Reference:116613

The 116613 is the ceramic-bezel Rolesor Submariner Date. It replaced the aluminum-insert 16613 around 2009 and ran until the 41mm 126613 with caliber 3235 took over in 2020. Within the ceramic-era Submariner generation, it occupies the middle position: more accessible than the full gold 116618, more distinctive than the steel 116610LN, carrying the visual language of the Rolesor bracelet — polished yellow gold center links against brushed steel outer links — into the Cerachrom age.

The step up from the 16613 is not incremental. Cerachrom does not fade. Glidelock replaced the older Fliplock. The maxi-format dial with Chromalight lume is physically larger and brighter. Wider Super Case lugs changed the proportions. The two-tone identity carries forward, but the watch is a different object.

The blue dial variant, 116613LB, carries on the "Bluesy" identity that started with the 16613LB. It is the defining configuration of the two-tone Submariner — the pairing of sunburst blue dial, blue Cerachrom bezel, and polished gold center links has a specific visual coherence that the black-dial LN variant cannot replicate. The Bluesy is the reason most buyers come to this reference.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	116613 (LN = black, LB = blue)
family	Submariner Date
production	approximately 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 two-tone member of the ceramic-era Submariner generation:

116610: steel
116613: Rolesor (two-tone steel/gold)
116618: full 18k yellow gold
116619LB: full 18k white gold

All four shared caliber 3135 and the Super Case architecture. The 116613 uses a steel case with 18k gold bezel, crown, crown guards, and bracelet center links. Two-tone construction places it 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. The 2020 refresh moved to Oystersteel branding, a 41mm case, new bracelet width, and caliber 3235. The 116613 retained the 40mm case and 3135 throughout.

What changed from the 16613

The 116613 inherited the Bluesy and black-dial identities from the 16613, but the execution is substantially different:

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 16613, the aluminum bezel was known for fading — on blue examples, the bezel would age from vivid blue to a softer, lighter shade that collectors call "ghost" bezels. Cerachrom eliminates both the patina appeal and the fading problem. Collectors assessing a 16613LB always evaluated bezel condition as a primary factor. That evaluation does not apply to the 116613.

Production outline

The 116613 ran for roughly eleven years. Both the LB (blue) and LN (black) variants were available throughout. No major mid-run mechanical changes are documented. Caliber 3135 stays for the full production run.

The blue dial evolution: flat to sunburst

The most significant mid-run refinement collectors track on the 116613LB is a dial change around 2013. Early examples (approximately 2009–2012) carried a flatter, more uniform blue finish — a consistent blue across the dial surface that reads evenly at most angles. From approximately 2013, Rolex transitioned to a more pronounced sunburst (sun-ray) finishing. The sunburst dial reacts dramatically to natural light: shifting from a deep midnight blue in shadow to a brighter, more saturated blue in direct sun, catching a lighter, almost sky-blue quality at certain angles.

This matters to collectors for two reasons. First, the later sunburst dials are visually more complex and arguably more interesting — the dial interacts with ambient light in a way the earlier flat dial does not. Second, some purists and early-adopter collectors prefer the flat dial precisely because it is the original configuration and because its quieter character suits the two-tone aesthetic without competing with the gold center links for attention.

The transition was not abrupt. No sharp serial-number cutoff exists between flat and sunburst. Collectors identify the dial type by visual inspection rather than production date. Both are correct configurations for the reference; the preference comes down to whether the buyer wants a more restrained or more dynamic blue dial.

Movement notes

Caliber 3135 throughout — the same proven movement used in the 16613 before it and in the steel 116610. Quick-set date, 28800 bph, Microstella regulation, Parachrom hairspring. The 116613 was the last ceramic-era two-tone Submariner to use the 3135 before the 126613 moved to caliber 3235 with its 70-hour power reserve.

Dial map

Diamond and serti dials

Early 116613 production included factory diamond-set (serti) dials as an option. According to Rolex Forum discussions, the diamond/serti dials were discontinued around 2013 when the sunburst dial finish appeared. Serti-dial examples are the rarer factory configuration and a distinct collector target within the reference.

Blue dial (LB / Bluesy)

Blue dial with maxi-format luminous markers and Chromalight lume (blue glow). Gold applied markers and gold hands. Early dials (around 2009–2012) had a flatter blue finish. Later dials (from around 2013) shifted to a more saturated sunburst blue that plays in natural light — from deep midnight blue in shadow to a brighter, sky-inflected blue in direct sun.

Paired with the gold markers and polished gold center links, the blue dial creates the Bluesy look that is the 116613's primary market identity. The ceramic blue bezel does not fade, so the bezel-to-dial color relationship stays consistent over time — unlike the 16613LB, where bezel fading could shift the visual balance.

Black dial (LN)

Black dial with gold maxi markers and Chromalight lume. The 116613LN is the quieter configuration. Black reads more conservatively against the gold accents than blue, and it typically trades below the blue LB variant in the secondary market. For collectors who find the all-blue Bluesy too forward, the black dial tones down the two-tone character while keeping the Rolesor visual identity.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The case is the 40mm Super Case with broader lugs than the earlier 16613. Rolesor construction: 904L Oystersteel with 18k yellow gold bezel, crown guards, and Triplock crown. Water resistance is 300m.

The Cerachrom ceramic insert is the defining upgrade from the 16613 — virtually scratch-proof, no fading. Numerals and graduation marks on the ceramic insert are filled with platinum.

Sapphire crystal with Cyclops. The inner rehaut is engraved with repeating ROLEX ROLEX text and the serial number at 6 o'clock. Solid case back with Rolex engravings.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

The bracelet is the 93253 two-tone Oyster with polished solid gold center links and a Glidelock extension clasp. Glidelock allows approximately 20mm of micro-adjustment without tools, a major improvement over the older Fliplock system used on the 16613.

Gold center links on the 116613 are solid throughout the production run — an upgrade from earlier two-tone Submariner bracelet construction where some center links were hollow. Polished gold links against brushed steel outer links create the visual contrast that defines the Rolesor Submariner identity.

The bracelet does not change during the run. All 116613 examples carry the same Glidelock-equipped 93253.

Production volume estimates

Industry estimates from the ~2010 era suggest Rolex produced approximately 12,000 two-tone Submariners per year. If those figures held roughly steady across the 116613's run, total production across both LB and LN variants could be in the range of 130,000 units — though Rolex does not publish production numbers and these figures are approximations circulated among dealers and collectors.

Market and collector context

The 116613 is a recently discontinued reference with good secondary market liquidity. The ceramic-bezel 116613 typically commands a premium over the aluminum-insert 16613, reflecting the Cerachrom and Glidelock upgrades.

The blue LB variant is the more desirable and higher-priced configuration. The Bluesy identity has consistently driven demand for the blue two-tone Submariner across generations. The successor 126613LB retails new at $18,900 USD; the 116613 trades at a discount to that figure on the secondary market, reflecting that buyers seeking current warranty and caliber 3235 will pay more for new production.

The 2020 transition from 40mm to 41mm also introduced Oystersteel alloy branding, a wider bracelet, and thinner lugs on the successor. The 116613's broader-lug Maxi Case profile is meaningfully different from the 126613's updated geometry — collectors who prefer the heavier, blockier Maxi Case aesthetic have a reason to seek out 116613 examples specifically.

Sources