Rolex Submariner 14060 Review

THE FIRST LOOK

Rolex Submariner 14060 First Impressions

What hits you the moment you pick up the last classic-case No-Date Sub.

Pick up a Rolex Submariner 14060 after handling any modern Sub and the first thing you notice is what is missing: bulk. This is one of the slimmest, most honest-feeling dive watches Rolex has made in the last forty years, and it carries the same understated confidence that defines the best Rolex watches without a single gram of excess. The lugs are thin and they taper. The case sits low. There are no oversized crown guards, no fat super-lugs, no maxi dial shouting for attention. It looks like a tool, because it is one.

The black dial is glossy and uncomplicated, with no date window to break the symmetry and no Cyclops bump on the crystal. The flat sapphire crystal sits almost flush with the bezel, which gives the whole watch a tidy, low-profile read that photographs plainly and wears even better. If your reference point is a glossy press shot, the real thing will feel more restrained and more wearable than you expect. This is the watch that earned the nickname "the last of the best," and within the first thirty seconds on the wrist you understand why.

THE WEARING EXPERIENCE

On the Wrist

How the 14060 actually wears, day in and day out.

The Rolex Submariner 14060 is a masterclass in how a 40mm watch should sit. Because the lugs are short and tapered rather than the broad super-lugs of the references that followed, it wears flatter and more compact than its diameter suggests. On wrists from roughly 6.25 inches up it looks correct, and even smaller wrists are served well by the slim profile, since the watch hugs the wrist rather than perching on top of it. At around 12.5mm thick it slides under a shirt cuff without a fight, which is more than you can say for most modern divers.

Weight is the other surprise. The five-digit case and the lighter bracelet make this a genuinely featherweight Submariner by today's standards, and after a full day you can forget it is there. The catch is the bracelet itself, which is the one part of the experience that betrays the watch's age. The hollow center links and folded end links feel thin compared to the solid-link bracelets that came later, and on early examples they can develop the familiar "stretch" over years of wear. It does not ruin the watch, but it is the single biggest tell that you are wearing a five-digit reference and not a modern one. We cover that in detail below.

SHOP THIS WATCH

Shop the Submariner

Browse authenticated Rolex Submariner 14060 watches available now at WatchGuys.

If the slim case and tool-watch honesty sound like a match, here is what we currently have available. Every five-digit No-Date Sub we list is inspected in-house, checked for bracelet stretch and dial originality, and backed by our warranty.

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BUILD QUALITY

Rolex Submariner 14060 Specifications

Case, dial and bezel, and bracelet on the last classic-case No-Date Sub.

Case

The Rolex Submariner 14060 case is the classic five-digit Submariner profile that traces back to the 1959 reference 5512, machined from stainless steel with thin, tapered lugs and modest crown guards. This is the case shape that lovers of the reference are really buying: slimmer flanks, drilled lugholes, and none of the visual heft of the Super Case era. The finishing is mostly brushed across the top surfaces with polished bevels down the sides of the lugs, an understated treatment that suits the watch's purpose. The screw-down Triplock crown winds smoothly and seats with a positive click, and it is a meaningful upgrade over the predecessor, since the 14060 was the first No-Date Submariner to combine a Triplock crown with a sapphire crystal for a full 300 meters of water resistance.

Two case details matter most to buyers. First, the drilled lugs: the through-holes make swapping the bracelet for a strap a two-minute job with a simple pin tool, which is a genuine convenience this generation offers that later sealed-lug Subs do not. Second, the flat sapphire crystal sits low and uncoated, which keeps the profile thin and gives the watch its plain, unfussy character. It catches more glare than a coated, domed crystal would, but that flatness is part of the heritage look.

Dial and Bezel

The Rolex Submariner 14060 dial is glossy black with applied, gold-rimmed hour markers and the classic Mercedes handset, all filled with luminous material. There is no date and no Cyclops, so the dial reads with perfect symmetry. The detail that drives collectors is the lume material and the dial text. Earlier 14060 examples from the 1990s use tritium, marked "SWISS-T<25" at the bottom of the dial, which ages to a warm cream or pumpkin tone that many buyers actively hunt for. Later production switched to Super-LumiNova. The 14060M added another wrinkle in 2007 with the move from a "2-liner" dial to a "4-liner" carrying the Superlative Chronometer text, a distinction that affects both look and value.

