introduced the crown guard on the Submariner in 1959. Its edges, and the lugs, show polishing first: Fratello calls the small polished facets on Rolex lugs an easy giveaway. Rounded, soft edges mean metal has been removed.
• Crown. It should screw down fully and smoothly. Rolex stresses that the crown must be screwed down tight to keep the watch water-resistant.
• Caseback. Submariner casebacks are solid. Rolex's case page names transparent casebacks on a few other models, such as the Land-Dweller, the 1908 and some Daytonas, never the Submariner, so a display back on a Submariner is aftermarket at best.
• Water resistance. Ask for a pressure test, or have your watchmaker do one. A failed test usually means seals or a service are due.

Step 5: inspect the bracelet and clasp

• Stretch. Hold the watch sideways by the case. Fratello suggests checking stretch with the watch held sideways and upright; sagging means worn links and pins.
• Clasp. It should close firmly. On current dive models, Rolex fits the Glidelock extension, which it says adjusts by about 15 or 20 mm in small steps; check it moves and locks.
• Originality. Fratello notes that the clasp carries a code that helps date the bracelet, which helps show whether it was replaced.
• Links. Ask for any removed links.

Step 6: movement, service and papers

• Wind and set the watch, then check its timekeeping over a day or two.
• Ask when it was last serviced, by whom, and for the service papers. Rolex recommends a service approximately every 10 years, depending on use. Without papers, assume a service may be due and allow for it in the price.
• Ask whether any parts were replaced at the last service, such as the dial, hands or bezel insert, and whether the originals were kept. Original parts returned with the watch are worth having.
• Check that the serial on any warranty card matches the watch. Papers support a watch's history; they are copied too, so they don't prove it.

Pricing the watch in front of you

The headline figure on each reference page assumes box and papers. Adjust from there for what the watch actually comes with and its condition. For the Rolex Submariner 124060, the range with box and papers is $9,600–$16,000 and the watch-only range is about $8,500–$14,200; compare the two ranges end to end, not a range with a single figure. For the older Rolex Submariner Date 116610LN, the range is $8,650–$14,400, rated high confidence. A watch with recent Rolex service papers, its original card and an unpolished case deserves to sit higher in its range than one without.

The one-page checklist

Print this, or keep it on your phone, and fill in the last column as you go. Any blank row is a question for the seller.

When the watch passes your checks, have a watchmaker or authentication service of your choice open it inside the return period. Then compare the asking price with the range on the reference page, adjusted for papers and service.