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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 16613 Submariner Date}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 16613 Submariner — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|title=Rolex 16613 Submariner Date : LN black, LB Bluesy, production and dial variants | Rolexopedia
|description=The 16613 is the defining two-tone Submariner — a reference that ran for about twenty years, from 1988 to 2009, under a single reference number.…
|description=The 16613 is the two-tone Submariner Date of the caliber 3135 era, introduced around 1988 and replaced around 2008–09, with black LN and blue LB configurations.
|keywords=Rolex, 16613, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 16613, 16613LN, 16613LB, Bluesy, Submariner Date, two-tone, Rolesor, Serti, Sultan, reference guide
|image=Ref 16613 hero.webp
|image=Ref 16613 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner 16613 — two-tone Rolesor with blue dial and bezel
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Date 16613LB Bluesy : two-tone Rolesor with blue dial and blue bezel
|type=article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:12:58Z
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:12:58Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:47:41Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:09:30Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] -> '''16613'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''16613'''</small>


The 16613 is the two-tone Submariner of the caliber 3135 era, in production from 1988 to 2009 under a single reference number. Twenty years under one number is long for a sport Rolex. Over that run the watch absorbed every meaningful Submariner upgrade of the period — tritium giving way to Luminova and then Super-Luminova on the dial, hollow end links giving way to solid, and a plain inner rehaut giving way to the engraved ROLEX ROLEX band — before the Cerachrom 116613 replaced it. The blue-dial 16613LB, known to collectors as the Bluesy, is the configuration most buyers mean when they say "two-tone Sub."
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 16613 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Submariner Date 16613LB two-tone Bluesy on its Rolex presentation box|Rolex Submariner Date 16613LB : the blue sunburst dial and blue aluminum insert that gave the reference its Bluesy nickname, on its two-tone Oyster bracelet]]
</div>


<span id="core-facts"></span>
The 16613 is the two-tone Submariner Date powered by caliber 3135. Bob’s Watches dates its replacement by the 116613 to 2009; Monochrome places the change around 2008. Catalogue suffixes distinguish the 16613LN with a black bezel and dial from the 16613LB with a blue bezel and blue sunburst dial; collectors commonly call the latter the Bluesy. During the run, lume materials, bracelet construction, and the inner rehaut changed.


[[File:Ref 16613 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner 16613 — two-tone Rolesor with blue dial and bezel|Rolex Submariner 16613 — two-tone Rolesor with blue dial and bezel]]
LN and LB are catalogue suffixes used for the black and blue bezel configurations. Bluesy is collector shorthand for the blue-on-blue two-tone configuration.


== Core facts ==
== Core facts ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 28: Line 31:
|-
|-
| reference
| reference
| 16613 (LN = black, LB = blue)
| 16613 (LN = black bezel/dial, LB = blue bezel/dial)
|-
|-
| family
| family
| Submariner Date
| Submariner Date
|-
| nickname
| Bluesy (LB)
|-
|-
| production
| production
| about 1988 to 2009 (~20 years)
| 1988 to circa 2008–09
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
| caliber 3135 (date, quick-set, 28800 bph)
| caliber 3135, automatic, 28,800 vph, quick-set date
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm, Rolesor (steel + 18k yellow gold)
| 40mm, Rolesor (904L steel + 18k yellow gold), Triplock crown
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
Line 46: Line 52:
|-
|-
| water resistance
| water resistance
| 300m
| 300m / 1000ft
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| 18k gold with aluminum insert (blue or black)
| 18k yellow gold surround, aluminum insert (120-position unidirectional ratchet) : black on LN, blue on LB
|-
| dial
| black gloss with applied gold markers (LN); blue sunburst with applied gold markers (LB); Mercedes hands on both
|-
|-
| lume
| lume
Line 55: Line 64:
|-
|-
| bracelet
| bracelet
| 93153 → 93253 (SEL transition, see bracelet section)
| 93153 (hollow end links) → 93253 (solid end links, ~2000)
|-
|-
| rehaut
| rehaut
| plain (early), engraved ROLEX ROLEX (~2005 onward)
| plain (early/mid), engraved ROLEX ROLEX (~2005 onward)
|-
| predecessor
| 16803 (caliber 3035, 1984–1988)
|-
|-
| successor
| successor
| 116613
| 116613LN / 116613LB (Cerachrom, 2009–2020)
|}
|}


