Rolex Submariner Thickness Guide

The popular Rolex Submariner dive watch has a lot going for it, from its reliable movement to its timeless aesthetic and best-in-class bracelet. But one of its most underrated assets is its relatively thin case. Rolex Submariner thickness has varied from 12.2mm to 15.2mm over the years, with the newest models right around 12.5mm. Here’s our quick guide to Submariner case height.

What Affects Rolex Submariner Thickness?

The thickness of a Rolex Submariner has actually remained remarkably constant over time. There are really three factors at play:

Depth Rating

In the early years of the Submariner (the mid-1950s), Rolex offered two tiers of Submariners side-by-side. Essentially, 13mm-thick models were rated to 100m, known as “Small Crown” models due to their crowns being no more than 6mm wide. And the 200m-rated Rolex Submariner “Big Crown” models (8mm crowns) had a thickness just over 15mm.

Case Design

It’s worth noting that two 100m models (6536-1 and 5508) were extra thin (12.2mm) thanks to their particularly flat casebacks, and one 100m model (6536/8, an odd parts-bin mashup of the 6536 and 6538) got the thick case for some reason.

But by the late 1950’s, Rolex had devised an improved case design that allowed them to get a 200m rating from a 13mm case, and the 100m option was dropped. Crown guards and 7mm crowns became standard.

Crystal

Since then, most of the variance in Rolex Submariner thickness has been due to the crystal. Some vintage no-date Submariners have desirable original “superdome” crystals, giving them a total thickness of up to 14.5mm, while ones with later service replacements typically come in around 13mm. Most acrylic Submariner Date models (ref. 1680) have square-ish beveled crystals and a thickness of 13.5mm, but if you find one with the even taller and even squarer original “top hat” crystal it will be around 14mm.

Sapphire crystals first appeared on the Submariner in 1979, replacing their taller plastic counterparts and reducing the total case height to about 12.5mm for date (and later non-date) versions. Rolex Submariner thickness has stayed right around there ever since.

Shout out to Rolex Haven for having some of the best measurements of early models. Note that while you might find measurements that vary a few tenths of a millimeters from what we’ve shown you here, we think our chart of Rolex Submariner thickness should give you a good understanding:

Rolex Submariner Thickness by Reference

asdfYears	Reference Number	Case Diameter	Case Thickness	Note
1953-1958	6204. 6205, 6536	37.5mm	13mm	First “Small Crown” models
1955-1958	6536/8, 6538, 5510, 6200	37.5mm	15.2mm	“Big Crown” models (except for the 6536/8 which has a small crown)
1956-1959	6536-1, 5508	37.5mm	12.2mm	Flattest “Small Crown” models
1959-1988	5512, 5513, 5514 (COMEX), 5517 (MilSub)	39.5mm	13mm (+1.5mm for superdome crystal)	Crown guard, larger diameter
1969-1979	1680	39.5mm	13.5mm (+0.5mm for top hat crystal)	First Submariner Date, acrylic crystal
1979-1988	16800, 16803, 16808	40mm	12.5mm	Submariner Date with sapphire crystal, aluminum insert
1988-2010	16610, 16613, 16618	40mm	12.5mm	As above, just a slight movement update
1990-2012	14060, 14060m	39.5mm	12.3mm	The only no-date Sub with a sapphire crystal and aluminum bezel insert
2010-2020	114060, 116610, 116613, 116618, 116619	40mm	12.5mm	“Supercase” Sub, ceramic bezel insert
2020+	124060, 126610, 126613, 126618, 126619	41mm	12.5mm	Slight size increase, revised lugs

Submariner Thickness vs. the Competition

With some of the thinnest watches in the world today setting absurd records–like a 2mm-thick tourbillon watch from Piaget–the 12.5mm thickness of a Rolex Submariner may not sound all that impressive. But for a dive watch, it’s actually one of the thinnest. The newest Breitling Superocean Heritage models are thinner (right around 12mm) but almost every other luxury diver is over 13mm, with some larger Omega Planet Ocean models exceeding 16mm. While thinness isn’t the first thing people talk about when it comes to the Submariner, it definitely contributes to its comfort and long-lasting wide appeal.