Two watches, perhaps the two most well-known in Rolex’s sports watch lineup, have amazing similarities, and one can be forgiven for confusing them at a distance. These two watches are, of course, the Rolex Submariner dive watch (ref. 116610) and the GMT-Master II (we’ll call it the GMT for short, but we’re talking about the current ref. 116710).
The Submariner GMT Master comparison
The individual histories of the Submariner and the GMT are well documented elsewhere, so let’s compare and contrast the two current models.
Similarities
First, the similarities. The Submariner and the GMT-Master II are luxury watches. Both watches are currently housed in the 40mm diameter so-called “super case” with a ceramic or Cerachrom bezel insert. This case, done in 904L stainless steel, debuted in 2007 with the GMT (the Submariner received the new case a year later). There are minute differences in the two cases, but you need to set them side by side and look very closely to see them.
Both watches buckle to your wrist with the current Oyster bracelet. And of course, the movements of both watches are COSC-certified chronometers.
But the bracelets are where we begin to see differences between the Sub and the GMT. The Submariner gets Rolex’s folding Oysterlock safety clasp with their Glidelock extension system. The GMT’s Oyster bracelet, on the other hand, buckles with a simpler folding Oysterlock safety clasp with an Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link. There have been multiple cases where the Submariner and the GMT are compared.
Differences
The biggest difference between the two watches is the GMT’s additional hour hand tipped with a triangular “arrowhead.” This hand indicates the hours in 24-hour format. This fourth hand can be set independently of the main hour hand, and the 24-hour time is marked on the bi-directional rotating bezel.
In fact, when moving across time zones, one can move the GMT’s regular hour hand to reset to local time without affecting the 24-hour hand’s position. This makes such adjustments easy and routine for the busy traveler.
The Submariner, on the other hand, is a classic three-handed watch – hours, minutes, seconds. It’s available with or without a date function. It’s available in all-steel, two-tone steel and yellow gold, yellow gold, and white gold, each with the revolutionary ceramic “Cerachrom” bezel.
With the Submariner, choices of bezel and dial colors depending on the metal chosen means you have numerous variations from which to choose. The uni-directional bezel is marked in typical dive watch fashion of five-minute increments, numbers each ten minutes, and the first fifteen minutes in one-minute tick marks.
The GMT’s Cerachrom bezel, on the other hand, is marked in 24 one hour increments (digits on the even hours). It’s currently offered in a couple of two-tone color schemes – black/blue “Batman” (steel only) and red/blue “Pepsi” (white gold only), or all black (steel, two-tone steel and gold, and yellow gold).
Even though the GMT features Rolex’s patented Triplock screw-down crown system, the watch is only rated to 100M/330Ft (in all metals). The Submariner is rated to 300M or 1000Ft. This is interesting, given that both watches are housed in the super case.
Vintage Rolex GMT-Master vs Submariner
While the modern Rolex Submariner and GMT-Master II models share many similarities, their vintage counterparts offer a unique comparison for collectors and enthusiasts. The choice between a Rolex GMT vs Submariner often comes down to personal preference, as both models have their own rich histories and distinctive features.
Vintage GMT-Master models, like the ref. 1675, feature an additional 24-hour hand and were designed for travelers and pilots. On the other hand, vintage Submariners, such as the ref. 5512 and 5513, were built for divers and have a simpler, yet robust design. Both models have appreciated significantly in value over the years and remain highly sought-after by collectors.
So there you have it. The Submariner and the GMT-Master II are fraternal twins, nearly identical, but each with its own capabilities.