<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 16613 is the Rolesor member of the 3135-era Submariner Date trio. Rolesor is Rolex's term for its steel-and-gold construction, with gold in every visible wear surface. The steel 16610 carried the widest market and ran 23 years; the 16613 carried the two-tone configuration with an 18k yellow-gold bezel, gold center links, and a gold crown and crown tube on a steel case; the full-gold 16618 was the maximum-material version of the same architecture. All three share the 40mm case and the caliber 3135 movement.
The 16613 is the steel-and-yellow-gold Rolesor member of the 3135-era Submariner Date family. Its gold components include the bezel surround, crown, and centre links, while the case and outer bracelet links are steel. The steel 16610, two-tone 16613, and full-gold 16618 share the 40mm case format and caliber 3135, but their materials and fitments differ.
 
The LB has a blue dial and blue bezel; the LN has a black dial and black bezel. Auction and dealer records can price them differently, but any comparison depends on condition, completeness, venue, and date. The LN uses the same Rolesor construction with a black gloss dial and black aluminium insert.


The 16613 replaced the shorter-lived 16803, which had run from roughly 1984 to 1988 on the earlier caliber 3035. The substantive change at the generational boundary was the movement itself: the 3135 brought Microstella regulation and the higher frequency that Rolex would carry forward for the next three decades.
The 116619LB Smurf is a 2008-onward blue-on-blue Submariner cased entirely in solid 18k white gold, with a blue Cerachrom insert. The 16613LB uses steel and yellow gold with an aluminum insert.


<span id="twenty-years-what-the-production-length-means"></span>
The 16613 replaced the shorter-lived 16803, which had run from roughly 1984 to 1988 on the earlier caliber 3035. The movement changed to caliber 3135; an individual watch’s performance depends on its condition and service history. The Cerachrom 116613LN and 116613LB followed around 2008–09, bringing a ceramic bezel insert, the Maxi case, and a Glidelock-equipped bracelet.
== Twenty years: what the production length means ==


A twenty-year run under one reference number is long for a sport Rolex, and in practice it means the 16613 spans two distinct eras in the same catalog entry. Early production, 1988 to roughly 1998, carries tritium lume, the 93153 bracelet with hollow end links, a plain rehaut, and matte-finish components. Late production, roughly 2005 to 2009, carries Super-Luminova, the 93253 bracelet with solid end links, the engraved rehaut, and an overall finish much closer in character to the Cerachrom 116613 that followed.
== Twenty years in one reference ==


Early and late 16613 examples do not look the same on the wrist. A tritium 16613 on a hollow-link 93153 reads as a transitional late-vintage piece. A late Super-Luminova example with engraved rehaut reads as a modern pre-ceramic Submariner. Buyers who treat the reference number as a single object often conflate the two, and the price spreads within the reference reflect that.
Specifications changed during the run. Early examples commonly have tritium lume, a 93153 bracelet with hollow end links, and a plain rehaut. Later examples commonly have non-tritium lume, a 93253 bracelet with solid end links, and an engraved rehaut. Published serial guides place these changes within broad periods; service and replacement parts mean each watch needs its own component check.


<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
== Production outline ==


<span id="early-production-19881998"></span>
=== Early production (~1988–1998) ===
=== Early production (~1988–1998) ===


Early watches have tritium lume (marked T SWISS T or T<25), the 93153 bracelet with hollow end links and Fliplock clasp, and a plain inner rehaut. These are the tritium-era 16613 examples, and they sit visually closest to the outgoing 16803 generation.
Early watches have tritium lume (marked T SWISS T or T<25 at six o'clock), a 93153 bracelet with hollow end links and Fliplock clasp, and a plain inner rehaut. These details overlap with the outgoing 16803 generation.


<span id="mid-production-19982005"></span>
=== Mid production (~1998–2005) ===
=== Mid production (~1998–2005) ===


The dial lume transitioned from tritium to Luminova around 1998 and then to Super-Luminova within a year or two. The bracelet transitioned from 93153 to 93253 with solid end links around 2000. The exact changeover dates are not pinned to specific serial bands in the current evidence.
The dial lume moved from tritium to Luminova around 1998 and on to Super-Luminova within a year or two. The bracelet moved from 93153 to 93253 with solid end links around 2000. Published accounts place both changes around the turn of the millennium, with individual examples varying by serial and service history.


