Reference:116610LV: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Ref 116610LV hero.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Rolex Submariner Ref. 116610LV]] | [[File:Ref 116610LV hero.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Rolex Submariner Ref. 116610LV]] | ||
The 116610LV is the green-dial, green-bezel Submariner Date that collectors call the Hulk. Rolex introduced it in 2010 alongside the black 116610LN, replacing the 16610LV | The 116610LV is the green-dial, green-bezel Submariner Date that collectors call the Hulk. Rolex introduced it in 2010 alongside the black 116610LN, replacing the 16610LV "Kermit." It ran until 2020, when the 126610LV "Starbucks" took over. Mechanically, the Hulk is the same watch as the 116610LN. The difference is color, and color is what defines the reference and its market. | ||
The Hulk is a one-generation anomaly within the green Submariner lineage. Every other green-bezel Submariner pairs the green bezel with a black dial; the Hulk pairs a green Cerachrom ceramic bezel with a green sunburst dial, the only reference in the entire Submariner line to commit to green on both surfaces. When Rolex discontinued the 116610LV in 2020, it discontinued the green Submariner dial with it. | |||
<span id="core-facts"></span> | <span id="core-facts"></span> | ||
| Line 61: | Line 61: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| predecessor | | predecessor | ||
| 16610LV | | 16610LV "Kermit" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| successor | | successor | ||
| 126610LV | | 126610LV "Starbucks" / "Cermit" | ||
|} | |} | ||
| Line 70: | Line 70: | ||
== Where it sits in the line == | == Where it sits in the line == | ||
The 116610LV is the green variant within the 116610 generation of the Submariner Date | The 116610LV is the green variant within the 116610 generation of the Submariner Date, sitting parallel to the black-bezel 116610LN. Case, movement, bracelet, crystal, and crown are shared between the two references. Only bezel color and dial color differ. | ||
<span id="green-submariner-lineage"></span> | <span id="green-submariner-lineage"></span> | ||
== Green Submariner lineage == | == Green Submariner lineage == | ||
The green bezel Submariner has | The green-bezel Submariner has run continuously since 2003, and each generation has given the concept its own treatment. The Hulk is the outlier. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| Line 108: | Line 108: | ||
|} | |} | ||
The Kermit established the green-bezel Submariner as a collector reference in 2003. The Hulk replaced it in 2010 with the ceramic bezel generation and added | The Kermit established the green-bezel Submariner as a collector reference in 2003 on a black dial and aluminum bezel. The Hulk replaced it in 2010 with the ceramic bezel generation and added a green sunburst dial. The Starbucks replaced the Hulk in 2020 and walked the dial back to black while keeping the green Cerachrom. | ||
<span id="production-outline"></span> | <span id="production-outline"></span> | ||
== Production outline == | == Production outline == | ||
Rolex introduced the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010 as the direct replacement for the | Rolex introduced the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010 as the direct replacement for the Kermit. It carried the same generational upgrades as the 116610LN: Cerachrom bezel, Maxi Case, Glidelock bracelet, and Chromalight lume. No mid-run dial or bezel variants are known. Caliber 3135 stayed throughout. | ||
Production ended in 2020 when Rolex replaced | Production ended in 2020 when Rolex replaced the Hulk with the 126610LV, moving the line to a 41mm case on caliber 3235. | ||
<span id="movement-notes"></span> | <span id="movement-notes"></span> | ||
== Movement notes == | == Movement notes == | ||
Caliber 3135, identical to the 116610LN. COSC-certified automatic, 28,800 | Caliber 3135 throughout, identical to the 116610LN. COSC-certified automatic, 28,800 vph, approximately 48 hours of power reserve, Parachrom blue hairspring. The successor 126610LV moved to caliber 3235 with a 70-hour reserve, which is the principal functional upgrade between the two generations. | ||
The successor 126610LV | |||
<span id="dial-map"></span> | <span id="dial-map"></span> | ||
== Dial map == | == Dial map == | ||
