Watercolour of a steel Rolex Submariner Date with a black dial, black ceramic bezel and Oyster bracelet
Illustration: our own watercolour, after a photograph of a ref. 16610 by FrankWilliams (public domain), painted as the 126610LN with its ceramic bezel and slimmer lugs.

Rolex · Ref. 126610ln · catalogued from 41 sources

Submariner Date

The 126610LN is the current Submariner Date: waterproof to three hundred metres, and usually worn at a desk.

The Rolex Submariner Date ref. 126610LN is the steel Submariner with a date, a black dial and a black ceramic bezel: a 41 mm Oystersteel case, waterproof to 300 metres, with calibre 3235 and about 70 hours of power reserve1,2. It was presented on 1 September 2020, replacing the 116610LN2,6, and it is still in production. On 16 October 2026 Rolex listed it at USD 11,350 in the US, GBP 9,500 in the UK and EUR 10,950 in Germany1,7,8.

The black Submariner Date in its 2020 form: a 41 mm case with slimmer lugs, a 21 mm bracelet and the 70-hour calibre 32351,2.

From across a room it is hard to tell from the 116610LN. Up close, the giveaway is a tiny Rolex crown between SWISS and MADE at six o'clock4,9.

Rolex's US list price rose 6.6 per cent in the past year. Chrono24 asking prices sat between 31 and 40 per cent above list on every date we checked, and asking prices are not sale prices1,10,11,12,13,14,15.

The particulars

Reference
126610LN, Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date1,2
Case
Oyster, 41 mm, monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown1,2
Material
Oystersteel, which Rolex describes as belonging to the 904L steel family1
Bezel
Unidirectional rotatable, 60-minute graduations, Cerachrom insert in black ceramic with platinum-coated numerals and graduations1,2
Crystal
Sapphire, with a Cyclops lens over the date1,2
Winding crown
Screw-down, Triplock triple waterproofness system1,2
Water resistance
300 metres / 1,000 feet1,2,3
Movement
Calibre 3235, Manufacture Rolex, self-winding1,4
Frequency
28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), 31 jewels1,2
Power reserve
About 70 hours1,2,5
Precision
−2/+2 seconds a day after casing; Superlative Chronometer1,4
Dial
Black, with a Chromalight display that glows blue1
Bracelet
Oyster, three-piece solid links, 21 mm between the lugs1,2
Clasp
Oysterlock folding safety clasp with the Glidelock extension, about 20 mm in steps of about 2 mm1,2,6
Produced
2020 to the present1,2,4

Is it genuine?

Rolex's own advice. Asked how to spot a fake, Rolex gives no checklist. Its FAQ says Rolex watches should only be bought from the jewellers it appoints, who it says guarantee the authenticity of every part31. None of the checks below proves a watch genuine; they only help you walk away from a bad one.

The crown at six o'clock. Since 2020 the Submariner's dial carries a tiny Rolex crown between SWISS and MADE at six o'clock, which marks the 32-series movement4,5,9. A dial that claims to be a 126610LN without it is a warning sign. Having it proves nothing: it is printed, and printing can be copied.

The crown in the crystal. A tiny Rolex crown is laser-etched into the sapphire at six o'clock, hard to see without a loupe and angled light. Rolex has done this since about 2002, so a 126610LN should have one32,33,34.

The Cyclops lens. Authentication guides say it magnifies the date 2.5 times, so the numeral nearly fills the window. A small, flat-looking date is a classic counterfeit flaw32,34,35.

The bezel. It turns one way only1. Monochrome counted 120 clicks to a full turn2. Back-play or a loud, harsh action are warning signs35.

The pip. The luminous capsule at the zero marker should sit centred in its triangle and glow in the dark1,35.

The rehaut. ROLEX is engraved around the inner ring between dial and crystal, aligned with the minute markers, with the serial number at six o'clock32,34,35.

The seconds hand. It sweeps in small steps, eight a second at 28,800 vibrations an hour. A hand that ticks once a second belongs to a quartz movement1,32,34.

