The Evolution: Rolex Submariner Date
How the Submariner Date Engineered the Modern Classic
The biggest sign of progress is evolution. This is something we’ve studied at Bucherer across many different models in the world of watchmaking, but often an addition can open up an entirely new pillar of subsequent evolution, and there’s perhaps no greater example of this than the date complication at Rolex. First seen on the Datejust in 1945, it was the first self-winding Rolex wristwatch to display the date in a window on the dial. Since, the date was rolled out throughout the collection, including the GMT-Master (1955) and the Day-Date (1956), both including this functionality from inception. However, for the Submariner it had to wait 16 years to receive its date complication, and with it, thus changing the course of its lineage forever.
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Reference 1680: The First Date (Late 1960s–1970s)
Reference 1680 is the first time the Submariner came fitted with a date complication. Produced in 111,226 examples, the 1680 was a truly significant moment for the Submariner, changing the identity of the premium diving watch. Housed in a 40mm stainless steel Oyster case with an acrylic crystal, the 1680 retains the familiar rotating bezel and 200-metre depth rating of its predecessors. Yet at three o’clock, beneath the Cyclops magnifier, sits a practical addition that helped evolve the watch from a pure dive instrument to something that lives outside of the water. Early examples maintain matte dials and painted tritium markers, today giving a utilitarian character that feels unmistakably of their era. In many ways, the 1680 represents a philosophical change for the Coronet. Where earlier Submariners were singular in purpose, this reference bridged land and sea.
Tested in the Deep: The COMEX Influence
COMEX, short for Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises, was a French commercial diving company that tested the limits of human and mechanical endurance at extreme depths. Rolex supplied the company with professional dive watches, starting in 1970 including early no-date Submariners and Sea-Dwellers with a date. The no-date Subs prioritized simplicity and robustness for saturation diving, while Sea-Dwellers included a date for practical logging, though without a Cyclops to avoid helium-induced crystal damage. It wasn’t until the Submariner Date (Ref. 1680, 1969) that the date became a standard feature on the Submariner line, elevating the professional functionality with everyday utility, a development directly inspired by the needs and experiences of deep-sea professionals like COMEX divers, which you can read more about in great detail here.
Reference 16800: A Reinvention For The Modern Era (Late 1970s–1980s)
In numerous ways, the 16800 was the first true modern Submariner Date. With 81,694 examples produced, it introduced a sapphire crystal and increased the depth rating to 300 metres, a standard that continues to this day. But the move from acrylic to sapphire was not cosmetic. It signalled durability, scratch resistance, and a shift towards contemporary expectations. The case and bracelet are constructed from 316L stainless steel, while early models still feature matte dials before transitioning to glossy dials with white gold surrounds around the middle of the 1980s. This evolution materializes as a key characteristic of the 16800, with the piece straddling both vintage charm and modern engineering. Functionally, the watch became more robust. Conceptually, it became more defined and with the 16800, the Submariner Date was no longer adapting, it was benchmarking a blueprint.
Reference 168000: A Material Breakthrough (1988)
The 168000 is one of the most subtly elusive Submariners to have been produced. The reference was only in production for approximately eight months as such making the 168000 quite a unique oddity in the grand scheme of commercially available Rolex watches. Colloquially referred to as the “triple zero”, externally the reference is near-identical to the 16800. However, its key difference lies in the use of 904L steel, a more corrosion-resistant alloy that Rolex would later adopt across its entire production. Rolex often categorises it alongside the 16800, and even service documentation frequently lists it as such, only contributing further to its obscurity and elusiveness. It’s a reference that rarely appears in many official records, as such production numbers remain undocumented. The 168000 stands as an example of the extent of Rolex’s level of evolution. Numerous times throughout history the Coronet continuously evolves its catalogue, often times in very apparent ways, other in more subtle ways which many times doesn’t even get officially communicated. In the case of the 168000, this level of material innovation would shape Rolex’s future manufacturing standards.
