The Design of the Rolex Submariner No-Date 14060
Introduced in the 1990s and no longer in production, the stainless steel Rolex Submariner ref. 14060 is one of the last classically styled Submariner watches that sport an aluminum bezel rather than the new style Cerachrom ceramic bezel. As a dive watch, that bezel, marked to 60 units, is, of course, unidirectional rather than bidirectional. This is to prevent divers from overestimating how long they’ve been in the water for. If the watch gets knocked, the bezel will only turn in one direction to add more minutes rather than reduce them. Furthermore, to withstand underwater exploration, the Rolex Submariner ref. 14060 is water resistant to 300 meters (1,000 feet) thanks to the Oyster case construction, screw-down winding crown, and fluted caseback. Like all modern Rolex Submariner, the Sub ref. 14060 has a 40mm case.
Housed within the case is the familiar black Submariner dial with lume plots and luminescent Mercedes-style hands. These details allow for clear legibility even in the murkiest of waters. Another thing you’ll notice on the Submariner ref. 14060 is the lack of a date window, hence its Submariner No-Date label. Finally, rounding out the look of the Submariner No-Date ref. 14060 is its matching stainless steel Oyster bracelet. This particular model has hollow center and end links on the bracelet rather than solid ones, which makes it more lightweight than its modern counterparts. Again, keeping with dive watch functionality, there’s an extension mechanism in the clasp that allows to wearer to extend the bracelet to fit it over a dive suit.
The Appeal of the Rolex Submariner No-Date 14060
Fans of the Submariner No Date ref. 14060 love the watch for its fantastic symmetric. The absence of the ubiquitous dial window at 3 o’clock and accompanying Cyclops lens on the crystal allows for a beautifully balanced and uncluttered dial. Remember, when the Rolex Submariner first made its debut in 1953, it did not have a date window. So a no-date Submariner is more like the original Sub than ones with a date window. Moreover, the Submariner ref. 14060 is a bridge between vintage Submariners and the ultra-modern ones. It boasts contemporary features such as a sapphire crystal and a 300-meter water resistance, yet it maintains the more traditional case shape and smaller details on the dial compared to the new “super case” and “maxi dial” of the latest Submariner watches.
Plus, if you look at the sides of the case, you’ll notice lug holes—something that today’s Rolex watches don’t have. This means that it’s easy to switch out the steel Oyster bracelet for different straps. The Submariner ref. 14060 looks great on a leather strap or NATO-style nylon strap. One awesome sports watch, endless ways to wear it. Another big attraction of the Submariner No-Date 14060 is its price point. Coming in as one of the most affordable Submariner watches, the ref. 14060 can be picked up for less than $6,000 in the secondary market.
Submariner No-Date 14060 vs. 14060M vs. 14060M COSC
As with all things Rolex, it’s all about the small details. When Rolex first introduced the ref. 14060 in 1990, it came equipped with the Caliber 3000 automatic movement. Then in 1999, Rolex furnished the no date Submariner with the Caliber 3135 automatic movement, thus the 14060M was born where “M” stands for “modified.” Yet, the style of the watch remained the same.
However, around 2007, the no date Submariner took a drastic design change when Rolex sought COSC-approval for the watch. The Submariner ref. 14060M COSC is notably different from its two older siblings since it includes the “SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED” text on the dial. So the Submariner No Date went from a two-liner Submariner to a four-liner Submariner. The Sub ref. 14060M COSC was discontinued to make way for the new Submariner ref. 114060 in 2012.
