Rolex Submariner Straps: Which Fit the 40mm, Which Fit the 41mm, and What I'd Wear
Before material or colour, one question decides which strap fits your Submariner: is yours the 40mm or the 41mm? Most of our range is made for the 40mm only. Three lines fit both, and they are the sailcloth strap with a deployant clasp, the hybrid divers strap and the Saffiano leather. If you own a 41mm and want plain rubber, we don't make one yet, and I'd rather tell you that now than after you've ordered.
Everything below sits in our Rolex Submariner strap collection. Start there if you already know what you want.
Which Submariner have you got?
The 40mm models are the 114060 (no date), 116610LN and 116610LV. The 41mm models are the 124060 (no date), 126610LN and 126610LV. We list the two sizes as separate options on every product that offers both, so choose by case size or reference, not by what looks close.
The table shows what fits which.
| Strap line | 40mm Submariner | 41mm Submariner |
|---|---|---|
| Sailcloth FKM with deployant clasp | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid divers strap (black with white stitch) | Yes | Yes |
| Saffiano leather | Yes | Yes |
| FKM vented, divers, curved and waffle rubber | Yes | No |
| Calfskin: premium, smooth, fine grain, perforated, vintage lug | Yes | No |
| Suede, sheepskin, gabardine, vegan leather | Yes | No |
| Alligator-embossed leather, embossed calfskin and full alligator | Yes | No |
What to take from it: if you have the 40mm, you can choose from the whole collection. If you have the 41mm, your choices are three lines, and I think they are good ones.
If you're not sure which you have, check the reference on your paperwork, and use the watch strap size guide to measure the lugs before you order.
Check before you order
The commonest mistake with Submariner straps is ordering for the wrong case size. A strap for the 40mm that goes into the 41mm will not sit properly, and quick-release spring bars give you no tolerance to hide it. Three checks take two minutes: read the reference on your paperwork, measure the gap between the lugs with callipers, and choose the matching 40mm or 41mm option in the size selector. If the numbers don't agree, stop and ask us.
Length: know your wrist
Each strap lists the wrist range it fits on its product page, and they differ more than you'd expect. The plain FKM divers strap suits 17.3cm to 20.8cm, the vented strap 17.8cm to 21.3cm, Saffiano and calfskin 17.5cm to 21.0cm, the sailcloth deployant 18.0cm to 21.5cm and the waffle strap 18.5cm to 22.0cm. If your wrist is over 21cm, the waffle and the sailcloth are the ones to look at. If it's under 17.5cm, start with the divers strap. Measure with a strip of paper and compare, rather than guessing from your old strap.
For the water: rubber
If the watch is going in the sea, put it on FKM rubber. FKM is a fluoroelastomer, and it shrugs off salt water, sunscreen and sweat without cracking. We make four plain rubber straps for the 40mm: vented, divers, curved and waffle, all £75.
The vented strap is the one I'd take on holiday. The waffle strap has more texture and looks better against a black dial, and the divers strap is the plain, honest choice.
The detail most people miss is the end of the strap. A straight end leaves a small gap between the strap and the case. A curved end closes it. On a case as clean as a Submariner's, I notice the gap, so I'd choose the curved strap if it were my own watch.
If you have the 41mm, the sailcloth strap in the next section is your waterproof option.
For one strap that does everything: sailcloth
Sailcloth is FKM rubber with a woven-look texture embossed into the surface. It looks like fabric and behaves like rubber. It is also the strap I'd choose first for either Submariner.
Our sailcloth strap with deployant clasp is £85, comes in seven colours and has a 40mm Submariner option and a 41mm Submariner option. Yes, we make it, and no, that isn't the only reason it's on top. It's on top because it is the only line that takes the water, the desk and the weekend, and it fits both watches.
Colour is where I'd be opinionated. Black is the default and it's right. Navy is better against a black dial than black is, because it reads as a choice. Khaki suits a green bezel. Orange and red are for people who like being looked at, and I'd keep them for the second strap. The deployant clasp is the other reason to choose this one, because it spares the strap the same holes every morning.
Not sure about sailcloth? Our sailcloth straps explainer sets out how it differs from fabric and plain rubber.