The case back. Solid steel, plain, with no engraving and no window19,33,34.

Bracelet and clasp. An Oyster bracelet 21 mm wide at the lugs, closing with an Oysterlock clasp that has the Glidelock extension1,2. Loose, rattling links or a flimsy clasp are warning signs32,34.

The limits of all this. Bob's Watches, a dealer, warns that today's best counterfeits pass several of these tests and advises having the watch inspected in person by a trusted expert32. SwissWatchExpo, another dealer, recommends a professional watchmaker, who can open the case and look at the movement inside34. That tells you more than the checks above, but it is an expert's opinion, not a guarantee.

Some watches are worn for what they can do. The Submariner is mostly worn for what it looks like it could do, and ref. 126610LN is the purest current version of that look: steel, a black dial, a black ceramic bezel, and a date under a magnifying lens1.

It is also the reference that sits between two others on this site: the 116610LN it replaced, and the no-date 124060 that arrived with it5,6. What follows is what changed in 2020, what didn't, what it costs and what to check before you buy one pre-owned.

Seventy-three years of the same watch

Rolex launched the Submariner in 1953, and its Submariner page in 2026 calls it the brand's first divers' wristwatch waterproof to 100 metres23. In 2013 Rolex claimed more; see «Where the sources disagree» below. Wikipedia dates the first production to 1953 and its public debut to the Basel fair of 195416. The date arrived in 1969, with the Submariner Date5,23.

Ref. 16610 carried the Submariner Date from about 1988 to 2010 with calibre 3135, which runs for about 48 hours16,24. It was replaced in 2010 by the 116610LN, which brought the Cerachrom ceramic bezel to the steel Submariner, a larger Maxi dial, heavier lugs that collectors call the Super Case, solid bracelet links and the Glidelock clasp16,17.

The 126610LN followed in 2020. Sixty-seven years in, the formula still reads the same from across a room: black dial, rotating bezel, Oyster bracelet and the Mercedes hour hand, which first appeared on a Submariner in 19541,2,16. Most of the change since has been in proportions and in the movement.

What changed in 2020

Rolex replaced the whole Submariner range at once on 1 September 2020, and the 126610LN took over from the 116610LN2,6. Monochrome's verdict was that only trained eyes would tell the two apart2, and aBlogtoWatch found them almost uncannily similar on the wrist3.

The case went from 40 to 41 mm on Rolex's spec sheet3,6. Fratello says the real growth was smaller, from about 40.2 to 40.5 mm9. What you notice more is the lugs: thinner and more tapered, closer to the older five-digit Submariners than to the square-shouldered 116610LN2,19. The lug width went from 20 to 21 mm and the bracelet widened with it2,9.

On the dial the hour hand became wider, the minute hand longer, so that it now reaches the minute track2, and a small crown appeared between SWISS and MADE to mark the new movement4,5.

That movement is the real news. Calibre 3235 replaced the 3135, raising the power reserve from about 48 hours to about 702,5,6. It has Rolex's Chronergy escapement, a blue Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers1,2. In practice: take it off on Friday evening and it is still running on Monday morning3. The 3235 was not new to Rolex in 2020, but the Submariner was among the last families to get it4.

Not new in 2020: the ceramic bezel and the Glidelock clasp. Both arrived on the steel Submariner Date with the 116610LN in 201016,17.

On the wrist

Rolex publishes the diameter but not the thickness. The measurements we found disagree by half a millimetre: 12.0 mm (Crown & Caliber), 12.3 mm (Wikipedia) and 12.5 mm (WatchGuys)16,18,19. So we print no figure.

Monochrome found that the new case feels a little more compact than the 116610LN, because the slimmer lugs and wider bracelet rebalance it2. aBlogtoWatch thought the two wear almost identically3.

The Glidelock lets you lengthen the bracelet by about 20 mm in steps of about 2 mm without tools, so it fits over a diving suit1,2.

