Rolex Submariner 1680 Review

THE FIRST LOOK

Rolex Submariner 1680 First Impressions

What hits you the moment you pick up the Red Sub.

Pick up a Rolex watches reference like the Rolex Submariner 1680 after a steady diet of modern Submariners and the first thing you notice is warmth. The matte black dial swallows light instead of bouncing it, the tritium plots have usually aged to a creamy gold, and that tall domed acrylic crystal throws soft, rounded reflections no sapphire crystal can. It feels older in the best way, less clinical, more alive.

Then your eye lands on the detail that started a collecting obsession: a single line of text. On the red versions, the word SUBMARINER glows against the black dial like a stripe of paint. It is a tiny thing, one word, one color, yet it is the reason this reference splits into watches worth under fifteen thousand and grail pieces that cross six figures. Even on a plain white-dial example, the 1680 carries itself with the quiet confidence of a watch that knows it invented the Submariner Date.

THE WEARING EXPERIENCE

On the Wrist

How the Red Sub actually wears, day in and day out.

The Rolex Submariner 1680 measures 40mm across, the exact same diameter as a current 126610LN, yet it wears noticeably smaller and slimmer. The lugs are thinner, the case sides taper more sharply, and the whole watch sits closer to the wrist. At roughly 13mm thick it slides under a shirt cuff with room to spare, something the chunkier modern Subs cannot always claim. On a 6.5 to 7.5 inch wrist it is close to ideal, present without dominating.

What you feel most is the lightness. Vintage Oyster bracelets, whether the early riveted 7206 or the later folded 9315, are hollow and flexible compared to the solid-link modern bracelet, so the watch wears like a feather. Some buyers love that easy, broken-in feel; others find the rattle and stretch of an old bracelet a step down from what they expect of Rolex. It is a real consideration, and it is worth handling one before deciding. The domed crystal also catches the light at angles a flat sapphire never would, which is part of the charm and part of why the 1680 feels like wearing a piece of history rather than a tool.

SHOP THIS WATCH

Shop the Submariner 1680

Browse authenticated Rolex Submariner 1680 watches available now at WatchGuys.

If the warmth of that matte dial and the history behind the date window sound like a match, here is what we currently have available. Every 1680 we list is inspected by our watchmakers for dial and case originality before it reaches the site.

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BUILD QUALITY

Rolex Submariner 1680 Specifications

Breaking down the Red Sub from every angle.

Case and Crystal

The Rolex Submariner 1680 case is 40mm of stainless steel with the classic tonneau profile, crown guards, and a screw-down crown. Early examples use the twin-seal Twinlock crown; later white-dial pieces moved to the stronger Triplock system. Either way the watch is rated to 200 meters, a figure printed right on the dial. The case has gentle, organic lines that polishing over fifty years can soften, so a sharp, full-lugged, lightly-worn example is worth holding out for.

The defining feature here is the crystal. Unlike every modern Submariner, the 1680 wears a domed acrylic (plexiglass) crystal that stands tall and proud above the bezel, with a "top hat" magnifier known as the Cyclops over the date. This is the first Submariner to carry a date and Cyclops at all, which is precisely why it matters. The acrylic scratches more easily than sapphire, but light surface marks polish out in minutes with a touch of Polywatch, and the warm, rounded distortion it gives the dial is a big part of the vintage appeal.

Dial and Bezel

The dial is where the Rolex Submariner 1680 earns its legend. The matte black surface carries the Mercedes handset, applied baton and dagger lume plots, and the depth rating printed above six o'clock. The headline split is red text versus white: Rolex printed the word SUBMARINER in red from roughly 1969 to 1975, then switched to white through the end of the run. Within the red era alone there are six recognized dial Marks (plus a rare service dial), separated by tiny differences like meters-first versus feet-first depth ratings and closed versus open sixes. These are the variations collectors hunt with a loupe, and they move the price dramatically. If you are new to decoding vintage Rolex reference numbers and dial codes, it is worth getting familiar before you shop.

The bezel is an aluminum insert on a rotating bezel, with the depth scale printed in white. Early 1680s are famously the only Submariners with a bi-directional bezel before Rolex standardized the unidirectional design. Faded "ghost" inserts that have drifted to grey or navy are highly prized, and certain early inserts, like the so-called "Long 5," are valuable components in their own right.

Bracelet

The Rolex Submariner 1680 came on a few different Oyster bracelets over its run: the riveted 7206 with 80-series end links on the earliest pieces, the folded-link 9315 through the early-to-mid 1970s, and the later 93150 with solid links. The folded and riveted bracelets feel light and flexible, with a degree of stretch that is completely normal for the age. A correct, period bracelet and clasp matter for both wearing feel and value, so it is worth confirming the bracelet matches the watch's serial range rather than being a later swap.

