Identifying a genuine 9315 Submariner bracelet

[springer]

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) There are 12 links total on the bracelet, referred to as "folded links." Some of the later parts books
show these bracelets with 13 links.

2) The clasp does not have a thumbnail recess like found on the later 93150 bracelet.

3) The flip-lock clasp is smooth on the top missing the two etched lines found on later 93150 clasps.

4) Later models had 380 end links with a T-bar shaped piece that went through the end link and was crimped to the last link on the bracelet. The original, early end links were stamped 280 which preceded the T-Bar 380 end link. The 280 end link had a slot cut in the middle of the end link (found on the back side of the end link) where the large center loop from the last link on the bracelet would pass through into the end link. The spring bar would pass through this loop thereby securing the bracelet and end link together.

5) It is possible to have clasp blades without a date stamp normally around 1973 -1974.

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 extensions contain this spelling error.