Rolex Submariner ref. 126618LN and 126619LB

The Origins

Debuting in 1953 and released to the public the following year, the Rolex Submariner has undoubtedly become one of the most iconic timepieces of all time. Used extensively by the armies like the British Royal Navy and professional diving companies like COMEX, the Submariner set the bar for nearly every dive watch that followed due to its incredibly robust and timeless design. Today, its popularity knows no bounds as it continues to reign supreme as one of the most iconic watches on the planet, and perhaps one of the most sought-after and in-demand stainless steel sports watches you can get your hands on. Of course, with over 70 years under its belt, the Submariner has undergone a long and storied evolution, but the references that we have today epitomises the model’s modern evolution into one of the most hyped watches in the industry. 

Released in September of 2020, the new Rolex Submariner collection included two new precious metal references that joined the three stainless steel references and two-tone references that were also debuted in the same time. Immensely popular amongst those who want their Submariner to embody exclusivity and break from the monotonous trap that collectors often critique Rolex for falling into, these two precious metal watches speak to the Submariner’s use case as a robust dive watch all while offering unparalleled luxury and elegance. 

The Case and Dial

Boasting the same Maxi-dial as always, the ref. 126618LN and ref. 126619LB both retain the Submariner’s iconic display with its circular 18k white gold applied indices and 18k white gold hands. Offered in black, both of these references embody the Submariner’s tool watch design, with the ref. 126619LB breaking from the blue dial standard that has been set by its predecessor, the ref. 116619LB and bringing it into line amongst the majority of modern Submariner references. Offered in 18k white gold for the ref. 126619LB and 18k yellow gold for the ref. 126618LN, these two references come only in full gold from case to bracelet, a once controversial introduction for the Submariner when the 18k yellow gold ref. 1680/8 was launched in 1969.

One subtle changes that the new Submariner introduced to the collection was a new hour hand with a broader base, thus enlarging its presence and giving Rolex more room to apply their signature Chromalight lume. This broadened hour hand subtly suggests the range of changes that the new Submariner collection ushered in when compared to the old references. 

Beginning with the case, the new collection features a 41mm diameter case, 1mm larger than the outgoing references’ 40mm case. In addition, the bracelet has been widened so the lug distance is 21mm instead of 20mm, giving the watch a more balance stance on the wrist. 

However, Rolex understood the importance of refining the Submariner’s shape, and so the new collection features more elegant and shapely lugs that ditch the previous collection’s boxier design and are more reminiscent of the five-digit Submariner’s lugs. As a result, the new 41mm Submariner collection wears with a more balanced presence on the wrist that is rather sleek and elegant.

The Movement

As with any ref. 12xxxx model from Rolex, the new Submariner collection features the latest generation of movement that Rolex has to offer, the automatic cal. 3230 in the ref. 124060 and the cal. 3235 in the dated models like the ref. 126619LB and 126618LN. Boasting an impressive power reserve of 70 hours, these two movements also include Rolex’s Parachrom Hairspring, Paraflex Shock Absorbers and a Chronergy Escapement with Optimized Energy Efficiency, all of which makes them both truly robust and capable movements that are equipped for just about everything you can throw at it.

Celeb Love

As two of Rolex’s most exclusive and luxurious sports models, it’s by no means a surprise that the white gold ref. 126619LB and the yellow gold ref. 126618LN are immensely popular amongst celebrities across the globe. Sporting an iconic combination of black and gold, the ref. 126618LN’s has been spotted on the wrists of A-listers like Prensel Kimpembe, Chris Hemsworth and social media sensation Mia Sand, which goes to showcase its unilateral popularity amongst a variety of different people. On the other hand, the less flashy of the two, the ref. 126619LB, has been spotted on Oleksandr Usyk, Mark Wahlberg and Alejandro Garnacho as it flies under the radar that bit easier, and avoids unwanted attention.

Market Performance

In keeping with the Submariner’s generally favorable market performance, the collection’s two precious references have performed rather well since their debut in 2020. As evidenced by their market values hitting around $53000 and $50000 during the market’s peak in early 2022, both variants have lived quite different lives on the market since their joint debut. 

Beginning with the stronger starter of the two, the ref. 126619LB benefitted from the growing hype for the blue-dialed “Smurf” ref. 116619LB that it replaced, and so it roared onto the market with a value of $57000 – a hefty increase on its MSRP of $42000. However, with its black dial and 18k white gold’s likeness to stainless steel, the ref. 126619LB’s value tumbled to where it is today, $33000, which represents a whopping loss of $9000 on the ref. 126619LB’s MSRP of $42000, or a price premium of -21%. 

On the other hand, the black and 18k yellow gold ref. 126618LN started life on the market with a more conservative market value, and so it go the opportunity to build its own organic fanbase, or extend upon what it already had from previous generations. From its modest opening value of $40000, the ref. 126618LN went on to be valued at $53000, which was a price premium of almost 30%. Today its market value is closer to $40000, so only a small price premium of 3.41% over its MSRP of $39000. This just goes to show that when prices are high you should sell, because the chances are that the value of these watches is going to fall just as they did before. 

Check out the live performance of Rolex Submariner Two-Tone ref. 126618LN and 126619LB on The Wristcheck Index