What it costs

On 16 October 2026 Rolex's suggested retail price for the 126610LN was USD 11,350 in the US before tax, GBP 9,500 in the UK including VAT, and EUR 10,950 in Germany including VAT1,7,8. All three prices are for the same model number, m126610ln-0001: black dial on an Oyster bracelet1,7,8.

About a year earlier it was USD 10,650 (the same figure on 28 August and 14 December 2025), GBP 9,100 on 12 October 2025 and EUR 10,600 on 12 September 202510,25,26,27. That is a rise of 6.6, 4.4 and 3.3 per cent over spans of 10 to 14 months, so the three are not strictly comparable. In the US the step came between mid-December 2025 and mid-February 202610,28. At launch in 2020, aBlogtoWatch reported USD 9,1503,4.

Pre-owned, we can only measure asking prices. The median asking price on the first page of Chrono24's 126610LN listings was USD 14,875 in October 2025 and USD 15,500 in August 2026, up 4.2 per cent; measured from June 2025 (USD 14,314) it was up 8.3 per cent11,13,15. Both windows show asking prices rising. Over the same stretch Rolex's US list price rose 6.6 per cent10,20,29, so measured against list the two windows disagree. From October 2025 the gap to list shrank, from 40 to 37 per cent; from June 2025 it grew, from 34 to 37, although that June figure rests on a list price we observed eight days later.

The gap is the more telling number. On every date we checked, the median asking price sat between 31 and 40 per cent above Rolex's US list price: 34 per cent in June 2025, 31 in August, 40 in October, 39 at the end of December and 37 in August 20261,10,11,12,13,14,15,20,25,29. For three of those dates the list price was the same on our observations either side. For June and December 2025 it was not, so we used the nearest list price we could observe; with the other one, those two figures would be 40 and 31 per cent, still inside the range28,30. Asking prices are not sale prices, and that first page mixes new, unworn and pre-owned watches, so read it as a direction, not a valuation.

Buying one pre-owned

Rolex's position is simple: buy from the jewellers it appoints31. Away from them, the checks above are the minimum. Look for the crown between SWISS and MADE, the crown in the crystal, a date that fills the lens and a seconds hand that sweeps. WatchGuys, a dealer, adds three of its own: check how much the bracelet sags, look for over-polished case sides, and make sure the box, papers and warranty card match the serial number19.

If a seller offers a 126610LN with a date "before September 2020" on the papers, ask why. Rolex presented it on 1 September 20202,6.

Nobody can tell you how rare a 126610LN is. Rolex publishes no production figures by reference. The analyst estimates that exist cover the whole brand: Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult put Rolex's 2025 volume at about 1.15 million watches22, and Monochrome notes that these are estimates, not figures provided by the brands21.

The dubious part

Rolex gave the 126610LN a clasp that extends by about 20 mm so it fits over a diving suit1,2. Its most common use is after lunch.

The steel Submariner Date, generation by generation
ReferenceYearsCalibreWhat changed
16610c. 1988–201016,243135About 48 hours of power reserve, 40 mm case17,24
116610LN2010–202016,17,193135Cerachrom ceramic bezel, Maxi dial, heavier Super Case lugs, solid links and Glidelock16,17
126610LN2020–present1,2,6323541 mm, slimmer lugs, 21 mm bracelet, about 70 hours of reserve, crown between SWISS and MADE1,2,4

The 16610's first year is disputed; see «Where the sources disagree» below.

Rolex list price, 126610LN
Market16 October 2026About a year earlierChange
United StatesUSD 11,3501USD 10,650 (28 Aug and 14 Dec 2025)10,25+6.6 %
United KingdomGBP 9,5007GBP 9,100 (12 Oct 2025, rolex.com's international site)26+4.4 %
GermanyEUR 10,9508EUR 10,600 (12 Sep 2025)27+3.3 %

US prices are Rolex's suggested retail prices before applicable taxes; UK prices include VAT and German prices include MwSt.1,7,8. The October 2026 prices come from rolex.com itself; the earlier ones from archived copies of rolex.com (Internet Archive). The 2025 sterling price is from rolex.com's international English site, which showed prices in pounds; the 2025 euro price is from Rolex's German-language site, which did not name a country.

