Identifying a genuine 9315 Submariner bracelet
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 7:39 pm
With the proliferation of counterfeit and fake Rolex parts finding their way into the market due to the escalating prices of genuine parts, I thought it would be nice to have a thread here to identify genuine 9315 Submariner bracelets which seems to be one of the common bracelets that counterfeits are attempting to replicate these days.
These Swiss bracelets were found most often on Submariners after the Swiss 7206 rivet bracelet was discontinued. I believe Rolex introduced these bracelets around 1969 and they continued in use until the late 1970s on the Rolex watches and are found much later on the Tudor watches.
Some of the attributes of this bracelet are:
1) 12 links, referred to as "folded links"
2) clasp does not have a thumbnail recess like found on the later 93150 bracelet
3) flip-lock clasp is smooth on the top missing the two etched lines found on later 93150 clasps
4) 380 end links which are crimped to the last link of the bracelet
5) not uncommon to find clasp blades without a date stamp
6) 9315 is stamped on the outer side of the last link which is found on the seven-link side of the bracelet
7) 10 holes on each side of the clasp for adjustments
The photos depicted here are from a bracelet found on a Submariner 1680 with a 1971 case back. The bracelet clasp is not dated which is not uncommon for these early bracelets. Additionally, the word PATENTED found on the diver's extension is misspelled and reads PATETED. (Rolex later corrected this error.) Not all of the 9315 diver's extension contain this spelling error.
(TO BYPASS THE SCROLLING BARS, CLICK ON EACH PHOTO ONCE. TO REDUCE THE SIZE, CLICK THEM AGAIN.)
These Swiss bracelets were found most often on Submariners after the Swiss 7206 rivet bracelet was discontinued. I believe Rolex introduced these bracelets around 1969 and they continued in use until the late 1970s on the Rolex watches and are found much later on the Tudor watches.
Some of the attributes of this bracelet are:
1) 12 links, referred to as "folded links"
2) clasp does not have a thumbnail recess like found on the later 93150 bracelet
3) flip-lock clasp is smooth on the top missing the two etched lines found on later 93150 clasps
4) 380 end links which are crimped to the last link of the bracelet
5) not uncommon to find clasp blades without a date stamp
6) 9315 is stamped on the outer side of the last link which is found on the seven-link side of the bracelet
7) 10 holes on each side of the clasp for adjustments
The photos depicted here are from a bracelet found on a Submariner 1680 with a 1971 case back. The bracelet clasp is not dated which is not uncommon for these early bracelets. Additionally, the word PATENTED found on the diver's extension is misspelled and reads PATETED. (Rolex later corrected this error.) Not all of the 9315 diver's extension contain this spelling error.
(TO BYPASS THE SCROLLING BARS, CLICK ON EACH PHOTO ONCE. TO REDUCE THE SIZE, CLICK THEM AGAIN.)