Vintage Rolex Submariner 1680 "Red" - Vintage of the Week Episode 19 | Bob's Watches

We’re back with another installment of Vintage of the Week. In this episode, we’re examining the Red Submariner ref. 1680. Shop vintage Rolex: https://www.bobswatches.com/vintage-r...

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00:00 INTRO
00:15 Wrist Check
00:58 Vintage Rolex Submariner 1680 “Red”
01:10 Date Display
01:45 Acrylic Crystal
02:03 Red Text
03:51 Condition
04:13 Feet First Dial
05:26 New Old Stock
06:27 Submariner Variations
07:05 Availability
07:15 OUTRO

Are you interested in learning more about the famous Red Sub? Check out our complete Submariner 1680 buying guide, complete with pricing, history, and features: https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blo...

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THE ROLEX 1680 RED SUBMARINER

The Submariner came to market in the 1950s, initially featuring a time-only dial. It wasn’t until ref. 1680 made its debut in the 1960s when the famous dive watch finally included Rolex’s famous jump date mechanism.

It was the first Submariner ever to feature a date on the dial and remained in production through the 1970s. Some say it was retired in 1979, and others argue that it stayed in production until 1980.

It also featured water resistance up to 200 meters, crown guards, and a bi-directional bezel outfitted with a black aluminum insert.

Additionally, it was the only Submariner Date furnished with an acrylic crystal. Its successors all feature scratch-resistant sapphire crystals.

During its production run, Rolex released numerous variations of ref. 1680, including those in steel or gold (1680/8), a couple of different movements, and either white or red logos on the dial.

The stainless steel ref. 1680 was produced with a red Submariner logo on the dial from approximately 1967 until 1975. After that, it featured all white text on the dial. From there, the white and red dials boast numerous differences between the font and arrangement of the text.

The Red Submariner has seven dial variations referred to as “Marks,” while the White Submariner has three.


THE FAT FONT BEZEL

The Red Submariner was initially outfitted with a “Fat Font” bezel featuring thicker numerals. Many of them were replaced during routine servicing by “Thin Font” bezels, making original Fat Font bezels increasingly rare.


RED SUBMARINER DIAL VARIATIONS

MK1 – Mark I dials feature meters-first text below the red Submariner logo. These dials also feature closed 6s and slightly curvier font, specifically the “f” in the text “ft.” Additionally, the Submariner logo is printed in red over white text.

MK2 – Mark 2 dials came to market in 1969 and 1970. Like MK 1 dials, they also feature meters first text, open 6s, and red logos printed over white font. However, the “f” in “ft” does not extend as much as on the MK 1 dial.

MK3 – Mark 3 dials are nearly identical to Mark 2 dials, featuring meters-first text and open 6s. What sets them apart from their predecessors is that the tail on the “f” in “ft” is even shorter, and the Submariner logo is printed in red directly onto the dial.

MK4 – Mark 4 dials came to market around the end of 1970 and feature feet-first font instead of meters-first. They are also distinguished by red Submariner logos printed on top of white text and open 6s.

MK5 – Mark 5 dials also feature feet-first depth ratings. They include open 6s. However, they aren’t as open as on Mark 4 dials. Mark 5 dials also feature the red Submariner logo printed directly onto the dial.

MK6 – Mark 6 dials were the last to feature Tritium lume. They also feature feet-first text and include the red Submariner logo printed directly onto the dial, not on top of the white font. What sets Mark 6 dials apart from other variants on this list is that they feature closed 6s, and the “S” in “Superlative” is curvier.

MK7 – Mark 7 dials feature exclusively white Submariner logos. Among these are three different varieties labeled MKI, MKII, and MKIII.

MK8– Mark 8 dials are technically service dials used on red Submariner watches when they were sent in for routine servicing. They are characterized by Luminova instead of Tritium, as distinguished by the text “Swiss” instead of “Swiss-T 25”. Only a handful of these rare dials made it into circulation.

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