The Submariner’s late-1950s and 1960s story is one of architectural continuity with two lasting branches: the no-date 5512 and 5513, followed by the date-equipped 1680. The 1680 added a calendar window and Cyclops magnifier, establishing the date/no-date distinction that remains central to the line. Reference dates and details below come from specialist histories and are approximate; Rolex’s official collection chronology uses different milestones.
From the early Submariner to the 55XX family
Rolex dates the Submariner’s launch to 1953 and describes it as the first divers’ watch waterproof to 100 metres (330 feet). The brand’s history says waterproofness was guaranteed to 200 metres one year later. Its official timeline marks the addition of crown guards in 1959, a visible change that helped define the next generation of cases. See Rolex’s 1953–1967 history and its Submariner history.
Specialist reference histories associate the 5512 with the 1959 crown-guard change and a case enlarged to 40 mm from 36 mm. The later 5513 carried the same broad no-date, crown-guard architecture, but the two references were not simply identical watches with different numbers.
5512 vs 5513: the main distinctions
| Reference | Approximate introduction | Certification and dial text | Movement information in the cited histories | Case and design context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5512 | Around 1959, according to Fratello and WatchProSite. | Described as chronometer-certified; specialist accounts associate it with “Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified” dial text. | Fratello and WatchProSite describe it as a chronometer-certified model; a specific calibre is not stated in the cited notes. | Associated with crown guards and a 40 mm case, up from the earlier 36 mm format, in Fratello’s chronology. |
| 5513 | 1962 in Fratello’s chronology. | Described by WatchProSite as the 5512’s non-chronometer counterpart; dial and movement details vary over its long production span. | Fratello later associates the reference with calibre 1520; that does not establish one movement for every example. | A no-date counterpart within the crown-guard 55XX branch. |
Sources: Fratello’s chronology and WatchProSite’s reference history. The broad practical distinction is certification: specialist histories characterize the 5512 as chronometer-certified and the 5513 as non-chronometer. Production dates are approximate reference-history dates, not proof of the year a particular surviving watch was assembled or sold.
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What the comparison does—and does not—tell you
Both references belong to the no-date branch and share the broad visual language of a rotating bezel, dark dial and crown-guard case. The 5512’s certification status and associated dial wording distinguish it in specialist accounts. The 5513’s long production history means that a single movement or dial description should not be treated as universal. For an individual watch, reference number alone cannot establish originality, service history or the configuration it left the factory with.
Reference 1680: when the Submariner gained a date
The 1680 brought a date display to the Submariner: a calendar window at 3 o’clock paired with a Cyclops magnifier on the plexiglass crystal. Bob’s Watches identifies it as the first Submariner with a date, while Fratello’s chronology also notes the date window, Cyclops and calibre 1575. The result was a clear functional and visual split from the 5512 and 5513 no-date watches.
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The exact introduction year is disputed. WatchProSite gives 1965, while Fratello lists 1966. Rolex’s official collection history marks the Submariner Date in 1969. These accounts may be using different milestones—such as a reference’s appearance versus a broader collection-history marker—and do not establish one uncontested first-sale year. It is safest to describe the 1680 as a mid-1960s reference and keep the different dates attributed to their sources.
Sources: Fratello, WatchProSite, Bob’s Watches and Rolex’s Submariner history.
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What is a Rolex Red Sub?
A “Red Sub” is a 1680 Submariner Date associated with red “SUBMARINER” lettering on the dial. It is a useful collector term, but the dating of red-text examples is not consistent across the specialist histories cited here. Fratello says the red writing lasted until 1973; WatchProSite describes red SUBMARINER text on North American-market watches from 1969 to 1975. Those accounts differ in both the date range and the market framing, so neither range should be applied as a universal rule to every 1680.
Red text is one identification clue, not a guarantee that a watch is an original Red Sub. Dials can be replaced or altered during a watch’s life, and the cited histories do not establish the originality or service history of any specific example. Sources: Fratello and WatchProSite.
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Gold 1680/8 and the expanding range
The 1680 was also offered in gold, according to WatchProSite. Bob’s Watches describes the 1680/8 as having a blue dial and bezel option. These versions widened the Submariner’s material and colour choices beyond the familiar steel, black-dial configuration. The cited accounts do not establish that every 1680/8 had the same dial and bezel combination.
How to identify a vintage example responsibly
Use the reference as a starting point, then assess the specific watch. The long production spans and possible service changes make a single visual feature insufficient to verify a particular example.
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- Establish the reference. Look for documentation and the watch’s markings, then compare the claimed reference with specialist reference histories rather than relying on a seller’s label alone.
- Check the defining configuration. The 5512 and 5513 are no-date references; the 1680 has a date window and Cyclops. Confirm that the parts and configuration are plausible for the particular watch rather than assuming all examples are unchanged.
- Interpret dial text in context. Chronometer wording is associated with the 5512 in specialist accounts; red SUBMARINER text is associated with some 1680s. Neither observation alone proves originality.
- Ask about service and documentation. A replacement dial, crystal or other serviced component can affect what a watch looks like today. The cited histories do not verify the originality or service history of individual watches, so have a specific example assessed by a qualified vintage Rolex specialist or watchmaker.
For a printed reference, the Vintage Rolex Field Manual includes a section titled “Red Submariner Date Ref.1680.” It can provide further reading, but it is not a substitute for evaluating the provenance and condition of a particular watch.
Where these references fit in the Submariner’s history
The 5512 and 5513 made the crown-guard, no-date Submariner a durable family with a chronometer-certified and a non-chronometer branch in specialist accounts. The 1680 retained the established Submariner form while adding a date and magnifier, making the date/no-date distinction part of the model’s identity. Rolex’s current collection page describes modern Submariners with 41 mm cases and 300 metres of water resistance, and a Cyclops on the Submariner Date; those present-day specifications should not be projected onto these vintage references. See the Rolex Newsroom Submariner page.
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