Blue Submariner Watches in Steel and Gold

The blue Rolex Submariner was popular in the 1970s. However, since the blue dial and bezel were only available in solid 18-carat gold, the price of the blue Submariner was out of reach for a significant portion of buyers. However, in 1984, Rolex released the first two-tone Submariner (Ref. 16803), offering a choice of a black or blue dial and bezel. This expanded the availability of blue Submariner watches to a wider range of potential buyers.

While Rolesor (Rolex’s signature term for the use of stainless steel and gold components on a watch) may not seem like the kind of material combination one would immediately think of for a diving tool, gold’s extreme resistance to saltwater corrosion (even better than steel) actually makes this blend surprisingly appropriate. The gold components provide the replica luxury watches with much of the same luxurious sparkle of a solid gold model, with little of the weight or cost typically associated with gold luxury timepieces.

The first generation of the two-tone Blue Submariner also brought several other updates to the collection, such as a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and an increased depth rating of 300 meters. These same improvements were also found on the solid gold version of the Blue Submariner (Ref. 16808), marking a major step forward for Rolex’s iconic dive watch. By the end of the 1980s, however, a new movement gave the Submariner another update, and in 1988 Rolex introduced a new generation of Submariners that essentially retained the core design of its predecessors but now featured the newer 3135 movement.

As before, the blue dial and bezel are only available on the two-tone and solid gold versions of the Submariner Date, although the new Ref. 16613 and Ref. 16618 looks virtually identical to their predecessors’ two-tone and 18-carat gold models (respectively), although the new versions with the updated Cal. 3135 movement will continue to be produced. The new version of the 3135 movement will remain in production for more than 20 years until Rolex finally overhauled the Submariner in 2008.

Although the Rolex Submariner 1661x was only a minor aesthetic update compared to its predecessor, these models would define Rolex’s legendary dive watches for over two decades. Beginning in 2008, however, Rolex began introducing a new generation of Submariner watches, including a new blue model made from solid 18k white gold.

While the new generation of the Submariner features the same 3135 movement, almost everything else about the watch has changed. The Submariner’s 40mm case now features thicker lugs and a larger crown protector, giving it a larger and more angular overall appearance – better known in some collector circles as the “Super Case.

In addition, while the previous generation’s bezel insert was made of anodized aluminum, the new generation is made of a single piece of Cerachrom, Rolex’s proprietary ceramic material that is virtually impervious to scratches and UV fading.

As before, the new solid 18-carat yellow gold Submariner is available with a black (Ref. 116618LN) or blue (Ref. 116618LB) dial and bezel who sells the best replica watches. However, joining the lineup in 2008 is the Ref. 116619LB, which also features a blue dial and blue ceramic bezel, but is made entirely of solid 18-carat white gold. The blue dial, which soon earned the nickname “Smurf” thanks to its white and blue outline, was mounted on Ref. 116619 in a lustrous flat blue style, which set it apart from the sunburst blue style found in the two-tone and yellow gold versions of the Blue Submariner.

A year later, in 2009, Rolex released an updated version of the Blue Submariner in its signature two-tone steel and gold Rolesor finish. Just like the solid gold version, the new two-tone Submariner was offered with a black or blue dial and bezel, and the blue version was labeled ref. 116613LB, where LB stands for “Lunette Bleu” (meaning “blue bezel” in French). In addition, just like the updated solid gold version, the new two-tone Blue Submariner features a bezel embedded with a piece of its proprietary blue Cerachrom material.