Green sunburst with white gold | Green sunburst dial with applied white-gold Maxi markers and Chromalight blue lume. The sunburst finish radiates out from the center, shifting with angle and lighting in a way a flat lacquer dial cannot. Indoors and in low light the dial reads almost black; in direct sun it turns vividly green; between those extremes it passes through every shade of dark green, olive, and forest green. The green Cerachrom bezel picks up the dial color across the face and, together with the wider Maxi lugs, gives the Hulk a presence-forward character that wears larger than the Kermit even though both watches are nominally 40mm. | ||
The Cerachrom bezel and | |||
<span id="what-makes-the-green-dial-unique"></span> | <span id="what-makes-the-green-dial-unique"></span> | ||
=== What makes the green dial unique === | === What makes the green dial unique === | ||
The | The sunburst finish is specific to the Submariner — not a Day-Date green dial dropped into a diver case. Rolex Forum members describe the dial as made from "gold and aluminum dust," a characterization that, if accurate, would help explain the distinctive depth and light-shifting quality. The dial interacts with the green Cerachrom bezel to produce a monochromatic green effect that no other Rolex sport watch replicates, before or since. | ||
No known mid-run dial variants exist for the 116610LV. | No known mid-run dial variants exist for the 116610LV. | ||
| Line 145: | Line 141: | ||
=== Case === | === Case === | ||
Identical to the 116610LN | Identical to the 116610LN: 40mm in 904L Oystersteel in Maxi Case (or "Super Case") format, with wider lugs, no lug holes, and a solid fluted screw-down caseback. Approximately 12.5mm thick, 48mm lug-to-lug. | ||
<span id="bezel"></span> | <span id="bezel"></span> | ||
=== Bezel === | === Bezel === | ||
Green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional with | Green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, with platinum PVD numerals and graduations. The green ceramic does not fade or develop patina the way the green aluminum insert on the Kermit did. Kermit bezel fading is a feature collectors track and price — a well-faded Kermit bezel commands a premium — but on the Hulk the color stays put. | ||
Rolex Forum discussions describe green Cerachrom manufacturing as a particular challenge, requiring a proprietary green pigment formula, and achieving a consistent, vivid green in ceramic reportedly demands parameters beyond what the black or blue inserts call for. The same green Cerachrom carries forward onto the successor 126610LV; what changes across the generation is the dial beneath it. | |||
<span id="crystal"></span> | <span id="crystal"></span> | ||
=== Crystal === | === Crystal === | ||
Sapphire with Cyclops at 3 | Sapphire with Cyclops at 3 o'clock and anti-reflective inner coating. Same as the 116610LN. | ||
<span id="crown"></span> | <span id="crown"></span> | ||
=== Crown === | === Crown === | ||
Triplock screw-down with crown guards | Triplock screw-down with crown guards, rated to 300m / 1000ft. | ||
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span> | <span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span> | ||
| Line 172: | Line 166: | ||
=== Bracelet === | === Bracelet === | ||
Oyster bracelet with solid links, Oysterlock clasp, and Glidelock extension | Oyster bracelet with solid links, Oysterlock clasp, and Glidelock extension — the same specification as the 116610LN, with roughly 20mm of micro-adjustment in 2mm increments. Oysterlock is the locking safety clasp used across the modern Professional line; Glidelock is the in-clasp on-the-fly length adjustment. Bracelet reference is likely 93250, consistent with six-digit Submariner fitment. | ||
<span id="packaging"></span> | <span id="packaging"></span> | ||
| Line 182: | Line 176: | ||
== The nickname lineage == | == The nickname lineage == | ||
Collector nicknames for the green Submariners track color combinations | Collector nicknames for the green Submariners track color combinations rather than reference numbers. The Kermit (16610LV) pairs a green aluminum bezel with a black dial, named for the Muppet. The Hulk (116610LV) pairs a green Cerachrom bezel with a green sunburst dial, named for the all-green look. The Starbucks or Cermit (126610LV) returns to a green bezel and black dial — "Cermit" blends "ceramic" with "Kermit," "Starbucks" comes from the green-and-black palette. | ||
The Hulk nickname stuck because the watch is green everywhere. That | The Hulk nickname stuck because the watch is green everywhere. That commitment to green across the full face is what separates the reference visually from its siblings, and it is also what divides opinion. Some collectors find the all-green too much. Others find it the most distinctive modern Submariner. The Hulk does not invite a middle position. | ||
