A stainless steel Rolex Submariner retails for over $10,050 at authorized dealers. On the pre-owned market, Bob’s Watches reports sales figures ranging from approximately $9,900 for discontinued steel models to a median of $16,195 for the current 126610LV, according to September 2026 sales data. The specific figure varies depending on the reference, generation, and condition.
Key takeaways
- Retail and pre-owned are two different markets with two different prices, and you should never let anyone blend them into one number.
- Pre-owned steel Submariners start around $10,000 for discontinued references, based on our completed sales through September 2026.
- Present secondary market prices for steel exceed their retail price since authorized dealers are unable to meet demand.
- There’s a full ladder of generations between a $10,000 five-digit Sub and a $16,000 current one, and most buyers only ever hear about the top rung.
- The Submariner is usually regarded as one of the better value investments in watches, though it must be pointed out that no watch ensures a profit.
I’ve been buying and selling Submariners for over three decades, and “how much is one” is still the question I hear most. The honest answer takes a few tables and a little context, so here’s all of it, built on what pre-owned Rolex Submariners actually sold for at Bob’s, not what sellers are asking.
Rolex Submariner Retail Prices vs Pre-Owned Market Prices
Any discussion of a Submariner’s price must start with a clear distinction: retail is the price Rolex lists at an authorized dealer, if one is available; pre-owned is what the same watch is currently fetching, without the wait. The two tables below keep the categories separate because that’s how buyers get cheated.
Current retail prices at a glance
These are list prices at authorized dealers, taken from the current Rolex Submariner retail prices at publication. They’re the starting point, not the street reality.
| Model | Reference | Current Retail |
| Submariner No Date | 124060 | $10,050 |
| Submariner Date, black bezel | 126610LN | $11,350 |
| Submariner Date, green bezel | 126610LV | $11,900 |
| Submariner Date, two-tone | 126613 | $19,450 |
| Submariner Date, yellow gold | 126618 | $50,900 |
Pre-owned sold prices at Bob’s
A pre-owned steel Rolex Submariner has a price range of about $10,000 to $16,600, with the exact figure depending on the reference; the current Submariner Date 126610LN has a median price of $15,795, based on completed Bob’s Watches transactions from October 2025 through September 2026, as of September 2026.
| Reference | Median Sold Price | Typical Range |
| 126610LN | $15,795 | $15,495 to $15,995 |
| 126610LV | $16,195 | $15,895 to $16,595 |
| 124060 (124060LN) | $14,595 | $13,995 to $14,995 |
| 116610LN | $12,945 | $12,495 to $13,295 |
| 114060 | $11,945 | $11,595 to $12,495 |
| 16610 | $10,995 | $10,795 to $11,995 |
| 14060 | $10,995 | $10,595 to $11,570 |
| 126613LB | $19,595 | $19,295 to $19,820 |
| 126613LN | $18,395 | $17,995 to $19,320 |
| 16613 | $12,595 | $11,695 to $14,095 |
Typical range means the middle 50% of our sold prices for that reference, not the full spread. A rough example or a mint full set can land outside it.
What Buyers Actually Pay for a Submariner: Our Sales Data
Most price guides list asking prices, since asking prices are merely wishes; we keep a record of the prices at which Submariners have actually sold, because if a watch remains listed at $17,000 for six months it tells you nothing, while if a watch sold yesterday for $15,795 then it tells you everything.
Over the past seven quarters, the trend has been up, and the most interesting figure isn’t the current model. The discontinued 116610LN, the 40mm Submariner Date that Rolex pulled from sale, rose about 13% in our quarterly median sale prices, from $11,445 in the first quarter of 2025 to $12,945 in the third quarter of 2026. When a watch that is no longer available for purchase at retail outperforms one that still is, demand exceeds a fixed supply.
A quarter should raise a caution flag since both current references declined slightly in the third quarter of 2026; this reflects only a single quarter, not a trend, and I wouldn’t act on it regardless of direction.
“What stands out in our sales data is how much demand there is for discontinued Submariners. The 116610LN, for example, has gained in our quarterly sales recently. That doesn’t mean prices will keep climbing, but it shows why buyers shouldn’t assume an older reference will always be the cheaper option. If you find the Submariner you want at a fair market price, I wouldn’t try to time the market to save a few hundred dollars.”
Joe Alessandrini, CFO at Bob’s Watches
The pricing analysis in this article refers to the transactions that Bob has completed for his watches by September 2026, not to the current asking prices.
Submariner Prices by Generation
You won’t find the Submariner at a single price; it’s more like a ladder with about 70 years’ worth of rungs, with the generation you select as the main factor in determining the price. The sales figures given below are medians based on the completed transactions from Bob’s Watches between October 2025 and September 2026, as of September 2026.
Current 41mm references (2020 to today)
The 126610LN and the no-date 124060 are the two Submariner models Rolex is currently producing, and these are the ones with the waitlist issue. Our sold medians are $15,795 for the Date model, $14,595 for the No Date model, and $16,195 for the green-bezel 126610 Submariner. If you’d like the latest case, the most recent movement, and the longest period before the next redesign, you’ll have to go this particular model and pay the price for it.
Discontinued 40mm references
The 116610LN and the no-date 114060 are the previous generation, the earlier-generation 40mm “Super Case” watches, with median prices of $12,945 and $11,945 respectively when sold by us, which makes them the value play among ceramic-bezel Submariners, though that gap is now closing quickly makes them the value play among ceramic-bezel Submariners, though that gap is now closing quickly, as the data shown above indicates. One 40mm model is entirely in the opposite position: the green 116610LV, known as the “Submariner Hulk“, had a median selling price of $21,995, well above the current green model. Its discontinuation has turned it into a collectible rather than a discount.
