Reference: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 it is the same watch as the 116610LN. The difference is color, and that difference defines it — and defines its market.
A one-generation anomaly. Every other green-bezel Submariner pairs a green bezel with a black dial. The Hulk does not. It pairs a green Cerachrom ceramic bezel with a green sunburst dial — the only reference in the entire Submariner lineage to commit to green on both surfaces simultaneously. When Rolex discontinued the 116610LV in 2020, it discontinued the green Submariner dial with it. No green-dial Sub has been produced since.
That fact alone drives the market. As of late 2025, the 116610LV trades on the secondary market at approximately $23,600 USD (Sotheby's data). The successor 126610LV — the Starbucks, which returned to a black dial — retails new at $11,900 USD. The Hulk's secondary market price is nearly double the retail price of its own successor. That gap is the clearest possible expression of what collector scarcity looks like: a discontinued reference that cost less than its successor retails for, now commanding twice the successor's price.
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. It sits parallel to the 116610LN, sharing the same case, movement, bracelet, crystal, and crown. Only the bezel color and dial color differ.
Green Submariner lineage
The green bezel Submariner has a continuous lineage stretching back to 2003. Each generation brought its own interpretation, and the 116610LV 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. The Hulk replaced it in 2010 with the ceramic bezel generation — and added the green dial. The Starbucks replaced the Hulk in 2020 and returned to a black dial.
The Hulk stands alone. It is the only reference in this sequence, and in the entire Submariner catalog, where both the bezel and the dial are green. Before it: black dial. After it: black dial.
The Kermit vs. Hulk distinction
This matters enough to state plainly because collectors conflate the two:
- Kermit (16610LV, 2003–2010): green aluminum bezel + black dial. The bezel fades over time — "ghost" Kermits are sought after.
- Hulk (116610LV, 2010–2020): green Cerachrom ceramic bezel + green sunburst dial. The bezel does not fade. The dial is green.
The Kermit's bezel fading was part of its collector identity. A well-faded Kermit insert is a prize. The Hulk's ceramic bezel eliminates that dimension entirely — there are no faded Hulks, and there will never be. Instead, the Hulk offers something no Kermit can: a green dial. The two references appeal to different instincts within the green Submariner collector community.
Production outline
Like the 116610LN, the Hulk is a single-era reference. The ceramic bezel does not fade. The green sunburst dial does not change mid-run. Caliber 3135 stays throughout.
Rolex introduced the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010 as the direct replacement for the 16610LV Kermit. It carried all the same generational upgrades as the 116610LN: Cerachrom bezel, Maxi Case, Glidelock bracelet, and Chromalight lume.
Production ended in 2020 when Rolex replaced it with the 126610LV, which moved to the 41mm case with caliber 3235 and, pointedly, returned to a black dial with the green bezel.
Movement notes
Caliber 3135, identical to the 116610LN. COSC-certified automatic, 28,800 bph, approximately 48 hours of power reserve. Parachrom hairspring.
The successor 126610LV uses caliber 3235 with a 70-hour power reserve. That is the main functional upgrade between generations.
Dial map
Green sunburst with white gold applied Maxi markers and Chromalight blue lume. "Sunburst" means the finish radiates outward from the center in a pattern that shifts with light and angle, giving the dial depth and movement. In indoor or low lighting the dial reads almost black. In direct sunlight it turns distinctly, vividly green. Between those extremes the dial passes through every shade of dark green, olive, and forest green.
The Cerachrom bezel and broader lugs give the watch an aggressive, presence-forward character. It wears larger on the wrist than the Kermit, even though both are nominally 40mm.
What makes the green dial unique
The green dial is the single feature that separates the Hulk from every other green Submariner. The Kermit had a black dial. The Starbucks returned to a black dial. When Rolex discontinued the 116610LV, it discontinued the green Submariner dial with it. The supply is permanently fixed.
The green sunburst finish is purpose-built for the Submariner — not a Day-Date green dial applied to a diver. Forum members have described the dial as made from "gold and aluminum dust," a characterization that, if accurate, would 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 notes
Case
Identical to the 116610LN. 40mm in 904L Oystersteel, Maxi Case / Super Case with wider lugs, no lug holes, solid fluted screw-down caseback. Approximately 12.5mm thick, 48mm lug-to-lug.
Bezel
Green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional with 60 clicks. Platinum PVD numerals and graduation marks. The green ceramic does not fade or develop patina the way the green aluminum insert on the Kermit did. On the Kermit, bezel fading was a feature collectors tracked and priced — a well-faded Kermit bezel commands a premium. On the Hulk, the color stays. Permanent.
Forum discussions describe the green Cerachrom manufacturing as a particular challenge, requiring a proprietary green pigment formula. Achieving a consistent, vivid green in ceramic reportedly demanded specialized parameters beyond what black or blue inserts require.
The green Cerachrom is the same material used on the successor 126610LV. The color is consistent between the two references; what changes 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. 300m / 1000ft water resistance.
Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes
Bracelet
Oyster bracelet with solid links, Oysterlock clasp, and Glidelock extension system. Same specification as the 116610LN: approximately 20mm of micro-adjustment in 2mm increments. 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, not reference numbers.
- Kermit (16610LV): green bezel, black dial. Named for Kermit the Frog. The green bezel is aluminum and fades with age.
- Hulk (116610LV): green bezel, green dial. Named for the all-green look. The bezel is Cerachrom and stays green permanently.
- Starbucks or Cermit (126610LV): green bezel, black dial. "Cermit" combines "ceramic" and "Kermit." "Starbucks" comes from the green-and-black color scheme matching the coffee chain's palette.
The Hulk nickname stuck because the watch is green everywhere. That total commitment to green is what makes it visually different from its siblings, and it is what makes it polarizing. Some collectors find the full green too much. Others find it the most distinctive modern Submariner. There is no neutral position on the Hulk.
Market and collector context
The 116610LV has traded above the 116610LN on the secondary market since both were in production. Since discontinuation in 2020, the premium has widened significantly.
The numbers tell the story:
- 116610LV secondary market: approximately $23,600 USD (Sotheby's, late 2025)
- 126610LV retail (successor): $11,900 USD new
- Premium: the Hulk trades at nearly double the retail price of its own successor
An extraordinary market position for a reference that originally retailed for a fraction of $23,600. The explanation is simple: the Hulk is the only green-dial Submariner ever made, production ended in 2020, and Rolex has shown no indication of reviving a green dial. The supply is fixed. The demand, from collectors who want the unique piece in the green Submariner lineage, is not.
The 116610LV is not rare in an absolute sense. Forum consensus holds that Rolex made "quite a few" over the decade of production. The market premium reflects desirability and a fixed supply, not scarcity in the way that vintage references with genuinely small production runs are scarce.
For comparison, the no-date steel 114060 trades at approximately $12,400 — the Hulk commands nearly double that as well, despite being a date model from the same broad era.
The Hulk does not attract the lot-level auction attention at major houses that vintage Submariners receive. Market activity is primarily dealer and secondary retail. But within the modern Submariner collector community, no reference in the 116610 generation commands higher secondary market interest than the 116610LV.
Sources
- Tom Mulraney, "History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date", Monochrome, 2020-08-19
- Stephen Pulvirent, "The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's, 2025-03-07
- Morning Tundra, "The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition", unknown
- unknown, "Bob's Watches Submariner history", Bob's Watches