There are no revolutions at Rolex, only small, incremental steps over a long stretch of time. So when Rolex dropped its new 41mm Submariner in August of 2020, we expected subtle tweaks to the tried-and-true formula. Today we are looking at the two-tone black dial version of the new 41mm Submariner, the 126613LN.
Small tweaks
The new Submariner line brings an improved case profile, slimmer lugs, a better bracelet, and an updated movement. The case is now 41mm instead of 40mm. The 126613LN uses the Calibre 3235, the movement Rolex introduced in 2015 and brought to the Submariner with this update. You get 70 hours of power reserve and a genuine workhorse that Rolex says can go about 10 years between services.
The case
Honestly, you might struggle to feel any difference between the old and new Sub on the wrist. The case looks a touch thinner, and a bit closer to Submariners of the past, but it does not feel dramatically different from the old one.
I am a self-professed fan of two-tone watches, and there is something special about the Rolesor on the 126613LN. This watch is a contrast machine, catching and throwing light in all the right places. I find it even more attention-grabbing than its blue-dialed brother, the 126613LB, if a little less sporty. It is admittedly flashy, and you will have a hard time dressing it down. You have been warned.
The bracelet
Like the rest of the watch, the new bracelet is both the same and different. It is wider at the lugs, now 21mm, though you probably will not notice. Otherwise it is much the same, and it still has that oh-so-necessary GlideLock clasp. GlideLock saves you from wrist purgatory, that spot where your perfect fit falls between two links. It also does away with the fiddly pin system on older models. Once you get used to making micro-adjustments on the fly, there is no going back.
The bezel and dial
You would be hard pressed to spot any change in the dial. It is the same deep gloss black with maxi (large) markers and white-gold surrounds. I will add, though, that the black dial against the gold-filled bezel numerals really plays up that classy contrast we talked about.
On the wrist
It is genuinely hard to tell this Submariner from the previous generation, which is not a bad thing. The fact that so little changed is a sign of how well the Submariner has been refined over the years.
That said, the two-tone experience is not for everyone. This watch nails a cocktail party or a day on a yacht, but it can be too loud in casual settings. If you are after some reliable flash, though, this is the one.
If you are around Potomac or elsewhere in the DC area and a two-tone Submariner is calling your name, come see one in person, where the Rolesor really shows off. We buy and sell certified pre-owned Rolex, so browse what is in stock in our Rolex collection.
