Reference:116618
Submariner -> 116618
The 116618 is the full 18k yellow-gold Submariner Date of the Cerachrom era, in production from roughly 2008 to 2020 on caliber 3135. Rolex has offered a full yellow-gold Submariner Date in every generation since the 1680/8 arrived in 1969, and the 116618 is the fifth chapter of that line — the first one to pair the full-gold case with a Cerachrom ceramic bezel.
Within its own generation it is the overt statement. The steel 116610LN is the workhorse; the white-gold 116619LB is a stealth play that reads as steel on the wrist; the 116618 reads unambiguously as gold, in every light.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 116618 (LN = black, LB = blue) |
| family | Submariner Date |
| production | about 2008 to 2020 |
| movement | caliber 3135 (date, quick-set, 28800 bph, ~48hr power reserve) |
| case | 40mm Super Case, full 18k yellow gold |
| crystal | sapphire with Cyclops |
| water resistance | 300m |
| bezel | Cerachrom ceramic (blue or black), gold-filled numerals |
| lume | Chromalight (blue glow) |
| bracelet | full gold Oyster ref.93258 with Glidelock, polished center links |
| rehaut | engraved ROLEX ROLEX |
| predecessor | 16618 |
| successor | 126618LB / 126618LN |
Gold Submariner lineage
Rolex has offered a full yellow-gold Submariner Date across every major generation since 1969.
| reference | years | notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1680/8 | 1969–~1977 | First gold Submariner; nipple hour markers; early blue dials prone to tropical aging |
| 16808 | ~1977–1988 | Transition reference; same basic construction |
| 16618 | 1988–2008 | Last aluminum-bezel gold Sub; predecessor to 116618 |
| 116618 | ~2008–2020 | First ceramic-bezel gold Sub; Super Case; Glidelock |
| 126618LB / LN | 2020–present | 41mm; caliber 3235; thinner lugs; 21mm bracelet; $48,600 retail |
Where it sits in the generation
The 116618 is the full-gold member of the ceramic-era Submariner generation, sitting alongside the steel 116610, the Rolesor 116613, and the full white-gold 116619LB. The two precious-metal models — 116618 and 116619LB — launched together around 2008 as the first Submariners with Cerachrom ceramic bezels. The steel 116610LN and two-tone 116613 followed in 2009–2010. In practice, the gold references were the initial rollout vehicle for ceramic in the Submariner family.
What changed from the 16618
The same generational package that the 116610LN brought to steel arrived on the gold Submariner: Cerachrom ceramic in place of aluminum, Glidelock clasp in place of Fliplock, the Maxi Case with broader lugs, Chromalight lume in place of SuperLuminova, and an engraved rehaut. The 16618's aluminum bezel had been subject to fading under UV exposure. Cerachrom eliminates that pathway — see the bezel section below for detail.
Production outline
The 116618 ran for roughly twelve years with both LB (blue) and LN (black) variants available throughout, and no major mid-run changes documented beyond the standard ceramic-era specification.
Case, bezel body, crown, crown guards, bracelet, and case back are all 18k yellow gold, which makes the 116618 one of the heaviest Submariner references in any generation. Rolex Forum owners report a total weight near 227.5g fully linked, and the density is obvious on the wrist compared to a steel 116610LN or even a Rolesor 116613.
Movement notes
Caliber 3135 throughout — the same movement that powers the 116610, the 116613, and the 116619LB. Quick-set date, 28,800 vph, Microstella regulation, and a Parachrom blue hairspring. The Parachrom spring is Rolex's paramagnetic niobium-zirconium alloy, more resistant to magnetic interference than older hairspring alloys, and a meaningful attribute for a watch worn around electromagnetic fields. The 3135 is case-material-agnostic — the same movement goes into steel, two-tone, yellow-gold, and white-gold Submariners — so the 116618's premium over the 116610LN runs entirely on materials and finishing rather than on mechanical difference.
The successor 126618 moved to caliber 3235, which brought a 70-hour power reserve, the Chronergy escapement, and updated regulation. That is the functional gap between the 116618 and the current gold Submariner.