Five-digit classics
The 16610 Submariner and the no-date 14060 are where a Submariner stops feeling like a splurge. Both sold at a $10,995 median with us. You give up the ceramic bezel and the modern bracelet, and you get the Submariner with an aluminum bezel and drilled lugs, which many of us have always wanted. The two-tone Rolex 16613 has a median selling price of $12,595 and is nonetheless one of the best values in the entire catalog.
Vintage references
For vintage models, medians alone aren’t enough to tell the whole story. Sales typically ranged from $10,745 to $15,245; the median price for the vintage 5513 Submariner usually fell within that range, with the median at $11,995, and the 1680 achieved a median price of $13,248. Condition, originality, and the dial variant have a greater effect on vintage prices than the reference, which is why two 5513s can sell a week apart for $5,000 and yet both be reasonable purchases.
The cheapest genuine way to get a Rolex Submariner is through a discontinued steel model. Of the sales we have completed for the 16610, 14060, 16800, and 5513 models, the lowest figure was about $9,900 to $10,100 as of September 2026, which means a buyer with around $10,000 to $11,000 to spend still has real possibilities.
Why Submariners Sell Above Retail
If you go to an authorized dealer and ask for a steel Submariner, you’ll usually be given a list rather than a watch. Rolex produces far fewer steel sports models than demand; dealers prioritize regular customers, and wait times vary by boutique and by your history of buying from them. That is the entire system. When retail supply cannot meet demand, secondary market prices rise to match what buyers unwilling to wait are prepared to pay.
From our perspective at the counter, the premium reflects scarcity rather than the listed price. The steel models carry this premium, while the precious-metal models generally do not. Our solid yellow gold model 126618 sold in the low $40,000s as of September 2026, even though its retail price is $50,900. Gold Submariners are frequently traded at or below their listed price because fewer people are willing to pay that price and dealer inventories are not full. If you ever want evidence that the Submariner premium comes from allocation rather than the name on the dial, the gold models provide that example.
How Much Should You Pay for a Submariner?
That’s how I would frame the budget discussion, using our sold data as a guide. If you pay within these limits and you’re paying the market, pay well above them; if you pay well above them, you’ll need to be getting either exceptional condition or a full set.
- About $10,000 to $12,000: five-digit territory and the older no-dates. The 16610 and 14060 both sold at $10,995 medians, the 114060 at $11,945, and the best vintage entry points sit here too. This is the least money that buys a real Submariner.
- $12,000 to $15,000: the discontinued ceramic generation and two-tone classics. The 116610LN at $12,945, the 16613 at $12,595, and the no-date 124060 at the top of the lane at $14,595. For my money, the 116610LN is the best pound-for-pound buy on this list right now, modern ceramic Submariner, four figures less than the current one.
- $15,000 and up: current production. The 126610LN at $15,795 and the 126610LV at $16,195. You’re paying for the newest generation without the dealer wait.
- $18,000 and up: modern two-tone. The 126613LN sold at $18,395 and the blue-dial 126613LB at $19,595.
- Solid gold territory: low $40,000s for the 126618, and the math changes completely, see the retail discussion above.
Medians from completed Bob’s Watches transactions between October 2025 and September 2026, as of September 2026.
Does the Rolex Submariner Hold Its Value?
The Rolex Submariner is widely seen as one of the best value holders in the watch industry, and our sales data supports that reputation. The most obvious example is the discontinued 116610LN, which has seen a strong increase in its quarterly median sales since early 2025, as shown in the data section above: a model that can no longer be purchased at retail but has been steadily appreciating on the second-hand market. Some particular models can retain or increase in value; that does not mean all of them do so regularly. What actually drives this is simply concrete. As illistrated in our Rolex Market Report, it’s due to scarcity, since Rolex produces fewer steel Submariners than demand. A sharp, unpolished case fetches real money, while a worn one doesn’t. Demand has passed every ‘bubble’ remark I’ve ever heard in thirty years. And it’s because a complete set together with the box and the papers always sells towards the top of its price range.
That doesn’t guarantee anything. Watches never promise a profit. Prices move in both directions, and anyone buying a Submariner purely as an investment is buying it for the wrong reason. You should buy it because you want to; the value retention is the cushion, not the point. If you already own one and you’re curious about selling your Rolex Submariner, the price ranges in this article offer an honest starting point.
What Changes the Price of the Watch?
Reference medians take you to the neighborhood, while the watch on the table gives you the street address. These are the factors which cause an individual Submariner’s price to fall within its normal range and at times outside it:
- Condition. Case sharpness, bezel insert, crystal, and how much metal a past polish took off. On older references, an unpolished case is a premium in itself.
- Box and papers. A full set consistently sells toward the top of a reference’s range; a naked watch sells toward the bottom. The watch is the same; the confidence isn’t.
- Service history. Documented service from a qualified watchmaker supports the price. An unknown movement history is a future bill the buyer prices in.
- Bracelet condition. Stretch and worn clasps on five-digit and vintage pieces matter more than most buyers expect because period-correct replacement parts aren’t cheap or easy to source.
- Originality on older references. A swapped bezel insert, dial, or hands on a five-digit or vintage Submariner can completely change the watch’s identity and price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Finding the Right Submariner at the Right Price
So, how much is a Rolex Submariner? Somewhere between about $10,000 and the price of a nice car, with the generation you choose doing most of the deciding. Pick your lane from the budget tiers above, check the watch in front of you against the condition factors, and judge any price against sold data rather than asking prices. Do those three things, and you’ll pay market, whichever rung of the ladder you land on.
At Bob’s Watches, we’ve built the business on that same transparency; every figure in this article comes from watches that actually changed hands here, and we’d rather you walk in knowing the real numbers than hoping the sticker is fair.