<span id="market-and-collector-context"></span> | <span id="market-and-collector-context"></span> | ||
== Market and collector context == | == Market and collector context == | ||
The 116610LV has traded above the 116610LN on the secondary market since both were in production | The 116610LV has traded above the 116610LN on the secondary market since both were in production, and the premium widened after discontinuation in 2020. As of late 2025, the Hulk trades at approximately $23,600 USD on Sotheby's data — nearly double the $11,900 retail on its own successor, the 126610LV. | ||
The 116610LV is not rare in an absolute sense. Forum consensus holds that Rolex | The 116610LV is not rare in an absolute sense. Rolex Forum consensus holds that Rolex produced "quite a few" across the decade of production. The premium reflects desirability against a now-fixed supply rather than genuine scarcity of the kind that drives vintage references with small production runs. Market activity runs primarily through dealers and secondary retail rather than lot-level auction attention at the major houses. | ||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
Revision as of 17:39, 18 April 2026
Submariner → 116610LV
The 116610LV is the green-dial, green-bezel Submariner Date that collectors call the Hulk. Rolex introduced it in 2010 alongside the black 116610LN, replacing the 16610LV "Kermit." It ran until 2020, when the 126610LV "Starbucks" took over. Mechanically, the Hulk is the same watch as the 116610LN. The difference is color, and color is what defines the reference and its market.
The Hulk is a one-generation anomaly within the green Submariner lineage. Every other green-bezel Submariner pairs the green bezel with a black dial; the Hulk pairs a green Cerachrom ceramic bezel with a green sunburst dial, the only reference in the entire Submariner line to commit to green on both surfaces. When Rolex discontinued the 116610LV in 2020, it discontinued the green Submariner dial with it.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 116610LV |
| nickname | Hulk |
| family | Submariner Date |
| production | 2010 to 2020 |
| movement | caliber 3135 (COSC, ~48hr power reserve) |
| case | 40mm 904L Oystersteel, Maxi Case, ~12.5mm thick, ~48mm lug-to-lug |
| crystal | sapphire with Cyclops, anti-reflective inner coating |
| water resistance | 300m / 1000ft |
| bezel | green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, platinum PVD numerals |
| bracelet | Oyster with Oysterlock clasp and Glidelock |
| lume | Chromalight (blue) |
| dial | green sunburst, white gold Maxi markers |
| crown | Triplock screw-down with guards |
| predecessor | 16610LV "Kermit" |
| successor | 126610LV "Starbucks" / "Cermit" |
Where it sits in the line
The 116610LV is the green variant within the 116610 generation of the Submariner Date, sitting parallel to the black-bezel 116610LN. Case, movement, bracelet, crystal, and crown are shared between the two references. Only bezel color and dial color differ.
Green Submariner lineage
The green-bezel Submariner has run continuously since 2003, and each generation has given the concept its own treatment. The Hulk is the outlier.
| reference | nickname | years | bezel material | bezel color | dial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16610LV | Kermit | 2003–2010 | aluminum | green (fades) | black |
| 116610LV | Hulk | 2010–2020 | Cerachrom ceramic | green (permanent) | green sunburst |
| 126610LV | Starbucks / Cermit | 2020–present | Cerachrom ceramic | green (permanent) | black |
The Kermit established the green-bezel Submariner as a collector reference in 2003 on a black dial and aluminum bezel. The Hulk replaced it in 2010 with the ceramic bezel generation and added a green sunburst dial. The Starbucks replaced the Hulk in 2020 and walked the dial back to black while keeping the green Cerachrom.
Production outline
Rolex introduced the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010 as the direct replacement for the Kermit. It carried the same generational upgrades as the 116610LN: Cerachrom bezel, Maxi Case, Glidelock bracelet, and Chromalight lume. No mid-run dial or bezel variants are known. Caliber 3135 stayed throughout.
Production ended in 2020 when Rolex replaced the Hulk with the 126610LV, moving the line to a 41mm case on caliber 3235.