The hybrid divers strap is the alternative: a sailcloth-look upper with a ridged rubber lining and a brushed steel buckle, in black with white stitching, £85, for both sizes. If you prefer a buckle to a clasp, this is the one.
Clasp or buckle?
A buckle is lighter and cheaper and perfectly good on a strap you wear a few times a month. A deployant folds shut, spares the strap the same hole every morning and opens one-handed, which matters on a heavy steel watch with a wet wrist. If you wear the Submariner most days, spend the extra on the clasp. Our deployant strap guide for the Submariner goes through the options, and the full guide to deployant clasps explains how they work.
For the office: leather
A Submariner on leather sounds wrong until you try it, and then it just works. The watch is tidier than people give it credit for, and leather brings that out.
For both sizes, the Saffiano leather strap is £70 and comes in eight colours. Saffiano is a pressed, crosshatched leather that resists scratches, which matters on a watch you wear every day. Navy against a black dial is the one I'd buy.
For the 40mm, the calfskin strap is £85 in black, tan and brown. It is the plain, correct choice, and brown suits it best.
What I wouldn't do is put black leather on a black-dial Submariner. It goes funereal fast. I'd also skip the perforated strap on this watch. Rally holes on a diver is a costume.
Keep leather out of the sea. It is a dry-day strap.
For the evening: alligator
If you wear a Submariner to dinner or a wedding, the embossed alligator leather strap is £110 for the 40mm. The alligator pattern gives you the look of exotic skin without the price. The full alligator strap, not embossed, is £225, and I'd only spend that if you plan to wear it for years.
What I'd actually do
If I had the 40mm, I'd buy the sailcloth strap in navy for everyday wear, the vented rubber for the beach and brown calfskin for the days the watch goes to work. That's three straps and a bracelet, and it would cover nearly everything the watch does.
If I had the 41mm, I'd buy the sailcloth in navy first and the Saffiano in navy second, and stop there. The hybrid divers strap is good, but with sailcloth already in the drawer I wouldn't need it.
The watch itself
The Submariner is a heavy, solid watch. That matters when you choose a strap, because a thin, floppy one lets the head slide round your wrist and a stiff one props it up. The best straps for it have some body and a curved end that settles against the case. Sailcloth and the rubber options do that well. A thin calfskin will do it only once it has broken in.
Dial and bezel colour matter too. A black dial takes almost any strap, which is why the 116610LN and 126610LN are the easy ones. The green-bezel references are fussier. Black and khaki are safe, navy is fine, and orange argues with the green. I'd test a strap against the bezel in daylight before committing to a colour.
When to keep the bracelet
The Oyster bracelet is the right answer more often than strap sellers like to admit. If the watch lives under a shirt cuff, goes through airport security and never sees a beach, leave it alone. A strap is for the weekend, the sea, and the day you want the watch to look like a different watch.
Changing the strap
Work on a towel, not a tiled floor, with a proper spring bar tool. Our bracelet removal tool is made for bracelets with end links, but check its product notes first, because it doesn't suit every lug design. Straps with quick-release spring bars fit without a tool, which is one less thing to scratch the lugs.
The short version
Work out which Submariner you have, put sailcloth on it, and keep the bracelet for Monday. A Submariner should look good on more than one strap.
If you wear a deployant, our Submariner deployant guide is the next read.
Browse the full Rolex Submariner strap collection.
Frequently asked questions
What size strap fits a Rolex Submariner?
It depends on which case size you have, the 40mm or the 41mm. Choose the 40mm Submariner or 41mm Submariner option on the product page, matching your case size or reference.
Will a 40mm Submariner strap fit the 41mm?
Not necessarily. Most of our range is made for the 40mm only. The sailcloth deployant, the hybrid divers strap and the Saffiano leather also fit the 41mm.
What is the best strap for swimming with a Rolex Submariner?
FKM rubber. The 40mm has four plain rubber options, and both sizes can use the sailcloth strap, which has the same waterproof FKM base.
Is leather a good idea on a Submariner?
Yes, for dry days. Saffiano leather resists scratches well and fits both sizes. Keep leather away from water.
Do I need a tool to change the strap?
Straps with quick-release spring bars fit without one. To remove an Oyster bracelet you will need a spring bar tool that suits your lugs.