Reference:116613

Submariner -> 116613

The 116613 is the Cerachrom-bezel Rolesor Submariner Date, in production from around 2009 until the 41mm 126613 with caliber 3235 took over in 2020. It sits in the middle of the ceramic-era Submariner generation — more accessible than the full-gold 116618, more distinctive than the steel 116610LN — and it carries the Rolesor bracelet (polished yellow-gold center links against brushed steel outers) forward into the Cerachrom age.

The step up from the 16613 is substantial. Cerachrom replaced the aluminum bezel insert, Glidelock replaced the Fliplock clasp, and the wider Maxi-format markers under Chromalight lume made the dial both larger and brighter. The Super Case lugs changed the wrist proportions. The two-tone identity carries forward, but in handling the watch is a different object.

The blue-dial variant, 116613LB, is known universally as the "Bluesy," a nickname inherited from the 16613LB. Blue sunburst dial, blue Cerachrom bezel, and polished gold center links produce a visual coherence that makes this the defining two-tone Submariner configuration, and the reason most buyers come to the reference.

Rolex Submariner Ref. 116613

Core facts

detail	value
reference	116613 (LN = black, LB = blue)
family	Submariner Date
production	about 2009 to 2020
movement	caliber 3135 (date, quick-set, 28800 bph, ~48hr power reserve)
case	40mm Super Case, Rolesor (904L steel + 18k yellow gold)
crystal	sapphire with Cyclops
water resistance	300m
bezel	Cerachrom ceramic (blue or black), platinum-filled numerals
lume	Chromalight (blue glow)
bracelet	Oyster ref.93253 with Glidelock, solid gold center links
rehaut	engraved ROLEX ROLEX
predecessor	16613
successor	126613

Where it sits in the line

The 116613 is the Rolesor member of the ceramic-era Submariner generation. Alongside it sit the steel 116610, the full yellow-gold 116618, and the full white-gold 116619LB. All four share caliber 3135 and the Super Case architecture. Rolesor — Rolex's term for its steel-and-gold construction — puts the 116613 above the steel 116610LN in price and prestige, below the full-gold 116618.

Two-tone Submariner lineage

reference	years	case material	bezel material	successor retail
16613	1988–2009	Rolesor (steel/gold)	aluminum (fades)	—
116613	2009–2020	Rolesor (steel/gold)	Cerachrom ceramic	—
126613LB	2020–present	Rolesor (Oystersteel/gold)	Cerachrom ceramic	$18,900 USD

The 116613 succeeded the 16613 after a 21-year run on aluminum and carried the two-tone Sub across the ceramic generation for roughly eleven years. The 2020 refresh moved the line to Oystersteel branding, a 41mm case, new bracelet width, and caliber 3235. Through its own run the 116613 stayed on the 40mm case and the 3135 throughout.

What changed from the 16613

The execution is substantially different from the 16613.

feature	16613	116613
bezel insert	aluminum, fades and scratches	Cerachrom ceramic, fade-proof
bracelet clasp	Fliplock with divers extension	Glidelock (20mm micro-adjust)
lug width	slimmer	wider (Super Case)
lug holes	present	absent
lume	SuperLuminova or Luminova (green glow)	Chromalight (blue glow)
markers	standard	Maxi (larger)
gold center links	hollow on some, solid on late	solid throughout
rehaut	plain (early) / engraved (late)	engraved throughout

On the 16613LB, the aluminum bezel faded from vivid blue to the softer shade collectors call a "ghost" bezel, and bezel condition was a primary market factor. Cerachrom eliminates both the patina appeal and the fading problem entirely.

Production outline

The 116613 ran for roughly eleven years with both the LB (blue) and LN (black) variants available throughout. No major mid-run mechanical changes are documented. Caliber 3135 stayed across the full production run. The one documented cosmetic evolution sits on the LB dial — a flat-to-sunburst change around 2013 — treated separately below.

The blue dial evolution: flat to sunburst

Around 2013 Rolex changed the 116613LB dial from a flat, uniform blue to a pronounced sunburst finish that shifts from midnight blue in shadow to a brighter, sky-inflected blue in direct sun. No sharp serial-number cutoff exists; collectors identify the type by visual inspection. Both are correct factory configurations. The sunburst is more visually dynamic, but some collectors prefer the earlier flat dial for its quieter character against the gold accents.

Movement notes

Caliber 3135 throughout — Parachrom blue hairspring, Microstella regulation. The 116613 is the last ceramic-era two-tone Submariner on the 3135 before the 126613 moved to caliber 3235 with a 70-hour reserve.

Dial map

Diamond and serti dials

Early 116613 production included factory diamond-set Serti dials as a catalog option. Serti — from the French sertissage, gem-setting — is the factory diamond-indices dial Rolex also offered on earlier Rolesor references. Rolex Forum discussions place the discontinuation of the Serti option around 2013, coinciding with the sunburst dial change on the standard LB. Serti examples are the rarer factory configuration and a distinct collector target within the reference.

Blue dial (LB)

Blue dial with gold applied markers and hands. The flat-to-sunburst evolution around 2013 is covered above.

Black dial (LN)

Black dial with gold applied markers and hands — the quieter configuration. Black reads more conservatively against the gold accents and typically trades below the LB on the secondary market.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Detail view

Detail view

Rolesor construction — 904L Oystersteel case with 18k yellow-gold bezel, crown guards, and a Triplock crown. The Cerachrom insert carries platinum-filled numerals. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops. The inner rehaut is engraved with repeating ROLEX and the serial number at 6 o'clock. The case back is solid.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Bracelet ref. 93253 — a two-tone Oyster with solid gold center links throughout the run (earlier 16613 bracelets had used hollow gold centers on some examples). The Glidelock clasp provides roughly 20mm of tool-free micro-adjustment. The bracelet is unchanged across the full production run.

Production volume estimates

Industry estimates from the early 2010s put two-tone Submariner production at roughly 12,000 units per year. If those numbers held steady across the 116613's run, total production across both LB and LN would land somewhere around 130,000 units — a rough envelope, since Rolex does not publish production figures and the number circulates among dealers and collectors rather than from the factory.

Market and collector context

Recently discontinued, with good secondary-market liquidity. The LB trades above the LN. The successor 126613LB retails at $18,900 USD, and the 116613 trades below that figure on the secondary market.

The 126613 moved to a 41mm case, thinner lugs, and caliber 3235, which gives the 116613's blockier Super Case profile a distinct following among buyers who prefer the older geometry.

Sources

Rolex Submariner Ref. 116613

• History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
• Bob's Watches two-tone Submariner history — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
• The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
• Gray & Sons Submariner Date history — Gray & Sons editorial, Gray & Sons
• Rolex Submariner Reference Guide — Professional Watches editorial, Professional Watches