Rolex
Submariner 1680 Four Lines - Tritium Dial

Rolex Submariner Date reference 1680, 40 mm Oyster steel case, unidirectional rotating steel bezel with black insert, matte black four-line dial with naturally patinated tritium indexes, date window at 3 o’clock under Cyclops lens, Rolex calibre 1575 chronometer-certified automatic movement operating at 19,800 vibrations per hour, approximately 48-hour power reserve after full winding, 26 jewels, domed acrylic crystal, screw-down crown and caseback, Oyster steel bracelet with Fliplock safety clasp and integrated diving extension, 200-meter water resistance, vintage dive watch fully inspected, authenticated and covered by a 3-year warranty by Mostra.

“Some dive watches do not owe their legend to depth alone, but to that rare ability to remain legible, desirable and immediately recognisable long after they have left the wrists of professional divers.”

It belongs to that very restricted circle of watches that have moved beyond their original function to become an image, almost a language. The Rolex Submariner Date 1680 matte tritium dial is not merely a vintage dive watch. It embodies a pivotal period for Rolex, the moment when the Submariner gradually began to move from pure tool status toward that of a professional luxury watch, capable of accompanying demanding environments as well as daily life, without ever losing its original vocation.On the wrist, the watch preserves the unique presence of early Submariners. The 40 mm Oyster steel case offers proportions that no longer need to be questioned, present enough to retain the full strength of a diver, yet still restrained, balanced and direct. The domed acrylic crystal gives the dial a warm depth, different from the colder transparency of modern sapphire. The black bezel, solid case, drilled lugs and Oyster bracelet create an immediately recognisable silhouette, that of an era when the dive watch was still conceived as an instrument before becoming an icon.

The dial is the heart of this watch’s collector interest. This matte four-line dial avoids unwanted reflections and favours immediate time reading, especially in an underwater environment where light disperses, contrasts become essential, and the eye must understand before it analyses. The hour markers enhanced with tritium have developed over time a natural patina that gives the watch the warmth so sought after by vintage Rolex enthusiasts. The matte surface absorbs light instead of returning it, the indexes stand out softly, the hands remain clear, and the date under the Cyclops lens adds the daily functionality that distinguishes the 1680 from no-date Submariner references.The four-line text at the bottom of the dial tells an important evolution. It indicates the presence of a chronometer-certified movement and places this 1680 within a more high-end reading of the Submariner. Where the earliest Rolex divers privileged function in its most direct form, this generation asserts officially certified precision, a broader ambition, a way of combining the professional instrument with the status of a luxury watch. The Submariner then becomes a watch capable of diving, but also of establishing itself as a social, technical and aesthetic reference.

The Rolex Submariner 1680 appeared at the end of the 1960s and remained in production until the early 1980s. It marks a major stage in Submariner history, as it introduced the date window for the first time in the line. This evolution profoundly changed the use of the watch. It preserved its marine vocation, but became more versatile, more daily, more adapted to active life outside the water. The example presented here, dated circa 1975, belongs to the period of white four-line matte dials, a phase particularly sought after by collectors for its balance between vintage charm, professional readability and historical coherence.This generation also benefits from Rolex’s accumulated experience in the development of professional watches intended for extreme environments, notably around the Sea-Dweller reference 1665. The Submariner 1680 shares with that universe a logic of legibility and robustness found in its matte dial, Oyster construction and secured bracelet. It becomes one of the first Submariners to benefit from a bracelet fitted with a Fliplock safety clasp and a diving extension integrated into the folding clasp, allowing the bracelet to be lengthened without tools in order to wear the watch over a wetsuit or even a light jacket. This detail is not merely technical. It reminds us that the watch was designed to accompany real use, in the water, on the deck of a boat, in situations where bracelet security matters as much as dial legibility.

The connection with COMEX further reinforces this professional reading. The models delivered to COMEX, in specific configurations, testify to the importance professional divers placed on matte dial legibility and Rolex efficiency in hyperbaric environments. Even when it is not a COMEX version, the Submariner 1680 belongs to that same technical imagination, that of divers, offshore missions and equipment chosen to function in conditions where the watch cannot become a fragile accessory. It preserves that particular tension between luxury watch and working instrument, a tension that today gives it much of its interest.The Rolex calibre 1575 automatic movement supports this reading with great coherence. It operates at 19,800 vibrations per hour, offers an approximately 48-hour power reserve after full winding and rests on a 26-jewel architecture. Its slower frequency than modern calibres gives the watch a mechanical rhythm that belongs to its era. Chronometer-certified, robust and designed to last, it directly contributes to the reliability reputation of vintage Rolex professional watches. It does not seek to reveal itself, it works in the background, with that almost silent regularity that gives great tool watches their strength.

From a collector’s perspective, this Rolex Submariner 1680 matte dial four lines occupies an essential place. It is not only the first Submariner Date. It foreshadows part of the future of the modern Submariner while still preserving the charm of earlier references. It has the acrylic crystal, the matte dial, the tritium, the aluminium bezel, the classical proportions, the Oyster bracelet with extension, and that visual identity that later generations would gradually transform. It stands at the boundary between vintage tool watch and modern luxury watch, which makes it one of the most important references for understanding the evolution of the Submariner.Wearing a 1975 Rolex Submariner Date 1680 today means rediscovering a form of sporty luxury that contemporary watches do not always know how to reproduce. A restrained presence, a living dial, a case that has crossed decades, a watch made to remain legible in water and elegant outside it. It accompanies the day with remarkable ease, yet every detail recalls its professional origin. The acrylic crystal, the tritium patina, the bezel, the Fliplock bracelet, the four-line dial together create an experience that cannot be found in a modern Submariner. This watch does not only tell the time. It tells the story of a model that became one of the greatest classics in watchmaking.

The Submariner also occupies a particular place in the collective imagination through cinema, adventure stories and that silhouette immediately associated with action, elegance and control. The family of Submariners worn on screen by James Bond largely contributed to placing the watch within popular culture, but the 1680 adds another dimension, that of the date, the chronometer, the professional matte dial and a technical evolution announcing the modern Submariner. It belongs to the same mythology, while preserving its own identity.This example is offered as a pre-owned Rolex Submariner 1680, in exceptional condition for a watch of this generation, with a highly desirable four-line matte tritium dial, coherent component reading and a complete inspection carried out in our workshop. A major collector’s piece, intended for someone seeking an emblematic vintage Submariner, legible, robust, historically important and still perfectly wearable.

Choosing a vintage Rolex Submariner from Mostra requires a precise perspective. Each watch is selected with more than 40 years of watchmaking expertise, with attention given to authenticity, actual condition, movement, dial, bracelet and overall coherence. This Submariner 1680 has been fully inspected, authenticated and prepared so that it can be worn with confidence. You benefit from personalised guidance, a transparent reading of its particularities and a 3-year Mostra warranty, a rare commitment on a collector watch of this generation. Mostra is built on a lasting relationship with its clients, supported by 5-star Google reviews and regular recognition within the professional watchmaking press. A watch like this is not chosen only for its name. It is chosen for the quality of its history, for the coherence of its configuration and for the expert perspective applied to it before acquisition.

This watch was the last Rolex Submariner model worn by James Bond, a story you can discover in the Mostra-Mag section “Stars and Watches” and in the “Watch Stories” category by following this link

Explore the history of watches with unique anecdotes on our dedicated Mostra-Mag page

Discover our pre-owned Rolex Submariner