Submariner Review & Buying Guide

Seventy years on, the Submariner is the watch most people picture when they hear “luxury watch” — so when Rolex updated it for 2020, the watch press went over every millimeter. Here is what the major reviews actually concluded, and what it means if you are buying.

Case

41 mm steel

Movement

Cal. 3230/3235

Power

70 h

Water res.

300 m

Bezel

Cerachrom

Retail from

~$10,050

The 41mm generation (references 124060 and 126610LN) arrived in 2020. In its hands-on, aBlogtoWatch found the new and old models “almost uncanny how similar” — so close that most people would not tell them apart on the wrist.

Fratello pushes back on the headline “41mm” change: the case actually grew only from about 40.2mm to 40.5mm, a rounding difference rather than a real size jump, and the only dial-side giveaway of the new generation is the tiny crown logo between “Swiss” and “Made” at six o’clock.

The substantive change is inside. The Submariner finally received the Caliber 3235, which Rolex had used in the Sea-Dweller and Deepsea since 2015. As aBlogtoWatch and Fratello both note, it lifts the power reserve to about 70 hours (from roughly 48 on the old 3135) and adds the more efficient Chronergy escapement. The consensus across reviews: this is evolution, not revolution — and that is arguably the point with a watch this iconic.

It is not universal praise. Reviewing it with a 2026 buyer’s eye, WatchGuys highlights the heavier, wider Oyster bracelet and frames the modern Sub as a strong value case on the secondary market. Fratello offers the dissent — for all its precision, the watch can, on the wrist, “feel sterile.” Worth weighing both before you commit.

For pricing we lean on WatchCharts’ market data. The 126610LN has traded above retail for its entire run: it peaked near $18,000 in early 2022, settled around $13,000 by late 2023, and current full-set examples list roughly $13,000–$15,000 — against a retail of about $11,000. So plan on a premium, but a far gentler one than the 2022 bubble.

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This review synthesizes hands-on coverage from the publications below. Rather than reproduce their work, we link out — read them in full for the original photography and detail.