Movement notes
Caliber 3135 throughout, identical to the 116610LN. COSC-certified automatic, 28,800 vph, approximately 48 hours of power reserve, Parachrom blue hairspring. The successor 126610LV moved to caliber 3235 with a 70-hour reserve, which is the principal functional upgrade between the two generations.
Dial map
Green sunburst dial with applied white-gold Maxi markers and Chromalight blue lume. The sunburst finish radiates out from the center, shifting with angle and lighting in a way a flat lacquer dial cannot. Indoors and in low light the dial reads almost black; in direct sun it turns vividly green; between those extremes it passes through every shade of dark green, olive, and forest green. The green Cerachrom bezel picks up the dial color across the face and, together with the wider Maxi lugs, gives the Hulk a presence-forward character that wears larger than the Kermit even though both watches are nominally 40mm.
What makes the green dial unique
The sunburst finish is specific to the Submariner — not a Day-Date green dial dropped into a diver case. Rolex Forum members describe the dial as made from "gold and aluminum dust," a characterization that, if accurate, would help explain the distinctive depth and light-shifting quality. The dial interacts with the green Cerachrom bezel to produce a monochromatic green effect that no other Rolex sport watch replicates, before or since.
No known mid-run dial variants exist for the 116610LV.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
Case
Identical to the 116610LN: 40mm in 904L Oystersteel in Maxi Case (or "Super Case") format, with wider lugs, no lug holes, and a solid fluted screw-down caseback. Approximately 12.5mm thick, 48mm lug-to-lug.
Bezel
Green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, with platinum PVD numerals and graduations. The green ceramic does not fade or develop patina the way the green aluminum insert on the Kermit did. Kermit bezel fading is a feature collectors track and price — a well-faded Kermit bezel commands a premium — but on the Hulk the color stays put.
Rolex Forum discussions describe green Cerachrom manufacturing as a particular challenge, requiring a proprietary green pigment formula, and achieving a consistent, vivid green in ceramic reportedly demands parameters beyond what the black or blue inserts call for. The same green Cerachrom carries forward onto the successor 126610LV; what changes across the generation is the dial beneath it.
Crystal
Sapphire with Cyclops at 3 o'clock and anti-reflective inner coating. Same as the 116610LN.
Crown
Triplock screw-down with crown guards, rated to 300m / 1000ft.
Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes
Bracelet
Oyster bracelet with solid links, Oysterlock clasp, and Glidelock extension — the same specification as the 116610LN, with roughly 20mm of micro-adjustment in 2mm increments. Oysterlock is the locking safety clasp used across the modern Professional line; Glidelock is the in-clasp on-the-fly length adjustment. Bracelet reference is likely 93250, consistent with six-digit Submariner fitment.
Packaging
Standard Rolex green box of the 2010s era with warranty card, COSC tag, booklets, and hang tags. No known packaging differences between the 116610LV and 116610LN.
The nickname lineage
Collector nicknames for the green Submariners track color combinations rather than reference numbers. The Kermit (16610LV) pairs a green aluminum bezel with a black dial, named for the Muppet. The Hulk (116610LV) pairs a green Cerachrom bezel with a green sunburst dial, named for the all-green look. The Starbucks or Cermit (126610LV) returns to a green bezel and black dial — "Cermit" blends "ceramic" with "Kermit," "Starbucks" comes from the green-and-black palette.
The Hulk nickname stuck because the watch is green everywhere. That commitment to green across the full face is what separates the reference visually from its siblings, and it is also what divides opinion. Some collectors find the all-green too much. Others find it the most distinctive modern Submariner. The Hulk does not invite a middle position.
Market and collector context
The 116610LV has traded above the 116610LN on the secondary market since both were in production, and the premium widened after discontinuation in 2020. As of late 2025, the Hulk trades at approximately $23,600 USD on Sotheby's data — nearly double the $11,900 retail on its own successor, the 126610LV.
The 116610LV is not rare in an absolute sense. Rolex Forum consensus holds that Rolex produced "quite a few" across the decade of production. The premium reflects desirability against a now-fixed supply rather than genuine scarcity of the kind that drives vintage references with small production runs. Market activity runs primarily through dealers and secondary retail rather than lot-level auction attention at the major houses.
Sources
- History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
- The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Morning Tundra
- Bob's Watches Submariner history — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches