Rolex Submariner Alternatives And Homages: Budget And Luxury

Revue Thommen Mens Diver Watch

The Revue Thommen diving watch is identical to the Rolex Submariner in every way, down to the gold outlines of the hands. This particular color combination is the spitting image of Rolex’s gold Submariner except for one tiny detail – the outline of the dot on the bezel is gold in the original watch, whereas the alternative has a silver lining.

Everything else is the same down to the dots filled with lume, the Mercedes hour hand, the date window at three o’clock and the alternating links of the bracelet. The Revue Thommen alternative is also water resistant to 300 meters, just like the original Submariner.

The watch features a 42mm stainless steel case and bracelet with sapphire crystal glass over the dial. The bezel is unidirectional, which is standard for diving watches. Also, it boasts automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve as well as a screw down crown on the side.

Revue Thommen makes this watch in a few other color combinations that are similar to those of the Submariner, but they’re not quite identical. If the Rolex has a black dial with a blue bezel, the homage will have a blue dial with a black bezel.

Tevise Swiss Luminous Submariner Watch

What about a Submariner homage for less than $50? If you’re on a tight budget, this is by far the best wrist watch you can get. The Tevise Submariner watch is extremely similar to the original from Rolex and it retails for only $40!

There’s very few differences between this homage and the original Submariner, at least in terms of physical appearance. The knock-off features identical hands, luminous hour markers, a date window at three o’clock and even the dot on the bezel. And it’s an automatic, self-winding watch, which is actually impressive for the price point.

So, how does it differ from the real thing? Well, it features synthetic sapphire crystal glass over the dial, which isn’t actually glass. It can mimic the hardness of sapphire, but it’s not as durable or as scratch resistant as the real deal. Also, this watch is water resistant only up to 30 meters, which is 10x worse than the actual Submariner.

And the power reserve lasts only a few hours after you take it off. Even though it’s self-winding, unless you start sleeping with the Tevise Submariner homage, you will have to manually wind it. Plus, this features a push down crown, which isn’t at all good for diving.

If you’re looking for a Submariner alternative that’s actually good for diving, this is not it. But if you just want a watch that looks like a Rolex but doesn’t cost as much as your car, it’s certainly worth considering!

Invicta Men's Pro Diver Automatic Watch

The Pro Diver by Invicta is another great Submariner alternative with an attractive price point. It’s just under $100, so if you want an affordable homage to the luxurious Rolex watch, this is one of the top options.

It features a 40mm stainless steel case and bracelet with mineral crystal glass over the dial. It’s water resistant up to 200 meters and it has a screw down crown, so it’s actually a pretty good option for diving.

This is an automatic self-winding watch, so if you wear it regularly it will keep ticking. The movement is NH35A Caliber from Seiko, so it’s actually better than you would expect for the price. This caliber usually has a power reserve of 41 hours, making the Pro Diver one of the best performing budget Submariner homages.

As for the dial design, only the second hand is different from the one on the Rolex. The Mercedes hour hand, luminous time markings and unidirectional bezel are identical to those of the original Submariner, as is the date window at three o’clock.

Stührling Depthmaster Automatic Diving Watch

The Stührling Depthmaster is another great homage to the Rolex Submariner. It’s available in two different designs – one that is extremely similar to the Rolex, and another that has more different characteristics that make the watch unique.

The dial design is practically identical to that of Submariner, except for the second hand and the date window. The date is much smaller on the Stührling watch, but it is still positioned at three o’clock. The Mercedes hour hand, luminous hour markers and the unidirectional rotating bezel are all identical to the those of the Rolex.

The Depthmaster is water resistant up to 200 meters and it boasts a screw down crown. These features make it a great option for diving and swimming, so unlike some of the cheaper Submariner alternatives, this watch is perfectly suitable for underwater adventures! And it’s an automatic watch with a 36-hour power reserve, so you can just wear it every other day to avoid manually winding it.

It has a 42mm stainless steel case with Krysterna crystal over the dial. This material is unique to Stührling and it was actually developed for eyepieces as well as watches. The brand claims that the material is more shatter-resistant than sapphire crystal glass, which means that the Depthmaster actually has better impact-resistance than the pricey Submariner!