The bezel is the other signature element: a unidirectional rotating bezel with a matte black aluminum insert and painted markings. It turns with crisp, sharp clicks that are easy to operate, and the aluminum gives it a flatter, more vintage appearance than the glossy Cerachrom ceramic that replaced it on the Rolex Submariner 114060. The honest trade-off is durability. Aluminum scratches and can fade, which purists count as character and pragmatists count as wear. The upside is that an aluminum insert is inexpensive and straightforward to replace if yours is beaten up.

Bracelet

The bracelet is where the Rolex Submariner 14060 shows its age most clearly. It is an Oyster bracelet, but built to the standards of its era: hollow center links and stamped, folded end links rather than the solid construction Rolex moved to on later references. In practice this means two things. It is light and comfortable, which is part of why the watch wears so easily. But early examples are prone to "stretch," where the rivets and pin holes wear over years of use and the bracelet develops play. The folding clasp is functional and secure but basic, with no modern tool-free micro-adjustment system like the Glidelock found on the current No-Date Sub.

For many owners this is a feature rather than a flaw, because the lighter bracelet and the drilled lugs make strap-swapping effortless. A rubber or leather strap transforms the watch and sidesteps the bracelet question entirely. If you want the original bracelet to feel tight and rattle-free, prioritize examples with minimal stretch, and budget for a service or a fresh bracelet on a heavily worn piece.

EXPERT TIP | Robertino Altieri | WatchGuys CEO

What to Check on a Pre-Owned 14060

"On a five-digit Sub, I always check three things first. Pull the bracelet taut and look for stretch, because a stretched bracelet is the most common issue on these and it is expensive to fix properly. Second, study the dial under magnification: tritium dials should age evenly, and a service-replacement dial kills the collector premium. Third, confirm the bezel insert is aluminum and original to the period. None of these are dealbreakers, but each one moves the price by hundreds or thousands of dollars, so know exactly what you are buying."

UNDER THE HOOD

Rolex Submariner 14060 Movement Review

How the movement performs where it matters: on the wrist, every day.

The Rolex Submariner 14060 ran two movements across its long life. From 1990 to 1999 it used the Caliber 3000, a robust automatic beating at the modern standard of 28,800 vph with a 48-hour power reserve. The 3000 was reliable and no-frills, but it used a flat hairspring rather than a Breguet overcoil, an omission that reflected its position as the entry-level Sub. In 1999 the reference became the 14060M, with the "M" standing for modified, and the movement was upgraded to the Caliber 3130. This is the heart of the matter for most buyers today.

The Caliber 3130 is, in plain terms, one of the most dependable mechanical movements Rolex has ever built. It reinstated the Breguet overcoil, added a larger balance wheel, and swapped the balance cock for a full balance bridge for greater stability. It is closely related to the Caliber 3135 that powered the date Submariners of the same era, minus the date mechanism. In daily wear it simply runs, often holding within a few seconds a day even on decades-old examples. The trade-off versus a current Sub is the 48-hour power reserve, which means an example left off the wrist over a long weekend will stop, where the modern 70-hour movements survive. For accuracy, note that early 14060 and 14060M dials were not COSC chronometer certified; certification arrived only in 2007 with the 4-liner dial, though a well-regulated 2-liner keeps time just as capably. Servicing is another point in this watch's favor: the 3000 and 3130 are common, well-understood movements, so service is straightforward and affordable relative to more complex calibers.

EXPERT TIP | Robertino Altieri | WatchGuys CEO

Service Costs for the Caliber 3130

"This is one of the cheapest Rolex sport watches to live with. The 3130 is bulletproof and there is no date to complicate a service, so any competent watchmaker can handle it without sending it to Rolex. If you find a clean 14060M running a few seconds off, that is usually just a regulation away from spot-on. Do not let a slightly fast or slow example scare you off the deal, because the fix is minor."

MARKET VALUE

Current Market Snapshot

What the 14060 costs right now on the secondary market.

The Rolex Submariner 14060 sits in one of the most accessible price brackets in the entire Submariner family, with most examples trading between roughly $7,000 and $11,000 depending on variant and condition. That is below the current 40mm and 41mm ceramic No-Date Subs, which puts the classic-case look within reach for buyers who do not want to pay modern-Sub money. After the broader market correction that followed the 2022 peak, when these briefly pushed past $12,000, prices have settled and then ticked back up over the past year, a sign of steady demand for five-digit sport Rolex references.

Variant drives a lot of the spread. Tritium-dial 14060 examples with attractive, even patina command a premium with collectors, as do clean late-production 14060M 4-liners with COSC certification. Complete sets with box and papers trade well above watch-only examples. If you are buying to wear rather than to chase the rarest configuration, a solid 2-liner 14060M without full papers is often the smartest value in the range. For broader context on where this sits against other steel sport models, it helps to browse the wider vintage Rolex market and compare.

HEAD TO HEAD

How It Compares

The 14060 against the alternatives buyers actually cross-shop.

The Rolex Submariner 14060 gets cross-shopped against three watches more than any other: its own 14060M successor, the modern ceramic Rolex Submariner 114060, and the date sibling of its era, the Rolex Submariner 16610. Each comparison answers a different question.

Against the 14060M, the choice is movement and lume. The original 14060 carries the Caliber 3000 and, on early examples, the tritium dial that ages so beautifully. The 14060M brings the upgraded Caliber 3130 and, from 2007, optional COSC certification with the 4-liner dial. The cases are essentially identical. If you want the prettiest aged dial, hunt a tritium 14060. If you want the best movement and the option of certification, the 14060M is the pick.

Against the modern Rolex Submariner 114060, it is vintage character versus modern convenience. The 114060 gives you a scratch-proof Cerachrom bezel, a solid-link bracelet with the Glidelock micro-adjustment, and Chromalight lume, but it wears chunkier thanks to the Super Case. The 14060 counters with a slimmer profile, drilled lugs, and a lower price. Both are 40mm No-Date Subs, but they feel like different watches on the wrist.

Robertino's Take

"People agonize over 14060 versus 114060, and my answer is always the same: try both on. The 14060 is the more elegant, more wearable watch, and it is cheaper. The 114060 is the more durable, more convenient watch. If you want one Sub to beat up and never think about, get the modern one. If you want the watch that feels special every time you strap it on, the slim five-digit case wins, and it is the better value today."

Finally, against the Rolex Submariner 16610, the question is simply date or no date. The 16610 is the date-equipped sibling from the same five-digit era, with the Cyclops window and the COSC-certified Caliber 3135 from the start. If you want a date and do not mind the asymmetry the Cyclops introduces, the 16610 is the natural cross-shop. If you prefer the cleaner, purist dial, the 14060 is the one.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Verdict

Is the 14060 worth your money?

Yes, the Rolex Submariner 14060 is worth buying, and for a specific kind of buyer it is the best Submariner value on the market. This is the watch for someone who wants the classic, slim Submariner silhouette, the convenience of drilled lugs, and one of the most reliable movements Rolex ever made, all at a price below the modern references. It is a watch you can wear hard, swap onto a strap on a whim, and service affordably for decades.

Who should look elsewhere? If you need modern bracelet adjustability, a scratch-proof ceramic bezel, and a 70-hour power reserve, the current Rolex Submariner 124060 is the better daily tool, and you should accept the higher price that comes with it. And if a stretched bracelet or a scratched aluminum bezel would bother you, buy the cleanest, most complete 14060 you can find rather than the cheapest. But the single strongest reason to buy this watch stands on its own: no current Submariner wears as elegantly or as effortlessly as the last five-digit case. It is the one that disappears on the wrist and makes you smile every time you notice it again. For a closer look at how Rolex numbers these references and what each digit means, our Rolex reference numbers resource is a useful companion.

Robertino's Take

"I have bought and sold a lot of these, and the 14060 is one of the few Rolex sport watches I genuinely tell people to wear instead of safe-queen. Get a clean 14060M, throw it on a rubber strap for the weekend and the bracelet during the week, and stop worrying. It is the most honest Submariner Rolex made in the modern era, and at today's prices it is a smarter buy than half the ceramic Subs people line up for."

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