Reference 16610: A New Century Of Submariner (1988–2010)
One reference truly defines the late twentieth-century Submariner Date: the 16610. Produced in 646,613 examples over more than two decades, it became the most prolific Submariner Date ever made. Still measuring 40mm, with a sapphire crystal, and aluminium bezel insert, the 16610, like the 16800, stands as another bridge between generations. With this reference, Rolex also introduced the Calibre 3135 to the Submariner range for the first time. This legendary movement, in its own right, is a modern in-house offering with quickset date functionality, enhanced reliability, and COSC-certified chronometer accuracy, marking a significant technical step forward from its predecessors. Throughout its 22-year tenure, the reference experienced several subtle yet significant refinements. The bracelet evolved from hollow end links to solid ones. The dial transitioned from painted tritium markers to glossy with white-gold surrounds, while the luminescent material shifted from tritium to Luminova and later Super-Luminova, improving both brightness and longevity. Late-production examples of the 16610s also introduced an engraved rehaut, with “ROLEX” repeated around the inner bezel and the serial number at six o’clock. This addition improved authenticity verification and provides the reference with a refinement that visually elevates the classic Submariner formula. These microevolutions not only built upon the 16610 but also served as a testing ground for the modernity of future examples.
Reference 116610: A Bold New Presence (2010–2020)
While the aforementioned references display a natural progression of evolution, the 116610 marks a bold step into modernity. With 414,905 examples produced, collectors' circles began referring to the watch as the “maxi case” colloquially. This new case evolution carries broader lugs, a larger dial layout with slightly larger hour markers and hands, and a ceramic bezel insert resistant to fading and scratches. The bracelet evolved as well, gaining solid centre links and the Glidelock clasp for precise micro-adjustment (a feature first seen on the Sea-Dweller). With the 116610, everything feels more substantial, more contemporary, more deliberate. While the watch still maintains its 40mm size, the clever play with proportions ensures the case commands more of a wrist presence, suitably aligning with modern expectations.
The Cyclops
The Cyclops, positioned above the date aperture, magnifies the date complication below for immediate legibility. Introduced by Rolex in the 1950s on the Datejust, it became a defining feature of the Submariner Date from the 1970s onwards. Manufactured from sapphire, the Cyclops isn’t carved into the crystal itself but formed as a separate lens and carefully bonded to its surface, a necessity that arose when Rolex transitioned from acrylic to sapphire in the 1970s. The lens magnifies the date by approximately 2.5x, a figure long associated with the brand, while modern versions benefit from anti-reflective coatings that enhance legibility in bright light. Functionally, it enhances readability, aesthetically, its silhouette is inseparable from the entire Coronet’s identity.
Reference 126610: Refinement at 41mm (2020–Present)
The current 126610 was first introduced in 2020 and statistically shows a growth in size from the long-established 40mm subtly to 41mm, as well as a slightly wider 21mm bracelet at the case. However, with this generation and the previous 116610 next to each other and on the wrist, the case changes ensure the 126610, in fact, wears a little more compact. The lugs taper more than in the maxi case era, visually connecting the piece to previous case forms while preserving modern robustness. The 126610 also features a change in Calibre away from the 3135 to Rolex’s modern Calibre 3235. First debuting in the Sea-Dweller in 2015, its 70-hour power reserve and Chronergy escapement delivers contemporary movement technology with classic Submariner proportions. Still rated to 300 metres and still unmistakably a Submariner, the 126610 is the ultimate reference to see the continuation of a legend. It remains in production, continuing a lineage that began with the 1680’s decisive addition of a date window.
Today, the Submariner is arguably the most popular sports watch in the world, and one of the most iconic watches ever produced. The date reference stands as the definitive, most widely sought-after variant, combining functionality, heritage, and ubiquitous style in a way few watches have ever achieved. More than a dive watch, the Submariner Date is an embodiment of a legacy, a testament to how careful evolution, rather than radical change, ensures a design endures and thrives across generations.
