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[[File:Ref_116610LV_hero.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Photo: bobswatches.com]]
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 116610LV Submariner}}
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|title=Rolex Submariner 116610LV 'Hulk' — Green Dial, 2010–2020 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 116610LV is the green-dial, green-bezel Submariner Date that collectors call the Hulk. Rolex introduced it in 2010 alongside the black 116610LN,…
|keywords=Rolex, 116610LV, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
|image=Ref 116610LV hero.jpg
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 116610LV
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:12:55Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:07:31Z
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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.
<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''116610LV'''</small>


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.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 116610LV hero 2.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex 116610LV Submariner|Rolex 116610LV Submariner]]
</div>


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.
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, and discontinued it in 2020 when the 126610LV followed. The case, movement, bracelet, and crystal match the 116610LN; the bezel and dial are the defining differences.


==Core facts==
The reference pairs a green Cerachrom bezel with a green sunburst dial. The earlier 16610LV and later 126610LV use green bezels with black dials, so the all-green combination identifies this generation.


{| class="wikitable"
<span id="core-facts"></span>
 
== Core facts ==
 
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
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|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, platinum PVD numerals
| green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, platinum-filled graduations (PVD deposition)
|-
|-
| bracelet
| bracelet
Line 60: Line 78:
|}
|}


==Where it sits in the line==
<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== 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.
The 116610 generation ran as a pair: the black-bezel LN and the green LV. The case, movement, bracelet, crystal, and crown are shared; the bezel and dial distinguish the two references.


==Green Submariner lineage==
<span id="green-submariner-lineage"></span>
== 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.
The green-bezel Submariner has run continuously since 2003, and each generation handled the color differently. Only the Hulk took green past the bezel.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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| 2010–2020
| 2010–2020
| Cerachrom ceramic
| Cerachrom ceramic
| green (permanent)
| green (Cerachrom; resistant to fading)
| green sunburst
| green sunburst
|-
|-
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| 2020–present
| 2020–present
| Cerachrom ceramic
| Cerachrom ceramic
| green (permanent)
| green (Cerachrom; resistant to fading)
| black
| 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.
<span id="production-outline"></span>
 
== Production outline ==
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.
Rolex introduced the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010 as the replacement for the 16610LV. The reference carried the same generational upgrades as the 116610LN: Cerachrom bezel, Maxi Case, Glidelock bracelet, and Chromalight lume. Caliber 3135 remained the listed movement throughout. The published specification stayed stable, while collector comparisons report small print and finish differences without a Rolex chronology for them.


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.
Production ended in 2020 when Rolex replaced the reference with the 126610LV. The successor moved the line to a 41mm case.


===What makes the green dial unique===
<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==


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.
Caliber 3135 runs the production: COSC-certified automatic, 28,800 vph, about 48 hours of power reserve, and a Parachrom hairspring. The successor 126610LV moved to caliber 3235 with a stated 70-hour reserve. Service history can change the parts fitted to an individual watch.


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.
<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==


No known mid-run dial variants exist for the 116610LV.
The green sunburst dial is the feature behind the Hulk nickname. It can read very dark in low light and brighter in direct light. The Maxi Case proportions are shared with the black 116610LN and differ from the 16610LV's five-digit case.


==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==
<span id="what-makes-the-green-dial-unique"></span>
=== The green sunburst ===


===Case===
The dial has a green sunburst finish and applied white-gold Maxi markers. Its color shifts with the light, from dark green to a brighter metallic green. Collector references describe several print variations, but Rolex has not published a complete generation chart or production cutoff.


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.
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
[[File:Ref_116610LV_detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Detail view|Detail view]]


===Bezel===
<span id="case"></span>
=== Case ===


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.
Identical to the 116610LN: 40mm of 904L Oystersteel in the Maxi Case (or "Super Case") format, with wider lugs, no lug holes, and a solid fluted screw-down caseback. Roughly 12.5mm thick and 48mm lug to lug.