List price against asking price, US dollarsRolex list priceChrono24 median asking price (first page)
10,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,00016,000Oct 2024Jan 2025Apr 2025Jul 2025Oct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026List 11,350Asking 15,500

Points are the dates we could observe a price (archived copies via the Internet Archive; the October 2026 list price from rolex.com itself), not the dates prices changed. Asking prices are not sale prices, and Chrono24's first page mixes new, unworn and pre-owned watches. Chrono24 blocks direct reading, and the latest archived copy with listings is from August 2026.

The numbers behind the chart
SeriesObservedPrice
Rolex list price14 Oct 2024USD 10,25030
Rolex list price21 Jun 2025USD 10,65020
Rolex list price28 Aug 2025USD 10,65025
Rolex list price14 Dec 2025USD 10,65010
Rolex list price12 Feb 2026USD 11,35028
Rolex list price20 Jun 2026USD 11,35029
Rolex list price16 Oct 2026USD 11,3501
Chrono24 median asking price (first page)13 Jun 2025USD 14,31411
Chrono24 median asking price (first page)3 Aug 2025USD 13,97012
Chrono24 median asking price (first page)23 Oct 2025USD 14,87513
Chrono24 median asking price (first page)31 Dec 2025USD 14,82214
Chrono24 median asking price (first page)24 Aug 2026USD 15,50015

Questions people ask

Is the Rolex 126610LN still in production?
Yes. On 16 October 2026 Rolex listed it with a price in the US, the UK and Germany1,7,8.
What is the retail price of the Rolex 126610LN?
On 16 October 2026: USD 11,350 in the US before tax, GBP 9,500 in the UK and EUR 10,950 in Germany, both including VAT1,7,8.
When did the 126610LN come out?
Rolex presented it on 1 September 2020, replacing the 116610LN2,6. aBlogtoWatch and Worn & Wound published their launch stories late on 31 August by UTC, already 1 September in Geneva4,5.
What year did the Rolex Submariner go to 41 mm?
In 2020, with the 126610LN and the no-date 1240602,6. Fratello says the real growth was from about 40.2 to 40.5 mm, and that 41 is a rounding9.
What does LN stand for?
Black bezel: LN is short for the French lunette noire16. The green-bezel version is the 126610LV, lunette verte2.
What is the difference between the 126610LN and the 116610LN?
The 126610LN is listed at 41 mm against 40, has slimmer lugs, a 21 mm bracelet instead of 20 mm and calibre 3235 with about 70 hours of reserve instead of the 3135's 482,5,6. The ceramic bezel and Glidelock clasp were already on the 116610LN16,17.
What movement is in the 126610LN?
Calibre 3235: self-winding, 28,800 vibrations an hour, 31 jewels, about 70 hours of power reserve, −2/+2 seconds a day after casing1,2.
How thick is the 126610LN?
Rolex does not say. Published measurements range from 12.0 to 12.5 mm16,18,19.
Does the 126610LN hold its value?
Asking prices have stayed well above list. The Chrono24 median sat 31 to 40 per cent above Rolex's US list price on every date we checked. From October 2025 to August 2026 it rose 4.2 per cent, less than list's 6.6, so the gap shrank; measured from June 2025 it rose 8.3 per cent, more than list, so the gap grew. Whether the premium is growing depends on the window you pick. Asking prices are not sale prices1,10,11,12,13,14,15,20.
How many 126610LNs has Rolex made?
Nobody outside Rolex knows. Rolex does not publish production figures by reference, and the analyst estimates that exist cover the whole brand21,22.

Should you buy one? If you want one watch that goes everywhere, this is the one. Just don't call it an investment. Call it thirty years of not having to choose.

The house rules · every fact sourced, every disagreement shown

Where the sources disagree

When the 126610LN came out. Monochrome published on 1 September 2020, right after the launch; aBlogtoWatch and Worn & Wound published late on 31 August by UTC, which was already 1 September in Geneva. We use 1 September 20202,4,5.

How big the case is. Rolex says 41 mm. Fratello says the case grew from about 40.2 to 40.5 mm and that 41 is a rounding; Wikipedia gives 40.5 or 41 mm depending on the source. We print Rolex's 41 mm1,9,16.

How thick it is. Crown & Caliber measured 12.0 mm, Wikipedia says 12.3 mm and WatchGuys 12.5 mm. Rolex publishes no thickness, so we print none16,18,19.

Whether the 116610LN had Glidelock. WatchGuys says the 126610LN ships with a Glidelock clasp the 116610LN never had. Bob's Watches says the 116610LN introduced it with its bracelet upgrade, and Wikipedia has Glidelock on the Submariner Date from 2008. We say it was already there16,17,19.

The retail price. WatchGuys gives USD 10,250 as the 2026 retail price. That was Rolex's US price in October 2024; on 16 October 2026 it was USD 11,3501,19,30.

The launch price. aBlogtoWatch gives USD 9,150 for the 126610LN in 2020; Worn & Wound says the steel Date models started at USD 9,550. In euros Monochrome says EUR 8,650 and Time and Watches EUR 8,750. We use aBlogtoWatch's USD 9,150 and print no euro launch price2,4,5,6.

When the Submariner Date arrived. Rolex says 1969, and so does Worn & Wound, which notes that some sources say 1966. Wikipedia's table dates ref. 1680 from 1966. We use 19695,16,23.

When the first Submariner arrived. Rolex says 1953. Wikipedia says production began in 1953 and the watch was shown at Basel in 1954; LegitGrails says 1954. We use 195316,23,35.

Whether the Submariner was the first of its kind. Rolex's Submariner page in 2026 is narrow: the brand's first divers' wristwatch waterproof to 100 metres23. Rolex's 2013 page for the 116610LN went further and called it the first watch water-resistant to 100 metres36. Bob's Watches calls it the first wristwatch in the world rated to 100 metres17, while Wikipedia points to Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms of 1953 and Omega's Marine of 193216,37. We repeat only Rolex's 2026 wording.

The crown system. Rolex's page and Monochrome say Triplock. Time and Watches' 2020 launch report says Twinlock. We use Triplock1,2,6.

How much the Cyclops magnifies. Authentication guides give 2.5 times, and so did Rolex's own 2013 pages for the predecessor 116610LN and the Datejust II. A field in the hidden data of Rolex's 2026 Datejust 41 pages says 1.7X. Rolex prints no figure for the 126610LN. We use 2.5, the figure the authentication checks are built on32,35,36,38,39.

When the 16610 began. Wikipedia's table and Grail Watch say 1988; Wikipedia's own picture caption says 1987; Bob's Watches and SwissWatchExpo say 1989. We write c. 198816,24,40,41.

When calibre 3235 first appeared. aBlogtoWatch says 2015; Time and Watches says 2017, in the Sea-Dweller. Worn & Wound says the 32-series began in 2015 with the Day-Date's calibre 3255. We only say the 3235 was not new in 20204,5,6.

Sources

  1. Rolex: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (US) (read 2026-10-16)
  2. Monochrome Watches: Hands-On - Rolex Submariner Date 41mm Kermit 126610LV & 126610LN (1 Sep 2020) (read 2026-10-16)
  3. aBlogtoWatch: Hands-On: Rolex Submariner 126610LN Watch (8 Oct 2020) (read 2026-10-16)
  4. aBlogtoWatch: Rolex Debuts 2020 Steel 126610 And Two-Tone 126613 Submariner Watch Models (31 Aug 2020) (read 2026-10-16)
  5. Worn & Wound: NEWS: Rolex Introduces A New Generation of Submariner (31 Aug 2020) (read 2026-10-16)
  6. Time and Watches: Rolex - Submariner 124060, 126610LN and 126610LV, the new 2020 models (1 Sep 2020) (read 2026-10-16)
  7. Rolex: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (UK) (read 2026-10-16)
  8. Rolex: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (DE) (read 2026-10-16)
  9. Fratello: Exploring Evergreens: The Current Rolex Submariner Date 126610LN (2024) (read 2026-10-16)
  10. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (US), Wayback 2025-12-14 (read 2026-10-16)
  11. Chrono24, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date 126610LN (Chrono24), Wayback 2025-06-13 (read 2026-10-16)
  12. Chrono24, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date 126610LN (Chrono24), Wayback 2025-08-03 (read 2026-10-16)
  13. Chrono24, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date 126610LN (Chrono24), Wayback 2025-10-23 (read 2026-10-16)
  14. Chrono24, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date 126610LN (Chrono24), Wayback 2025-12-31 (read 2026-10-16)
  15. Chrono24, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date 126610LN (Chrono24), Wayback 2026-08-24 (read 2026-10-16)
  16. Wikipedia: Rolex Submariner (read 2026-10-16)
  17. Bob's Watches: Rolex Submariner 116610LN – Ultimate Review Buyers Guide (read 2026-10-16)
  18. Crown & Caliber: The Definitive Guide to the New 2020 Rolex Submariner (read 2026-10-16)
  19. WatchGuys: Rolex Submariner 126610LN Review: Hands-On, Specs & Value (read 2026-10-16)
  20. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (US), Wayback 2025-06-21 (read 2026-10-16)
  21. Monochrome Watches: Industry News: Morgan Stanley's Top 50 Watch Brands for 2025 (read 2026-10-14)
  22. Revolution: What we can learn from Morgan Stanley's Ninth Annual Swiss Watch Report (read 2026-10-14)
  23. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner collection page (US), Wayback 2026-06-18 (read 2026-10-16)
  24. Grail Watch Reference: Rolex 3135 (read 2026-10-14)
  25. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (US), Wayback 2025-08-28 (read 2026-10-16)
  26. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (international engelsk, GBP), Wayback 2025-10-12 (read 2026-10-16)
  27. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (tysksproget, intet land), Wayback 2025-09-12 (read 2026-10-16)
  28. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (US), Wayback 2026-02-12 (read 2026-10-16)
  29. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (US), Wayback 2026-06-20 (read 2026-10-16)
  30. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Submariner Date m126610ln-0001 (US), Wayback 2024-10-14 (read 2026-10-16)
  31. Rolex: Watch care and service – FAQ (read 2026-10-14)
  32. Bob's Watches: How to Spot a Fake Rolex: The Official Guide (read 2026-10-14)
  33. 1stDibs: How to Spot a Fake Rolex: 13+ Expert Tips (read 2026-10-14)
  34. SwissWatchExpo: How to Spot a Fake Rolex (Updated 2026) (read 2026-10-14)
  35. LegitGrails: How to Spot Real vs Fake Rolex Submariner (read 2026-10-16)
  36. Rolex: Submariner Date 116610LN (rolex.com, archived 28 Apr 2013) (read 2026-10-16)
  37. Wikipedia: Rolex (read 2026-10-14)
  38. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Datejust II M116300-0001, Wayback 2013-06-08 (read 2026-10-14)
  39. Rolex, via the Internet Archive: Rolex Datejust 41 m126334-0003 (US, Oyster, riflet hvidguldskant), Wayback 2026-10-11 (read 2026-10-14)
  40. Bob's Watches: Rolex Submariner 116610 Vs Sub 16610 Review (read 2026-10-16)
  41. SwissWatchExpo: Rolex Submariner 16610 vs 116610 (read 2026-10-16)
Ref. 126610LV

Submariner Date, the green bezel

Introduced in 2020. Black dial, green ceramic bezel.