<span id="late-production-20052009"></span>
=== Late production (~2005–c.2008–09) ===
=== Late production (~2005–2009) ===


Late watches gained an engraved inner rehaut, with repeating ROLEX ROLEX text and the serial number at the 6 o'clock position. The feature appeared somewhere between 2005 and 2008 depending on source. Late 16613 examples sit closer in finish and detail to the 116613 than to the early tritium watches that opened the production run.
Late watches gained an engraved inner rehaut, with repeating ROLEX ROLEX text and the serial number at the 6 o'clock position. The feature appeared somewhere between 2005 and 2008 depending on source. Late examples share some visible features with the following 116613, but parts and service history still need individual inspection.


<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==
== Movement notes ==


Caliber 3135 throughout the run. Quick-set date, 28,800 vph, Microstella regulation. Rolex used the same movement in the steel 16610, the full-gold 16618, the Datejust, and many other references from the late 1980s onward — one of the most reliable and best-documented calibers in the modern catalog.
Caliber 3135 throughout the run. Quick-set date, 28,800 vph, Microstella regulation, roughly 48 hours of power reserve, COSC chronometer certification. Rolex used the same movement in the steel 16610, the full-gold 16618, the Datejust, and many other references from the late 1980s onward. The caliber number remained unchanged throughout the 16613’s run.
 
Later 3135 specimens received the Parachrom blue hairspring, a paramagnetic alloy more resistant to magnetic fields and temperature swings than the earlier hairspring. Published accounts place its introduction within the later 3135 period; the exact 16613 changeover remains unsettled.


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


[[File:Ref 16613 serti-dial.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Silver Serti dial with diamond hour markers and sapphire indices|Silver Serti dial with diamond hour markers and sapphire indices]]
Two core dial configurations run across the production span: a blue-bezel LB with blue sunburst dial and a black-bezel LN with black gloss dial, both with applied gold hour markers and gold Mercedes hands. Auction catalogues document additional gem-set examples with champagne and silver bases. Identify these variants from the specific watch’s dial, bezel, case, movement, provenance, and catalogue record.
 
The lume-text branches mirror the wider Submariner family, and dial text is one useful period check for a 16613, subject to service-part changes. Early dials read T SWISS T or T<25 (tritium), which places the watch pre-1998. A brief transitional window carries SWISS only (Luminova), roughly 1998 to 2000. Late dials read SWISS MADE (Luminova then Super-Luminova), 2000 onwards.
 
=== 16613LB blue dial ===
 
The 16613LB dial is blue with a radial sunburst finish, applied gold hour markers, and gold Mercedes hands.
 
 
Sotheby’s lot 10 (1997) records a blue insert and silvered sunburst dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes. Its 2021 lot 9 describes a circa-1990 16613 with a champagne dial and the same types of indexes.
 
 


<span id="blue-dial-lb-bluesy"></span>
=== 16613LN black dial ===
=== Blue dial (LB / Bluesy) ===


The blue sunburst dial with gold applied markers and gold hands is the defining 16613 configuration, and the one collectors call the Bluesy. The blue shifts across a wide range — deep navy in low light, bright cornflower in direct sun — and photographs rarely capture the full sweep. Later-production dials show a more pronounced sunburst, with sharper radial brushing than the flatter blue of early examples. Tritium plots sit on early dials; Luminova and then Super-Luminova replace them as production moves forward.


The LB is the more popular and higher-priced variant in the secondary market by a wide margin.
The LN dial is black gloss with gold-applied hour markers and gold Mercedes hands. Monochrome documents raised-marker “nipple” dials on the preceding 16803. A 16613 example needs its own watch-specific record.


Rolex Forum collectors have documented a tropical purple phenomenon on blue 16613 dials. After decades of UV exposure and chemical aging, the pigment oxidizes to a distinctly purple or plum hue. The shift is progressive and irreversible, and it appears either across the full face or in uneven patches depending on how the watch was worn and stored. An even, attractive tropical purple dial commands a premium, consistent with the broader market for tropical vintage Rolex dials.
* Standard gloss : black lacquer base, applied gold hour markers, gold Mercedes hands. Tritium lume on early watches, Luminova then Super-Luminova on later examples.
* Gem-set examples : Sotheby’s catalogues individual 16613 watches with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes. Case records, service documents, and provenance help distinguish original delivery from Rolex service replacement or later changes.