UNDER THE HOOD

Rolex Submariner 1680 Movement Review

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

The Rolex Submariner 1680 runs the Caliber 1575, an automatic chronometer movement that is essentially the time-only Caliber 1570 with a date wheel added to drive that new Cyclops window. It beats at a leisurely vintage rate and, in good health after a proper service, a 1575 will hold accuracy that is perfectly respectable for a fifty-year-old movement, typically within a handful of seconds a day. It will not match a modern 3235, and it should not be expected to, but for daily wear it is dependable and easy to live with.

One quirk worth knowing: the earliest 1575s, found in the "meters first" red dials made before about 1971, lack a hacking (stop seconds) function, so the seconds hand keeps sweeping as you set the time. Hacking was added later in the run. In practice the winding is smooth, the rotor is quiet, and the date changes cleanly around midnight. Service is the real ownership cost here. A vintage Rolex service from a qualified independent watchmaker generally runs several hundred dollars and should be budgeted every five to seven years, more if the watch arrives with an unknown service history. Buy one that has been recently serviced by someone reputable and you save yourself the first bill and the guesswork.

MARKET VALUE

Current Market Snapshot

What the Rolex Submariner 1680 costs right now on the secondary market.

The Rolex Submariner 1680 splits sharply on price along the red-versus-white line. A clean, honest white-dial example typically trades in the low-to-mid teens, which makes it one of the most accessible entry points into genuine vintage Rolex sports watches. The red-dial versions are a different market entirely: a solid example starts in the high teens and climbs fast, with the rarest early Marks and exceptional condition pieces reaching well past fifty thousand dollars. WatchGuys generally sees 1680s in the $10,000 to $30,000+ band depending on dial and condition.

As a discontinued vintage reference, the 1680 behaves more stably than in-production models, and over the long run it has held value better than the broader Submariner market. It is not a flip; it is a watch you buy because you want it. The single biggest swing factor is dial originality. A red Sub with a later service dial, or a polished case, or a mismatched bracelet, sells for a fraction of an all-original example, which is exactly why buying from a dealer who inspects these properly matters so much.

HEAD TO HEAD

How It Compares

The Red Sub against the alternatives buyers actually cross-shop.

Rolex Submariner 1680 vs. Rolex Submariner 5513 (No-Date)

The most common cross-shop is between the Rolex Submariner 1680 and its date-free sibling, the Rolex Submariner 5513, which ran alongside it. The 5513 gives you the cleaner, more symmetrical no-date dial and a slightly slimmer case, and it is the choice for purists who feel the Submariner was always meant to be a tool without a calendar. The 1680 counters with the date, the Cyclops, and the historical weight of being the first Submariner to carry both. Pricing is comparable for white-dial examples, so the decision usually comes down to one question: do you want the date window or not?

Robertino's Take

"If you want a daily-wear vintage Sub and you actually use the date, the 1680 is the smarter buy and a white-dial example is a steal next to what reds cost. If you are chasing the trophy, the red 1680 is the one watch in this conversation that genuinely appreciates with the right dial. Buy the condition and the originality, not the story the seller tells you."

Rolex Submariner 1680 vs. Rolex Submariner 16800 (Successor)

For buyers who love the look but want fewer vintage compromises, the Rolex Submariner 16800 is the direct successor and the bridge to the modern era. It kept the 40mm case and matte (then glossy) dials but eventually brought a sapphire crystal, a higher-beat movement, and a unidirectional bezel, making it more robust and lower-maintenance. The 16800 trades for less than a 1680 in most cases and is the practical pick if you want vintage flavor with everyday durability. The 1680 remains the more historically important and, in red form, far more collectible of the two.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Verdict

Is the Rolex Submariner 1680 worth your money?

The Rolex Submariner 1680 is worth it, and it is one of the smartest vintage Rolex buys you can make. This is the reference that turned the Submariner from a pure tool into a daily-wear icon by adding the date and Cyclops, and it wears beautifully today: slim, light, warm, and unmistakably vintage without being fragile.

It is perfect for the buyer who wants real vintage Rolex character on the wrist and will actually wear it. A clean white-dial example is one of the best values in the vintage market, and a red-dial Mark variant is a genuine collector trophy that has held its value through soft markets. Who should look elsewhere? Anyone who wants set-and-forget reliability and modern water resistance is better served by a 16800 or a current Submariner, and anyone unwilling to verify dial originality should not chase a red Sub at all, because that is exactly where buyers get burned. The single strongest reason to buy: no other Submariner combines this much history with this much daily wearability at this price.

Robertino's Take

"The 1680 is the vintage Sub I recommend most. A white dial gets you into proper vintage Rolex for the price of a new ceramic Sub, and it has the soul the modern ones lost. If you can stretch to an original red and you buy the dial first, you are holding one of the most collectible Submariners ever made. Just make sure it is real, all the way down to the lume, and buy it from someone who knows the difference."

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