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73 Years of Subtle Evolution
The Submariner’s dial has always been “black” — but “black” has meant very different things across seven decades. From gilt (gold-printed) dials of the 1950s to the lacquered Chromalight dials of 2026, every generation has its own character. Here’s every major dial type in Submariner history.
The Dial Timeline
| Era | Dial Type | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1953-1965 | Gilt (gold print on glossy black) | Gold text, gold markers, glossy lacquer. “Exclamation mark” lume dot at 6. |
| 1966-1980 | Matte (flat black, white print) | Flat texture, white text/markers. Less reflective, more military. |
| 1980-2000 | Glossy (gloss black, white print) | Return to glossy finish, white lume plots. Tritium → LumiNova transition. |
| 2000-2010 | Maxi (larger markers) | Oversized luminous hour markers for better underwater readability. “Maxi dial.” |
| 2008-present | Chromalight (blue lume) | Blue-glowing Chromalight lume replacing green Super-LumiNova. 8-hour visibility. |
| 2010-2020 | Green sunburst (Hulk) | The ONLY green-dial Submariner ever produced. 116610LV. |
Color Variants
- Black: Every generation (1953-present). The default. The icon.
- Green: Hulk only (116610LV, 2010-2020). Discontinued. $18K-$22K.
- Blue: White gold “Smurf” (116619LB) and current 126619LB. Blue dial + blue bezel. $35K+.
For every Submariner dial configuration: DR.WATCH. Free worldwide shipping + 1-year warranty.