<span id="black-dial-ln"></span>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
=== Black dial (LN) ===
File:Ref 16613LN hero.webp|16613LN, black dial
File:Ref 16613LN dial-detail.webp|Black dial detail
</gallery>


The black dial with gold applied markers is the 16613LN. More understated than the Bluesy, and typically trades at a slight discount to the blue in the secondary market.
=== Mother-of-pearl dial ===


<span id="serti-dial-the-highest-value-variant"></span>
A mother-of-pearl 16613LB is documented at Bonhams London (Fine Wristwatches, 19 June 2019, lot 81): movement no. 657****, a mother-of-pearl dial with applied diamond-set gold dot hour markers and sapphire-set quarters, on the early 93153 hollow-end-link bracelet with a blue bezel insert. The watch was first sold on 2 January 1993, placing it at the very start of the 16613's production run. Its inner caseback is stamped 16610, the steel Submariner Date reference. Bonhams records the stamp without interpretation; the lot leaves open whether it reflects a shared case blank or a later service caseback. The watch remained unsold against an estimate of GBP 4,000–6,000.
=== Serti dial — the highest-value variant ===


The Serti dial is the highest-value 16613 configuration. Rolex set diamonds into the hour marker positions in place of the standard luminous plots, and the name comes from the French ''sertissage'' (gem-setting). These are factory dials, not aftermarket conversions, and a clean factory Serti carries a substantial premium over an aftermarket gem-set dial that looks similar at a glance. Scrutiny on any Serti example is warranted — the gap between factory and aftermarket value makes the category a long-running site for fraud.
=== Service-replacement dial caution ===


<span id="sultan-dial-collector-documented-variant"></span>
Rolex service centers fitted Luminova dials to tritium-era watches after tritium dials left production. A pre-transition 16613 with a later SWISS MADE dial may carry a service replacement. These parts can be period-correct while differing from the watch’s original delivery; compare the dial, hands, movement, service records, and serial context.
=== Sultan dial — factory champagne gem-set ===


The Sultan dial is a factory-original gem-set configuration in the Serti family — champagne base with diamond hour markers and sapphire accents (typically two baguette sapphires plus a triangular sapphire at twelve). The naming follows the collector convention adopted across the wider specialist trade: silver-base gem-set is "Serti", champagne-base gem-set is "Sultan". The name has nothing to do with the Sultanate of Oman or the Khanjar emblem; that is a separate provenance line covered in Special branches below. Sultan dials are scarcer than silver Serti examples and command premiums when papers and serial fall inside a coherent run.
=== Gem-set dials ===


<span id="nipple-dial"></span>
Sotheby’s catalogues describe a silvered 16613 (1997, lot 10), a champagne example (circa 1990, lot 9), and a champagne 16613T titled “Serti” (circa 2003, lot 236). The catalogues establish those individual watches; original delivery calls for watch-specific documentation.
=== Nipple dial ===


The earliest 16613 examples carry nipple dials — gold applied markers with a raised boss at the center — a detail carried over from the preceding 16803 and 16808 generation. Nipple dials appear only on the first years of production and are a collector identification point for pre-1990s watches.
In a 2021 Rolex Forums thread, an owner said Rolex service had fitted a champagne Serti dial to a 1998 16613LN. Another participant called that colorway “Sultan.” The exchange records collector usage and a service replacement.


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


[[File:Ref 16613 detail 3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Wrist presence — two-tone steel and gold with blue dial|Wrist presence — two-tone steel and gold with blue dial]]
The case is 40mm 904L stainless steel with 18k yellow gold crown guards and a gold Triplock screw-down crown, rated to 300m. The crystal is sapphire with a Cyclops magnifier over the date window at three o'clock. The bezel is 18k yellow gold carrying a unidirectional aluminum insert with a 60-minute scale and 120-position ratchet, plus a luminous pearl at twelve; black on the LN and blue on the LB. The 16613 uses an aluminum insert; Cerachrom arrived with the successor 116613.


