Rolex Submariner Date
+209 % above RRP
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ℹ️ 1-month trend
Price change over the past 30 days. Shows the short-term market movement — relevant if you want to buy or sell soon.
ℹ️ 4-month trend
The central metric behind the momentum score. It filters out short-term swings and shows the true, medium-term market trend of this reference.
ℹ️ Volatility
Annualised price fluctuation. Below 10 % = very stable, 10–20 % = normal, above 20 % = volatile. With high volatility the price can change quickly — in both directions. Be cautious about buying without checking the current price.
ℹ️ Momentum score
ChronoCheck's own indicator from 0 to 100, calculated from the 4-month trend, volatility and market direction.
- Above 60 — Upward trend. Good time to sell, prices are rising.
- 40 – 60 — Neutral. Stable price level, no pressure to act.
- Below 40 — Downward trend. Wait or enter at a good price.
ℹ️ Investment Grade A/B/C/D
ChronoCheck's own rating for each reference. A 0–100 point scale, made up of four weighted components:
- Momentum (40 pts) — trend strength from the momentum score.
- Liquidity (25 pts) — number of active live listings.
- Stability (20 pts) — inverse volatility — the calmer, the better.
- Source robustness (15 pts) — number of independent market sources.
- A · 75+ Trend is right, liquidity good, data broad.
- B · 55–74 Solid, but one component weaker.
- C · 35–54 Average, volatility or market breadth weigh on it.
- D · below 35 Downward or too little data — a collector's piece.
Not investment advice. Pure data analysis from aggregated market sources.
What if you had bought back then …
What would a purchase at the median market price back then have become — at today's level of $13,122. A pure return calculation, excluding insurance, servicing and transaction costs.
Data from an aggregated median time series (watch_market_daily). CAGR = Compound Annual Growth Rate, normalized to 365 days. Not an investment recommendation.
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Technical data
Lift angle 52° — important for timing-machine diagnosis: with this value a watchmaker can correctly measure rate deviation, amplitude and beat error. ChronoCheck verifies such technical details directly from the manufacturers' factory specifications.
Rolex Ref. 16613 — Variants and collector names
Known as: Bluesy, Two-Tone Sub, Rolesor Sub, Sultan, 16613LB, 16613LN, Pre-Ceramic TT Sub, Last Classic TT Sub
Production phases and changes
- 1988: Market introduction of Ref. 16613 – successor to the 16803
- 1998: Switch from Tritium to Luminova
- 2000: Switch to Super-LumiNova + introduction of Solid End Links (SEL)
- 2000: Parachrom hairspring in Cal. 3135
- 2003: Phase-out of lugholes
- 2005: Rehaut engraving: ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX + serial number
- 2008: Case engraving discontinued, rehaut serial number only
- 2009: End of production for 16613, introduction of successor 116613
Movement variants
- 3135 (1988–2009) · 28800 bph
Bezel variants
- Black Alu Insert 16803
- Blue Alu Insert 16803 "Bluesy"
Dial variants
- 16613LN Black Luminova — SUBMARINER DATE / SWISS
- 16613LN Black Tritium — SUBMARINER DATE / Swiss T<25
- Bluesy Luminova — SUBMARINER DATE / SWISS
- Bluesy SLN — SUBMARINER DATE / SWISS MADE
- Bluesy Tritium — SUBMARINER DATE / Swiss T<25
- Sultan Dial / Serti Champagne — SUBMARINER DATE / SWISS MADE
- Serti Silver — SUBMARINER DATE / SWISS MADE
Crystal variants
- Saphirglas mit Cyclops
Bracelet variants
- Oyster Two-Tone Solid Link Ref. 93153
Serial numbers
- R000001 – R999999 (1987–1988) — First letter prefix after the end of the 7-digit number sequence. Corresponds to the earliest 16613 serials (Baselworld debut 1988). Case engraving between the 6 o'clock lugs.
- L000001 – L999999 (1988–1989) — L-Serials. Early Tritium production.
- E000001 – E999999 (1989–1990) — E-Serials. Tritium phase.
- X000001 – X999999 (1991–1992) — X-Serials. Tritium phase. Example reference from collector report (X-serial early 1990s).
- N000001 – N999999 (1992–1993) — N-Serials. Tritium phase.
- C000001 – C999999 (1993–1994) — C-Serials. Tritium phase.
- S000001 – S999999 (1994–1995) — S-Serials. Late Tritium phase.
- W000001 – W999999 (1995–1996) — W-Serials. Late Tritium / earliest Luminova transition.
- T000001 – T999999 (1996–1997) — T-Serials. Example serial T757xxx documented in collector listing (ca. 1996).