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.
<span id="bezel"></span>
=== Bezel ===


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.
Green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional, 60 clicks, numerals and graduations in platinum PVD. Cerachrom is more resistant to fading and scratching than the Kermit's aluminium insert, but it can still be chipped or damaged. Aluminium inserts can scratch, fade, or develop patina; individual bezels can also be replaced.


===Crystal===
Rolex has not published the pigment formula or a production tolerance chart for the green ceramic. The same general green-bezel treatment continued on the successor 126610LV, whose dial is black.


Sapphire with Cyclops at 3 o'clock and anti-reflective inner coating. Same as the 116610LN.
<span id="crystal"></span>
=== Crystal ===


===Crown===
Sapphire with the Cyclops at 3 o'clock and an anti-reflective coating on the inner surface, as on the 116610LN.


Triplock screw-down with crown guards. 300m / 1000ft water resistance.
<span id="crown"></span>
=== Crown ===


==Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes==
Triplock screw-down with crown guards, rated to 300m / 1000ft.


===Bracelet===
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


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.
<span id="bracelet"></span>
=== Bracelet ===


===Packaging===
Oyster bracelet with solid links, an Oysterlock clasp, and the Glidelock extension, the same specification as the 116610LN. Oysterlock is the locking safety clasp used across the modern Professional line; Glidelock is the in-clasp adjustment, giving roughly 20mm of length in 2mm increments without tools.


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.
<span id="packaging"></span>
=== Packaging ===


==The nickname lineage==
Retail sets from the period can include a green Rolex box, warranty card, COSC tag, booklets, and hang tags. Contents vary by market and delivery date; packaging does not identify the reference on its own.


Collector nicknames for the green Submariners track color combinations, not reference numbers.
<span id="the-nickname-lineage"></span>
== The nickname lineage ==


* '''Kermit''' (16610LV): green bezel, black dial. Named for Kermit the Frog. The green bezel is aluminum and fades with age.
Collector nicknames for the green Submariners track color combinations, not reference numbers. Kermit comes from the Muppet, for the green aluminum bezel over a black dial. Hulk names the all-green look. The 126610LV answers to two names: Starbucks, after the green-and-black palette it returns to, and Cermit, a blend of "ceramic" and "Kermit".
* '''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.
The Hulk nickname refers to the all-green bezel and dial. Collector reactions to that combination vary, but the nickname itself is widely used.


==Market and collector context==
<span id="special-editions"></span>
== Special editions ==


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.
Auction catalogues document 116610LV examples with institutional or retailer-linked engravings. Sotheby's catalogued a Khanjar example delivered through Khimji Ramdas in Oman, with a crossed-dagger caseback emblem and guarantee paperwork stamped by the retailer. The catalogue describes the individual watch and its estimate; it does not establish a general delivery program or a standard production branch. Other signed or special-delivery examples should be assessed from their own lot records.


The numbers tell the story:
<span id="market-and-collector-context"></span>
== Market and collector context ==


* '''116610LV secondary market''': approximately $23,600 USD (Sotheby's, late 2025)
The 116610LV is discontinued modern production and trades mainly through dealers, auction houses, and the secondary market. Prices vary with condition, completeness, service history, and documented provenance; dated auction estimates belong with their individual lots and should not be treated as a stable reference-wide range. Rolex does not publish a production total, so scarcity claims should remain qualified. The reference sits between the 16610LV and 126610LV in the green Submariner line.
* '''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.
== Related references ==


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.
* [[Reference:116610LN|Submariner 116610LN]]: 2010–2020
* [[Reference:116613|Submariner 116613]]: 2009–2020
* [[Reference:114060|Submariner 114060]]: 2012–2020
* [[Reference:116618|Submariner 116618]]: yellow gold (2008–2020)
* [[Reference:116619LB|Submariner 116619LB]]: "Smurf", white gold (2008–2020)
* [[Reference:16610LV|Submariner 16610LV]]: "Kermit", green bezel (2003–2010)


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.
See also the [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].