The case is 40mm stainless steel with 18k gold crown guards and a gold Triplock crown, rated to 300m. The crystal is sapphire with a Cyclops magnifier over the date. The bezel is 18k gold carrying a unidirectional 60-minute graduated aluminum insert in blue (LB) or black (LN). Aluminum inserts scratch and fade with use — a known patina pathway on older examples, and a condition factor that matters at the market level.
Aluminum inserts scratch, fade, or get replaced. Their appearance reflects exposure, wear, cleaning, and the insert itself; color alone is a weak guide to originality.


The inner rehaut is plain on early and mid-production watches. Late examples, from around 2005, carry the engraved ROLEX ROLEX band that would become a signature of the ceramic-era Submariner.
The inner rehaut is plain on early and mid-production watches. Late examples, from around 2005, carry the engraved ROLEX ROLEX band also used on later Submariner generations.


Hallmarks on the gold components follow Rolex's standard precious-metal marking of the period. Earlier watches carry the Helvetia bust with "G" Geneva assay mark on the mid-case and bracelet components. After 1995, the St. Bernard dog Barry mark replaced the older Helvetia system.
Hallmarks on the gold components follow Rolex's standard precious-metal marking of the period. Earlier watches carry the Helvetia bust with G Geneva assay mark on the mid-case and bracelet components. After 1995, the St. Bernard dog Barry mark replaced the older Helvetia system.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
[[File:Ref 16613LN caseback.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Caseback and two-tone bracelet of a catalogued 16613LN|Caseback and bracelet of the Sotheby’s lot 531 16613LN.]]
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


[[File:Ref 16613 bracelet.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=The 16613 two-tone Oyster bracelet with gold center links|The 16613 two-tone Oyster bracelet with gold center links]]
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==


Along with lume type, the bracelet is one of the two primary authenticity checkpoints on a 16613. Getting it right is how a buyer places a given watch within the 20-year production run.
Lume type and bracelet construction help date the components on a 16613. Neither alone establishes the watch’s original configuration.


<span id="early-bracelet-93153-hollow-end-links"></span>
=== Early bracelet: 93153 (hollow end links) ===
=== Early bracelet: 93153 (hollow end links) ===


The 93153 is a two-tone Oyster bracelet with steel outer links and 18k gold center links, fitted with hollow end links and a Fliplock diver's extension clasp. It covers early production through about 2000. A 16613 on a 93153 with a tritium dial sits firmly in the pre-millennium collector tier.
The 93153 is a two-tone Oyster bracelet with steel outer links and 18k gold center links, fitted with hollow end links and a Fliplock diver's-extension clasp. It covers early production through about 2000. A 16613 on a 93153 with a tritium dial sits firmly in the pre-millennium collector tier.


<span id="gold-through-clasp-transition"></span>
=== Gold-through clasp transition ===
=== Gold-through clasp transition ===


During the A-serial range (roughly 1999 to winter 2000), Rolex introduced the "gold-through" clasp, in which the gold extends through the full clasp body rather than sitting only on the exterior surfaces. Early A-serial 16613 examples lack the gold-through clasp; late A-serial examples have it; all P-serial and later watches are expected to carry it. The detail is a useful dating check on examples that sit near the transition.
Collector references place the gold-through clasp transition around the A-to-P period. Gold continues through the clasp body as well as across its exterior. Bracelets and clasps are replaceable, so date the clasp separately from the watch head.
 
=== Later bracelet: 93253 (solid end links : SEL) ===
 
The 93253 uses solid end links (SEL), which close the gap between bracelet and case. Published accounts place the change around 2000, alongside the transitions on the steel 16610 and full-gold 16618. Rolex introduced solid end links on the Sea-Dweller before extending them to the Submariner.


<span id="later-bracelet-93253-solid-end-links-sel"></span>
The 93153-to-93253 change helps place a bracelet within the production run. Replacement and retained period parts occur, so date the bracelet and watch head separately.
=== Later bracelet: 93253 (solid end links — SEL) ===


The 93253 brought solid end links — SEL, in collector shorthand — to the two-tone Submariner. Solid end links close the gap between bracelet and case more tightly than the older hollow type and give the watch a more substantial feel on the wrist. The transition landed around 2000, parallel to the SEL rollout on the steel 16610 and the gold 16618. Rolex had introduced solid end links on the Sea-Dweller first, then spread them across the Submariner family.
Clasp date codes follow the standard Rolex scheme of the period: 1976 = A through 1988 = M, 1989 = N, through 2000 = AB, 2001 = DE, up to 2010 = RS. An S stamp indicates a service replacement clasp. The code dates the bracelet; the watch head can be older, younger, or a later replacement entirely.