- U000001 – U999999 (1997–1998) — U-Serials. Luminova transition phase ('SWISS' dial marking).
- A000001 – A999999 (1999–2000) — A-Serials. SEL introduction ~2000, Super-LumiNova.
- D000001 – D999999 (2000–2001) — D-Serials. SEL phase, Super-LumiNova.
- Y000001 – Y999999 (2002–2003) — Y-Serials. Start of lughole phase-out around Y-serial. SEL phase.
- Z000001 – Z999999 (2006–2007) — Z-Serials. Serial number on rehaut only, no case engraving. Example: Z-serial 16613 with Serti dial and warranty card documented 2006.
- Random 8-stellig – Random 8-stellig (2009–2010) — From late 2009, switch to randomized 8-digit serials. Final 16613 production years no longer datable by serial. NOS examples with random serial and warranty card documented through 2016.
The Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613 reached the market in 1988 as the direct successor to the 16803. The essential upgrade was not cosmetic: Rolex swapped the caliber 3035 for the newly developed 3135. Externally, the watch retained the proven Rolesor combination of steel and 18-karat yellow gold, with two variants available from launch: the 16613LB with a blue aluminum bezel — dubbed "Bluesy" in collector circles ever since — and the 16613LN with a black bezel. Early examples still ran tritium lume and featured Hollow End Links on the bracelet; the drilled lugs, gradually phased out after 2003, remain a mark of quality among collectors to this day.
## Three Lume Generations, Two Bracelet Updates
A 16613 from 1998 captures a rare transitional moment: Rolex switched that year from tritium to Luminova, identifiable by the "SWISS" signature on the dial. Transitionals from this brief period occupy their own collector category. From 2000, Super-LumiNova took over; simultaneously Rolex replaced the Hollow End Links with Solid End Links to reduce bracelet stretch, and the folding clasp gained a gold stripe. Also in 2000, Rolex upgraded caliber 3135 with the Parachrom hairspring — a niobium-zirconium alloy offering significantly higher resistance to magnetic fields than conventional steel.
## Rehaut Engraving and the End of the Pre-Ceramic Era
From 2005 onward, Rolex added the serial number to the rehaut, identifiable by the encircling ROLEX inscription — an anti-counterfeiting measure that now doubles as a reliable dating tool. At Baselworld 2008, Rolex unveiled the successor 116613 with a Cerachrom ceramic bezel; it entered the market in 2009. The last NOS examples of the 16613 circulated until around 2010, with individual Serti variants accompanied by warranty cards documented as late as 2016.
Brand profile: Rolex
Rolex is the most counterfeited watch brand in the world. Super-clones (VSF, ARF, Clean — the latter inactive after a raid in 07/2025, only old stock remaining) achieve 95%+ similarity. Authenticity is almost always detectable only via micro-details + movement behavior.
- Case back: ALWAYS solid and closed — any display window = definitely fake (exception: Vintage Ref. 6085 only)
- Minute hand length: genuine Rolex minute hands end EXACTLY at the minute chapter ring. 1 mm too long = fake. Strongest VSF tell.
- Seconds hand: smooth sweep without any hesitation — the slightest tick = fake
- Cyclops lens (on date models): must magnify exactly 2.5×, date fills almost the entire window
Serial number format: Since 2010: random alphanumeric combination (e.g. 'G3M9K721'). 2000–2010: letter + 6–7 digits. Serial number engraved on the rehaut at 6 o'clock (from ~2005). Older models: between the lugs at 6 o'clock on the case.
Further sources
Buying guide: Rolex Submariner Date
Market situation and price range
At $13,122 the Submariner Date sits in a segment where first owners sell regularly — clean pieces with box and papers are not uncommon. The jump from "good" to "very good" usually costs 1,000 to 2,000 euros more at purchase. You get that premium back on resale if the condition is preserved.
Watch out for swings: This reference has an above-average volatility of 62.6 percent. In concrete terms: the price can move by several hundred euros within a few weeks. Check the current value before buying or selling — old listings or auction results from two months ago are of little help.
What to look out for when buying?
- Authenticity: The serial number and reference on the case must match the papers. A professional authenticity check of the Rolex Submariner Date reliably rules out counterfeits.
- Condition: Check scratches on the case and bezel — professional refurbishment can leave traces.
- Service history: A documented service by the manufacturer or a certified watchmaker increases the value.
- Scope of delivery: Box, papers and warranty card make a noticeable price difference on the Submariner Date.
- Independent certification: The CPS-52 standard covers 52 checkpoints — from the serial number and the timing machine to water resistance. The result is secured on the blockchain and can be verified at any time.
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