It is officially an end of an era. The 40mm Submariner is no more.
The Basics
So, finally Rolex unveiled their novelties for 2020. And one of the biggest talking points is of course the updated Rolex Submariner. It was not a chocker that this would occur at all since we’ve recently seen changes to the GMT-Master line with updated cases and movements.
The big talking point with the new 2020 Rolex Submariner is the size. Historically speaking, the Submariner has been sized at 40mm more or less since its inception. But the 2020 Submariner marks an end of an era.
All the 40mm Submariners are now discontinued and replaced by the new 41mm version. We have the following reference numbers now in production: 126610LN and 126610LV (41mm with date), 124060LN (without date), 126613LN and 126613LB in stainless steel and yellow gold with black dial and bezel and a blue counterpart. And also two solid gold models in the 126618LB and the 126619LB.
So what is new with the Submariner except its new case diameter?
Well to start with the case, we see several changes to the case itself. The lugs are longer and slimmer and also the crown guards are less bulky.
The bracelet is no longer 20mm wide but 21mm tapering down to 19mm.
Movement wise the new Submariners feature the in-house caliber 3230 (without date function) or 3235 (with date function). These movements have an increased power reserve of 70h, are regulated to -2/+2 seconds per day and also have the Parachrom blue hairspring, Chronergy escapement, and optimised gear train, resulting in superior timekeeping.
Personal Thoughts
So what do I think of the new Submariner? I’m not really sure.
The slimmer profile is very welcome in my opinion since I’ve never been a fan of bulky maxi cases. However, the larger diameter leaves me concerned. I’ve been wishing for a more modest-sized Submariner like the old 16610/14060’s for a while and even though the profile is slimmer than on the previous 116610/114060 this watch seems to be a bit longer from lug to lug than its predecessor which is not great news for me with smaller sized wrists.
With that said, I’ll have to wait for my final opinion before I’ve had some hands-on with the new 41mm version.
But all in all, it's officially an end of an era.
Specifications of Rolex Submariner 41mm 126610
Brand: Rolex
Model: Submariner
Diameter: 41mm
Case Material: Stainless steel, stainless steel/yellow gold, yellow gold and white gold
Dial Color: Black and blue
Water Resistance: 300m
Strap/Bracelet: Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock folding clasp and Glidelock extension system
Caliber: 3230 & 3235
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic, self winding
Frequency: 28,800 vph
Jewels: 31
Price:
Ref. 124060 (steel, no date) – US$8,100
Ref. 126610LN (steel, black bezel) – US$9,150
Ref. 126610LV (steel, green bezel) – US$9,550
Ref. 126613LB and 126613LN (steel-gold) – US$14,300
Ref. 126618LB and 126618LN (yellow gold) – US$36,950
Ref. 126619LB (white gold) – US$39,650
For more, visit Rolex.com.