Dial map
Blue dial (LB)
Like the two-tone 116613LB, the blue-dial 116618LB went through a dial-finish transition during production. Earlier examples carried a flatter blue; later production moved to the more pronounced sunburst blue that became the standard across the gold Submariner line. The exact timing on the 116618LB is less well-documented than on the two-tone reference.
The sunburst blue is the 116618's signature configuration. In shadow it reads deep midnight blue; in full direct sunlight it reaches pale sky blue. The gold Maxi markers and hands amplify that optical range — more reflective surface area than a steel-cased model carries, so more interaction with changing light. Paired with the blue Cerachrom and the yellow-gold case, the dial produces a warm-gold-framing-cool-blue palette that no other Submariner configuration replicates. The Rolesor 116613LB comes close, but the steel outer links and case back dilute the gold presence. On the 116618 there is no steel anywhere.
Black dial (LN)
Black dial with gold Maxi markers. Black against a full gold case reads more formal than the blue, closer to a tuxedo than to a sport watch.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
Case
The entire case is 18k yellow gold: body, bezel, crown, crown tube, crown guards, and case back. Super Case construction — wider lugs and more substantial crown guards than the 16618. Triplock crown, sealed to 300m.
A 40mm case on a 20mm bracelet. The successor 126618 moved to 41mm with thinner, more tapered lugs and a 21mm bracelet; Fratello's 126618LB review noted the new lugs are pointier, closer to the original 1680/8 lineage, and a step back from the blocky Maxi Case aesthetic. That makes the 116618's broader-lug Super Case the maximum expression of that Maxi-era geometry.
Bezel
Cerachrom ceramic — the generation-defining upgrade. No fading, no scratching in the way the aluminum inserts on the 16618 faded and scratched. Numerals and graduation marks on the 116618 are filled with gold rather than the platinum used on the steel and white-gold models, matching the yellow-gold aesthetic of the case. The gold-filled numerals are unique to the 116618 within its own generation.
Crystal
Sapphire with Cyclops over the date window. The inner rehaut is engraved with repeating ROLEX ROLEX text and the serial number at 6 o'clock.
Hallmarks
Hallmarks follow the standard Swiss precious-metal system. The 750 stamp — indicating 18k, 750 parts per thousand fine gold — should appear on the case and case back. The St. Bernard "Barry" mark is the Swiss precious-metals stamp used post-1995.
Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes
Bracelet
The 93258 is a full 18k yellow-gold Oyster with Glidelock extension, offering roughly 20mm of micro-adjustment. The polished center links catch and reflect light against the brushed outer links, creating a play of finishes down the wrist; the Vintage Rolex Field Manual cites this as a distinctive quality of the gold Submariner bracelets, absent on the steel 116610LN where the Oyster is entirely brushed.
Full-gold construction makes this one of the heaviest bracelets in the Submariner catalog. The bracelet does not change during the run; every 116618 carries the same Glidelock-equipped 93258.
Production volume estimates
Industry estimates from the early 2010s put gold Submariner production at roughly 8,000 units per year across both gold references (116618 and 116619LB combined). If those figures held steady across the 116618's twelve-year run, its share would add up to a modest total — but Rolex does not publish production figures, and the number circulates among dealers and collectors rather than from any factory source.
Market and collector context
The 116618 trades in a different segment than the steel Submariners. Buyers choosing a 116618 are not comparing it to a 116610LN — the price gap is too wide for that to be a real cross-shop. The real competition is other precious-metal sport watches and the white-gold sibling, the 116619LB.
The successor 126618LB retails at $48,600 USD. The 116618 trades on the secondary market at a meaningful discount to that figure, reflecting the 40mm case, the older caliber 3135, and the lack of current warranty. The blue LB is the more commonly traded dial; the black LN is less frequently encountered and sometimes trades at a modest discount.
No specific lot-level auction data has surfaced for the 116618 yet. The reference is recent enough that dealer market pricing is the more relevant signal for most examples; the gold Submariner's auction prominence belongs to the 1680/8 and the earlier references, while the 116618 circulates primarily through the dealer market.
Sources
- 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
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra