Fratello Top 5: The Rarest Steel Rolex Submariner References Ever Produced
Another Friday, another list! This week, we leave our lists of watches with famous movements behind and focus on the Rolex Submariner. As some of you will know, Rolex, Wallpaper*, and Nicholas Foulkes collaborated on Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch that Unlocked the Deep. The book came out last week, and it brilliantly covers the history of Rolex’s famous dive watch. One of the nice features of the book is an overview of the production numbers per reference. We reviewed the numbers and selected the rarest stainless steel Rolex Submariners for this list. It will give you a good idea of just how scarce some of them are. Some of the numbers might surprise you…
We were surprised and delighted to find that the new book contains production totals of some of the most sought-after Submariner references. Remember, this book is authorized by Rolex, a company that normally doesn’t disclose numbers like that. So not only is it refreshing to see this level of openness, but it’s also a good way to check whether these desirable models are truly rare or if production numbers were quite significant. We have selected the five stainless references with the lowest production numbers. Some of them are special Comex and MilSub models with specific reference numbers. However, the Comex and MilSub models were also produced under regular reference numbers, and the book does not specify production totals for those. That’s why it’s good to think of this Top 5 as an indicator of the production numbers of some of the rarest models, not all of them. Now, let’s get into it!
Image: Tempus
Rolex Submariner ref. 6200
We’ll kick this list off with the illustrious Rolex Submariner ref. 6200. The watch debuted in 1954 and stayed in production until 1956. This Sub is famous because it features the beloved 3-6-9 dial. While it was not the only reference produced with the Explorer dial — you can also find it in the refs. 6538, 5510, 5512, and 5513 — it is the most famous reference to feature it.
Image: Tempus
This is the oldest Submariner reference produced with this type of dial. The 6200 is part of a group commonly dubbed the “Big Crown Submariners.” The 8mm crown is substantially larger than the 6mm crown used for the ref. 6204, among others.
Image: Tempus
The 38mm case was water resistant to 200 meters and housed Rolex’s caliber A296. This automatic movement also powered some of the brand’s “Bubbleback” models. If you look at the gilt dial, you will see that it doesn’t feature the Submariner name. Hovering above the dial are the Mercedes hands, which add plenty more character to the dial.
Image: Tempus
The watch was delivered on the famous riveted Oyster bracelet to complete the look. The common belief has been that Rolex produced around 300 units of the Submariner ref. 6200, and that was right. The recorded production quantity in the book is 303, making this the rarest recorded stainless steel Submariner reference.
Image: Wind Vintage
Rolex Submariner ref. 6205
The next Submariner on our list, the 6205, also came out in 1954, but it stayed in production for just one year. The watch also featured a 38mm stainless steel case, but it had a 6mm crown on the right side.
Image: Wind Vintage
This detail makes the ref. 6205 one of the “Small Crown Submariners.” Unlike the ref. 6200 that opened the list, the 6205 had a depth rating of 100 meters instead of 200.
Image: Wind Vintage
Inside the case, Rolex equipped the watch with its caliber A260, which is generally considered an upgrade from the A296 that powered the ref. 6200. The first models featured pencil hands like the example in these pictures.
Image: Wind Vintage
Later 6205s featured Mercedes hands. The Submariner name was also on the lower half of the gilt dial. Rolex produced 810 units of this reference, making it the fourth-rarest Submariner on this list.
Image: Wind Vintage
Rolex Submariner ref. 5510
The next reference is another early 1950s Submariner. If you are a fan of the Sub, you are probably aware that the ref. 5510 has always been known as a rare bird. It is the last of the Big Crown Submariners and the successor to the ref. 6538 that Sean Connery wore as James Bond in Dr. No.
Image: Wind Vintage
The watch also looks very much like a 6538. It has a black bezel insert with a red triangle, a large crown, and a gilt dial with a similar design to its predecessor. The case still had a 38mm diameter, and the watch was only in production during 1958. The big change compared to the ref. 6538 was the movement.
Image: Wind Vintage
Rolex equipped the watch with the updated caliber 1530. This new movement debuted in 1957 and is still considered accurate and reliable. But there is not just one version of it. The initial update was a change from the so-called “butterfly rotor” to the familiar “half-moon rotor.” Then, the brass-colored gears were replaced with the red Teflon-coated variety we generally see today.
Image: Wind Vintage
However, over time, Rolex also upgraded the jewel count from the initial 17 to 24 and even 25. The movement was used for the Submariner refs. 5510, 5508, and 5512. Rolex produced a total of 500 pieces of the 5510, confirming its rare status with the accompanying prices if you see one for sale. The model in these pictures is currently for sale at Wind Vintage for US$290,000.
Image: The Watch Club
Rolex Submariner ref. 5517
Now we’ll move on to one of the special Military Submariner or “MilSub” references. It’s also the first reference on this list with the updated case aesthetic introduced by the refs. 5512 and 5513. This case style still defines the Submariner’s look to this day. The MilSub is a grail for many Submariner collectors, but the ref. 5517 wasn’t the only one.
Image: The Watch Club
Rolex first produced MilSubs with the reference number 5513. The second version had “5517” added to the underside of the lugs, making it the ref. 5513/5517. Finally, there was the ref. 5517. This was a standalone MilSub reference, which is why it is mentioned separately in the book. The MilSubs were in production from 1971 until 1979, and the ref. 5517 came out in 1977.
Image: The Watch Club
The 40mm cases of all the MilSub models featured fixed strap bars, making them wearable only on pass-through straps. Second, the iconic “T” was added to the dial. This indicated the use of tritium lume instead of outlawed radium. Another defining element was the bezel insert with a full set of 60-minute graduations. Lastly, sword-style hands replaced the standard Mercedes-style hands.
Image: The Watch Club
Inside the case of the ref. 5517, you will find the Rolex caliber 1520, a simpler version of the 1530. It replaced the Microstella regulator system with a stick regulator and substituted the Breguet overcoil with a flat hairspring. However, the movement operated at a higher 19,800vph frequency than the 18,000vph rate of the caliber 1530. It is believed that a total of 1,200 MilSubs were ever produced, but we know of roughly 180 pieces still in existence. However, thanks to the book, we now know that Rolex made 539 pieces of the MilSub ref. 5517.
Image: Bachmann & Scher
Rolex Submariner ref. 5514
Finally, there is the Rolex Submariner ref. 5514. Given that this is one of the famous Comex Submariners, it is another non-civilian reference. The watch is another one of those grail watches for many collectors. As most of you will know, Rolex produced several different watches for Comex, but this is the only one with a unique reference number.
Another fun fact is that the first Submariner 5514s that came out in 1969 did not have the Comex-stamped dials. These models looked like regular Submariners but had the Comex name engraved on the case back. You can also easily recognize them because they feature a helium escape valve (HEV) on the left side of the case.
Image: Bachmann & Scher
The Submariner ref. 5514 housed the Rolex caliber 1520, which also powered the MilSub ref. 5517. However, unlike the 5517, this Comex version did not have an altered bezel insert or a different handset. According to the book, Rolex produced 1,618 Submariner ref. 5514s. That makes it the only reference on this list with a production total exceeding 1,000 pieces.
Image: Bachmann & Scher
But to put that into context, production totals of some of the other references in the 1960s and ’70s were in the tens and hundreds of thousands of pieces. It shows that these five references are indeed very rare, which is why collectors are willing to shell out lots of money for them.
Image: Analog/Shift
Final thoughts on the rarest steel Rolex Submariner references
There you have it — a list of the five rarest stainless steel Rolex Submariner references as published in the new book by Nicholas Foulkes. If you are a fan of Rolex and the Submariner in particular, this book is an absolute must-have. In addition to providing a lot of practical information, it perfectly covers the great legacy of the Submariner. The stories and images create a great overview of the historical relevance of the world’s most famous dive watch. You can get your limited-edition silk-bound copy through the Wallpaper* store or the regular edition through selected retailers worldwide. Let us know your favorite Submariner reference in the comments, and we will see you again for a new list next week.
