Quick Answer
The Rolex 14060 is the no-date Submariner that Rolex produced from 1990 to 2001, with the updated 14060M running until 2012. A replica 14060 is a counterfeit copy of that reference. It mimics the 40 mm case, the black bezel insert, and the clean no-date dial, but it contains no Rolex parts, carries no Rolex warranty, and cannot be serviced by Rolex. In the United States it is illegal to import, and selling one as a genuine watch is a federal crime.
What the Genuine 14060 Is
The 14060 replaced the 5513 and stayed in the catalog for two decades. It is a tool watch with no complications to hide behind, which is exactly why the details matter when you compare one to a copy.
- 40 mm stainless steel case, 300 m water resistance, screw-down crown
- No date window and no cyclops on the crystal
- Sapphire crystal and drilled lug holes
- Calibre 3000 in the 14060, calibre 3130 in the 14060M
- Oyster bracelet reference 93150 with 501B end links
- Tritium dials on early examples, SuperLuminova from the late 1990s
- A four-line dial on later 14060M examples built after 2007
Why This Reference Gets Copied
A no-date Submariner removes the hardest thing for a counterfeiter to fake well: a date wheel and a cyclops lens. The remaining dial is mostly text and markers. Combine that with rising prices for clean vintage examples, and the 14060 becomes a frequent target for replica makers who can approximate the look with a generic case and a third-party movement.
Replica Grades You Will See
Sellers rarely describe a replica honestly. Most copies fall into three rough categories.
- Budget tier: a generic case, mineral glass, a low-grade automatic or quartz movement, and incorrect proportions. The bezel usually will not turn with the right feel.
- Mid tier: a 316L or 904L steel case closer to 40 mm, a copy of an ETA or Seagull movement, and a dial that looks right in photos but fails under a loupe.
- Top tier: a near-correct case profile, a decorated clone movement, and period-correct fonts. Still counterfeit, still unsupported by Rolex, and still illegal to import.
How to Check a 14060 Step by Step
- Read the engravings between the lower lugs with a loupe and confirm the reference and serial numbers match the paperwork.
- Have a watchmaker open the caseback and identify the movement, since a genuine 14060 carries a Rolex calibre 3000 or 3130 with signed bridges.
- Compare the bezel insert font and the pearl position against reference photos, because replica inserts sit off-center or use a wider typeface.
- Study the dial printing under magnification, checking the coronet shape, the spacing of the text, and the marker surrounds.
- Inspect the bracelet end links and clasp stampings, since copies often show soft edges and wrong date codes.
- Check the crystal height and the crown profile, because replicas commonly sit too tall above the bezel.
- Pay for written authentication from an independent specialist before any money changes hands.
Legal and Practical Risks
Customs officers seize counterfeit watches at the border and destroy them. There is no personal-use exemption that makes an import safe. Beyond the legal exposure, a replica has no parts network: authorized service centers will refuse the watch, and an independent watchmaker may struggle to source a matching replacement for a failed movement or stripped case tube. Resale value is zero once the watch is identified as a copy, and marketing it as genuine exposes the seller to criminal charges.
If You Already Own a Replica
- Stop listing it for sale as a Rolex, and remove any listing that describes it that way.
- Take it to an independent watchmaker for service, since authorized centers will not work on it.
- Disclose its status in writing if you trade or give it away.
- Report any seller who marketed it to you as authentic, and keep the sale records.