The 93153-to-93253 transition is a key authenticity checkpoint. A late-production 16613 on a post-2000 serial should be on a 93253; a 93153 on a late-serial watch usually points to a bracelet swap or a mismatched example.
[[File:Ref 16613LN packaging.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Presentation case and printed material catalogued with a 16613LN|Sotheby’s lot 531 presentation case and printed material.]]


Clasp date codes follow the standard Rolex scheme of the period. 1976 = A through 1988 = M, 1989 = N, through 2000 = AB, 2001 = DE, up to 2010 = RS. An S stamp indicates a service replacement clasp. The code dates the bracelet, not the watch head.


<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==
== Special branches ==
<span id="panama-canal-limited-edition"></span>
 
=== Panama Canal limited edition ===
=== Panama Canal limited edition ===


[[File:Ref 16613 government-panama-canal.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=16613 Panama Canal two-tone limited edition dial|16613 Panama Canal — black dial with gilt canal emblem above 6 o'clock]]


Seventy-five two-tone steel and yellow-gold 16613s were produced in 1999 to commemorate the December 1999 transfer of the Panama Canal from the United States to the Republic of Panama, retailed exclusively by Mercurio Joyero in Panama City. The dial carries a gilt Panama Canal emblem above six o'clock with the inscription "Panama Canal — Canal de Panamá"; the caseback is engraved with the limited-edition number around its periphery. A parallel run of seventy-five steel examples uses the same dial layout and circulates as the [[Reference:16610|16610]] Panama Canal. Sotheby's Watches Online March 2020 lot 4 (c.1999, A946579, numbered 57/75, estimate CHF 25,000–40,000) is the strongest documented two-tone example.


Seventy-five two-tone steel and yellow-gold 16613s were produced in 1999 to commemorate the December 1999 transfer of the Panama Canal from the United States to the Republic of Panama, retailed exclusively by Mercurio Joyero in Panama City. The dial carries a gilt Panama Canal emblem above six o'clock with the inscription "Panama Canal : Canal de Panamá"; the caseback is engraved with the limited-edition number around its periphery. A parallel run of seventy-five steel examples uses the same dial layout and circulates as the [[Reference:16610|16610]] Panama Canal. Sotheby's Watches Online March 2020 lot 4 (c.1999, A946579, numbered 57/75, estimate CHF 25,000–40,000) documents one two-tone example. Both catalogue records identify black dials; an LB commission needs its own record.


The 20-year run carries four documented branches beyond the standard blue and black configurations.
=== Khanjar caseback ===


The factory Serti gem-set dial (silver base, diamond markers, sapphire indices) is the established gem-set configuration. The Sultan dial (champagne base, same gem-set architecture) is the rarer factory sibling.
The documented Khanjar 16613 carries the Sultanate of Oman's curved dagger emblem on its caseback. Bukowskis lot 1023 (circa 1998, serial U365470) records the engraving, a Khimji Ramdas warranty card, and a Khanjar-stamped box. Italian Watch Spotter traces Omani commissions' move from dial signatures to caseback engravings around the start of the 2000s. A Khanjar dial on a 16613 needs its own catalogue or provenance record.


A Tiffany & Co. retailer-signed 16613 is documented at Sotheby's London (Fine Watches Including Masterworks of Time, 14 April 2021, lot 8, c.1991, serial X723491, black dial, signed case, dial, and movement). The lot text notes Tiffany 16613 examples are rare and that the consigning party was the original purchaser with the signature also present on the original guarantee. Cartier-signed and Bucherer-signed dial examples are not documented for 16613 — the New York Cartier-retailing window had largely closed by 1988, and Bucherer 16613s typically circulate as non-double-signed certified pre-owned inventory.
=== Tiffany & Co. retailer signature ===


