Rolex Daytona vs. Submariner Comparison
The Daytona and Submariner are two sporty watches from Rolex with very different styles. The Daytona is a chronograph, designed for timing objects in motion and gets its name from the famous Florida speedway. The Submariner on the other hand was designed for diving. Today, both of the models can be seen traveling, on the beach, at the office, and on the wrists during formal occasions. What are the differences between these two versatile and classic Rolex models?
The Rolex Daytona: A Chronograph Legend
The Daytona was launched in 1963 and has a history tied to racing. It is a high-performance watch designed to time things using the chronograph and reading the tachymeter bezel. The model has seen a few iterations over its 58-year history.
Today, a Daytona is a highly desired model, but it wasn’t always this way. In the late 80s and 90s, collectors favored the ‘Bubbleback’ Oyster models. In 2016, the Daytona was updated to feature a scratch-proof black ceramic bezel that skyrocketed demand.
The Rolex Submariner: An Underwater Masterpiece
Originally released in 1954, nine years before the Daytona, the Submariner is another highly desired sports model by collectors today. Rolex created the Submariner for dive enthusiasts, designed to keep them safe while underwater. This model helped Rolex push to the front of the ‘tool watch’ category. James Bond helped push this watch to even more popularity.
The aluminum bezel was updated to ceramic in 2009.
Comparing the Daytona and Submariner
Both the Daytona and the Submariner offer the wearer something different, but they are often compared because they are highly desired sports watches. The Submariner has been in production for over 65 years, while the Daytona is a few years shy of its 60th anniversary. What else is different between the models?
Size
While similar in size, the Daytona is slightly smaller than the Submariner. In fact, the Daytona has a case profile that is closer in shape to an Oyster model rather than the sharp lines of the Submariner. The modern Daytona measures 40mm and is 12.4mm thick, while older models such as the Reference 6239 measure 37mm but even thicker at 14.4mm thick.
The Rolex Submariner measured 40mm with a case thickness of 13mm up until the 2020 update increasing the case size to 41mm and decreasing to 12.3mm thick.
While the watches are close in size and thickness, they do wear slightly differently. Watch our side-by-side comparison of the Daytona 116500LN and the No-Date Submariner 114060 for a full comparison of sizing.
Materials & Colors
Both models were launched in stainless steel, and both models have been produced in precious metals. There are even models of both watches that are gem-set.
Modern variants of each model feature ceramic bezels while older Submariners are aluminum inserts and older steel Daytonas had a steel bezel.
As for dial colors, the Submariner is typically found with a black dial, however, there have been quite a few bezel and dial colors. This is seen on models such as the green dial and green bezel ‘Hulk’ and even the white gold blue dial and blue bezel ‘Smurf’.
The Daytona is typically found with more subdued coloring. A black, white, or silver dial is quite common, depending on the reference and production year. While the Daytonas don’t have as many bright colors, different versions feature gem-setting, ivory, brown, mother of pearl or meteorite dial. There is a full yellow gold with a green dial or platinum with a classic ice blue dial.
Complications & Water Resistance
One of the most obvious differences between the two watches is their complications. The Rolex Submariner is available as a time-only model or with a simple date function. The Daytona does not feature a date function and has a chronograph.
Both watches are from the Professional collection from Rolex. The Submariner was designed for diving which gives it a water resistance of 300m. The Daytona was designed for land sports and has a water resistance of 100m.
Pricing
Current secondary market pricing sees a Submariner listed from $9,950 for a stainless steel black dial date reference 16610 to $149,950 for a white gold sapphire and diamond model.
A Daytona on the secondary market starts at $15,590 for a two-tone with black dial and increases to $84,950 for the yellow gold and green dial.
Which Is Better?
The Rolex Daytona and Submariner both have their pros and cons determined on how you will end up wearing it. While both models can transition to more formal environments, the Daytona has smoother lines which makes it slightly more formal than the Submariner. On the other hand, if you plan on swimming with the watch, or even diving, the Submariner is going to provide more water resistance and peace of mind in the water. Ready to choose your perfect model? Browse our currently available collection of Certified Pre-Owned Rolex watches where you can compare up to 5 models side-by-side.