Parnis Submariner Automatic Diving Watch

Parnis Submariner is another Rolex homage. It even has the same name as the Rolex, which is appropriate considering that the dial is nearly identical to the that of the original watch. The only difference is that this one doesn’t have any inscriptions on the dial – if you can find someone to write Rolex on the dial, you might just be able to trick people into thinking you’re very rich!

The hands, hour markers, date window and bezel are all identical to those of the original Submariner. Everything that’s luminous in the Rolex watch is also luminous in the Parnis version, so it’s a really good copy.

But the devil is in the details, and when you look into the features that you can’t notice at first glance, it becomes obvious why this watch is so much cheaper. It is water resistant only up to 30 meters, so it’s not going to work for serious divers. It does have a screw down crown though, meaning you can safely wear it when swimming and snorkelling.

It’s an automatic self-winding watch, but the movement is nowhere near as smooth as on the pricier watches. Also, the self-winding feature is more of a gimmick, and you will have to wind it manually more often than not. This Submariner homage features a 40mm stainless steel case with (supposedly) sapphire crystal glass. To be honest, I don’t trust the brand that it’s real sapphire crystal just because of the low price point.

Citizen Watches Men's BN0200-56E Eco-Drive

The Citizen Diving Watch is an excellent Submariner alternative. If you don’t want a watch that’s just a cheaper knock-off of the Rolex, definitely consider getting this watch. It’s unique because of the solar-powered quartz movement that required no batteries to work. It’s a great watch from a sustainable brand, and it’s definitely worth your attention.

The quartz movement means the second hand skips a beat instead of gliding around smoothly, but that’s the only downside. Quartz movement is actually more accurate than automatic movement, which is certainly an upside in my book!

This watch features a 44mm stainless steel case with mineral crystal glass. And it has some similarities to the Submariner, like the luminous hands and hour markers, as well as the unidirectional rotating bezel. There’s also the date window at three o’clock, and this is the a rare diving watch so far that managed to squeeze a luminous hour marker next to the date.

It has a screw down crown and it’s water resistant up to 200 meters, so it’s actually perfectly suitable for diving. If you want a reasonably priced watch with some unique features, this option from Citizen is certainly worth considering!

Omega Seamaster Diver Automatic Watch

If you want a luxury diving watch but aren’t a fan of the Rolex design, the Omega Seamaster is a great option for you. It’s an excellent alternative to the Submariner because the important features are very similar to those of the Rolex, even if the design is vastly different.

Obviously this watch is an alternative to the Subamariner since it looks nothing like that watch. The only similarities between the Seamaster and the Rolex are the position of the date window and the luminous dots that mark (most of) the hours. There’s also lume in the hands and in the dot on the bezel, so you’ll be able to tell time in the dark easily.

The Seamaster is an automatic self-winding watch with a 48-power reserve. It is water resistant up to 300 meters and it boasts a versatile screw down crown, so it’s an excellent option for avid divers. On top of that, this watch features sapphire crystal glass and a 41mm stainless steel case that are not only durable, but also look exceptionally sophisticated.

And it’s an expensive watch – if you’re looking for a budget option, the Omega Seamaster is definitely not for you. But if you want something unique and luxurious that’s a little more subtle than a Rolex, this is certainly a wrist watch worth considering.

Seiko PROSPEX Stainless Steel Men's Watch SRPC93

This Seiko Prospex diving watch is another amazing Submariner alternative if you care about functionality more than about the design. It is similar to the Rolex watch in it that both have a date window at three o’clock and luminous hands and hour markers, but the design of the Seiko is certainly unique.

The hands and time markings all feature a different shape, and even the bezel has a unique design. The dial is blue with light blue and black wavy accents that are a reference to the color of the sea. The dial is beautiful, and immediately lets you know that you’re looking at a diving watch.

That is just reinforced with the screw down crown and excellent water resistance (up to 200 meters). In addition to that, the unidirectional bezel is perfect for tracking how long you’ve been underwater.

This watch features a 44.5mm stainless steel case and Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal glass. Also, the lume in the hands and hour markers is LumiBrite – another material that was developed by this brand.  It boasts automatic self-winding movement with a hackable second hand and a 41-hour power reserve. It’s excellent value for money considering the quality of the materials and all the different features.