==Sources==
== Sources ==
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/archive/index.php/t-120033.html Rolex Baselworld 2010 Submariner technical material] — contemporaneous specifications for 116610LV/116610LN
* [https://www.rolex.com/en-us/watches/submariner/m126610ln-0001 Rolex Submariner technical specifications] — Cerachrom, Chromalight, Oysterlock, and Glidelock definitions
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches/reference-116610lv-submariner-khanjar-hulk-a Reference 116610LV Submariner Khanjar Hulk] — individual provenance and catalogue description
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex_Submariner Wikipedia: Rolex Submariner] — green Submariner chronology
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-submariner-green-dive-watch/ Rolex Submariner LV: Dive Watches from Kermit to Starbucks] — Fratello
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/comparing-green-bezel-black-dial-subs-16610lv-kermit-vs-126610lv-starbucks/ Comparing Kermit vs Starbucks] — Fratello
* [https://timeandtidewatches.com/year-rolex-submariner-116610lv-aka-hulk/ Rolex Submariner 116610LV Year-Long Review] — Andy Green, Time+Tide
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-date-41mm-kermit-126610lv-black-126610ln-hands-on-price/ Hands-On: Rolex Submariner Date 41mm Kermit 126610LV and 126610LN] — Brice Goulard, Monochrome
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-date-126610lv-in-depth-review-specs-price/ Rolex Submariner Date 126610LV In-Depth Review] — Brice Goulard, Monochrome
* [https://www.watchonista.com/articles/depth/rolex-submariner-2020-whats-actually-changed The Rolex Submariner in 2020: What Actually Changed] — Josh Shanks, Watchonista
* [https://www.ablogtowatch.com/rolex-submariner-116610lv-green-watch-review/ Rolex Submariner 116610LV In Green Watch Review] — aBlogtoWatch
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/important-watches/rolex-submariner-hulk-reference-116610lv-a-brand Rolex Submariner Hulk 116610LV Brand New Last Year] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches/reference-116610lv-submariner-khanjar-hulk-a Reference 116610LV Submariner Khanjar Hulk circa 2012] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/important-watches-9/reference-116610lv-submariner-hulk-a-stainless Reference 116610LV Submariner Hulk circa 2020] — Sotheby's
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/bourn-in-oman-the-rolex-collection/ Bourn in Oman: The Rolex Collection] — Ross Povey, Revolution
* [https://www.watchguys.com/pages/rolex-hulk-mark-1-3-differences Rolex Hulk Mark 1-3: A Guide to Dial Differences] — WatchGuys
* [https://www.luxurybazaar.com/grey-market/rolex-hulk/ Rolex Hulk Submariner: The Complete Guide] — Powerfunk, Luxury Bazaar
* [https://www.coronet.org/new-1minute-reads/rolex-production-numbers-submariner-new-book-official For the First Time Rolex Hints at Production Numbers] — Coronet / Foulkes 2024
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/the-evolution-of-the-green-bezel-submariner The Evolution of the Green Bezel Submariner] — Jamie Morton, Everest Bands
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-hulk/ Rolex Hulk Submariner 116610LV Complete Guide] — Millenary Watches
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/rolex-info/rolex-submariner-history.html Bob's Watches Submariner history] — Bob's Watches
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=481824 116610LV Hulk: How many dial variations?] — RolexForums


* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ Tom Mulraney, "History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date", Monochrome, 2020-08-19]
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner Stephen Pulvirent, "The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's, 2025-03-07]
Ref 116610LV hero 2.webp|116610LV full watch
* Morning Tundra, "The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition", unknown
Ref_116610LV_detail.webp|116610LV case and bezel detail
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/rolex-info/rolex-submariner-history.html unknown, "Bob's Watches Submariner history", Bob's Watches]
</gallery>


[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:working-draft]]
[[Category:References]]
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