A Khanjar 16613 is documented as a caseback engraving rather than as a dial signature. By the late 1990s the Sultanate of Oman commissions had moved off the dial and onto the caseback, fulfilled through Khimji Ramdas, the Omani retailer. Bukowskis lot 1023 (c.1998, serial U365470, Khanjar caseback engraving, Khimji Ramdas warranty card, Khanjar-stamped outer box; 140,000 SEK against 130,000–180,000 estimate) anchors the caseback-Khanjar 16613 in the late-1990s. ItalianWatchSpotter places the dial-to-caseback shift at the start of the 2000s. Khanjar dial 16613 examples are not documented; treat any claimed example as misidentified.
[[File:Ref 16613LN tiffany.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Tiffany & Co.-signed 16613LN dial|A Tiffany & Co.-signed 16613LN : "TIFFANY & CO." printed above SUBMARINER on the black gloss dial.]]


A Panama Canal limited edition (75 pieces, c.1999) was retailed by Mercurio Joyero in Panama to commemorate the December 1999 transfer of canal sovereignty. Black dial with a gilt Panama Canal emblem at six o'clock and "Panama Canal — Canal de Panamá" inscription. Sotheby's Watches Online March 2020 lot 4 (c.1999, A946579, numbered 57/75, estimate CHF 25,000–40,000) is the strongest documented example.
A Tiffany & Co.-signed 16613 is documented in Sotheby's London, Fine Watches Including Masterworks of Time (14 April 2021, lot 8): circa 1991, serial X723491, with the retailer's name on the case, dial, movement, and original guarantee. That provenance applies to this watch.


<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==


The 16613 is a common sight at auction and in dealer inventories. The blue Bluesy (LB) is the more popular and higher-priced variant; the black (LN) trades at a discount. Within the reference, the market sorts the run into early tritium watches on hollow-link 93153 bracelets, mid-run Luminova examples, late Super-Luminova examples with engraved rehaut and solid-link 93253 bracelets, factory Serti gem-set dials as the top value tier, the collector-documented Sultan variant as a premium category, and first-year nipple-dial examples as a dedicated sub-market.


The successor 116613LB retails at $18,900 USD under current Rolex pricing. The aluminum-insert 16613 trades at a substantial discount to that figure, but early tritium watches and the special-dial variants follow their own premium logic that does not track the retail reference.
== Market position ==
 
Auction catalogues document both suffixes. Blue and black examples can differ in price, but the relationship changes with condition, dial, bracelet, completeness, venue, and date.
 
Auction estimates and results vary with lume era, bracelet, rehaut, dial, condition, and completeness.
 
The 116613 successors added Cerachrom and the Maxi Case. The table preserves dated estimates and results; gem-set and signed watches need case-specific provenance and condition review.


== Auction record ==
== Auction record ==


Documented major-house lots that catalogue the 16613 across its 21-year run, both LB and LN configurations and the gem-set and limited-edition branches. Configuration-specific lots also appear on the [[Reference:16613LB|16613LB]] and [[Reference:16613LN|16613LN]] articles.
Major-house lots documenting the 16613 across its twenty-year run, covering both suffixes as well as the gem-set and limited-edition branches.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! House / sale !! Lot !! Configuration !! Result
! Date !! House / sale !! Lot !! Suffix !! Configuration !! Result
|-
| 2009-12-17 || Bonhams Fine Watches and Wristwatches (San Francisco) || 85 || LB || case K972690, sold new in 2002, blue sunburst dial, 93253 Oyster bracelet with Flip-Lock diver's extension || sold US$5,185 inc. premium (est. US$5,000–6,000)
|-
| 2018-06-20 || Bonhams Fine Watches and Wristwatches (New Bond Street, London) || 13 || LB || circa 1991, movement no. 605****, sunburst blue dial, applied luminous filled gold dot hour markers || sold GBP 5,250 inc. premium (est. GBP 4,000–5,000)
|-
| 2018-09 || Sotheby's Important Watches (n09952, New York) || 10 || LB || c.1997, silvered sunburst dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes, blue aluminium insert, case U190178, on two-tone Oyster || est. USD 7,000–9,000
|-
| 2020-02-18 || Bonhams Watches and Wristwatches (Knightsbridge, London) || 227 || LB || 16613T, circa 2007, movement no. 3198****, sunburst blue dial with gilt Mercedes hands || sold GBP 8,812.50 inc. premium (est. GBP 4,000–6,000)
|-
|-
| 2018-09 || Sotheby's Important Watches (n09952, New York) || 10 || c.1997, silvered sunburst Serti, diamond and sapphire-set indexes, blue aluminium insert, case U190178 || est. USD 7,000–9,000
| 2020-03-26 || Sotheby's Watches Online || 4 || LN || c.1999, Panama Canal limited edition no. 57/75, black dial with gilt canal emblem above six o'clock, case A946579, original guarantee || est. CHF 25,000–40,000
|-
|-
| 2020-03-26 || Sotheby's Watches Online || 4 || c.1999, Panama Canal limited edition no. 57/75, black dial with gilt canal emblem, case A946579 || est. CHF 25,000–40,000
| 2020-07-24 || Sotheby's Watches Weekly (London) || 702 || LB || c.2004, blue sunburst dial, case F605993, full set with guarantee, booklets, presentation case, anchor || est. GBP 5,000–7,000
|-
|-
| 2020-07-24 || Sotheby's Watches Weekly (London) || 702 || c.2004, blue dial, case F605993, full set with guarantee, booklets, presentation case || est. GBP 5,000–7,000
| 2020-08-04 || Sotheby's Watches Weekly (New York) || 1056 || LN || c.1991, black tritium dial, case N221047, on two-tone Oyster with folding clasp || est. USD 8,000–12,000
|-
|-
| 2020-08-04 || Sotheby's Watches Weekly (New York) || 1056 || c.1991, black dial, early tritium production, case N221047 || est. USD 8,000–12,000
| 2021-04-14 || Sotheby's Fine Watches Including Masterworks of Time (London) || 8 || LN || c.1991, retailed by Tiffany & Co., signed case, dial, and movement; black tritium dial; case X723491; consigned by the original purchaser, signature also on the original guarantee || est. GBP 12,000–18,000
|-
|-
| 2021-04-14 || Sotheby's Fine Watches Including Masterworks of Time (London) || 8 || c.1991, Tiffany & Co. retailer signature on case, dial, and movement; black dial; case X723491; original purchaser provenance || est. GBP 12,000–18,000
| 2021-04-29 || Sotheby's Fine Watches (Hong Kong) || 9233 || LB || c.2000, blue sunburst dial, case K972831, on two-tone Oyster with folding clasp || est. HKD 65,000–95,000
|-
|-
| 2021-04-29 || Sotheby's Fine Watches (Hong Kong) || 9233 || c.2000, blue dial, case K972831, on two-tone Oyster || est. HKD 65,000–95,000
| 2021-06-15 || Sotheby's June Watches (n10845, New York) || 9 || LB (blue bezel) || c.1990, champagne dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes, case E524471, original Rolex presentation box and hang tags || est. USD 10,000–15,000
|-
|-
| 2021-06-15 || Sotheby's June Watches (n10845, New York) || 9 || c.1990, champagne Sultan factory gem-set dial with diamond and sapphire-set indexes, case E524471, original presentation box and hang tags || est. USD 10,000–15,000
| 2022-11 || Sotheby's Important Watches Online || 531 || LN || c. mid-production 16613LN, black gloss dial, two-tone Oyster || lot closed; result not published
|-
|-
| 2024-06-11 || Sotheby's Fine Watches || 315 || c.2008, late 16613T blue dial, case Z798795, movement 31654377, full set with December 2008 guarantee || est. USD 8,000–16,000
| 2022-12-14 || Sotheby's Fine Watches || 236 || 16613T || c.2003, champagne dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes; Sotheby's titles the lot “Serti,” case F931450 || est. USD 10,000–15,000
|-
| 2024-06-11 || Sotheby's Fine Watches || 315 || LB || c.2008, late 16613T blue dial, case Z798795, movement 31654377, full set with December 2008 guarantee || est. USD 8,000–16,000
|}
|}
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16613 hero.webp|16613LB blue-dial watch, Bonhams lot 527
File:Ref 16613LN hero.webp|16613LN black-dial watch, Sotheby’s lot 531
File:Ref 16613LN dial-detail.webp|Black dial detail from Sotheby’s lot 531
File:Ref 16613LN caseback.webp|Caseback and bracelet from Sotheby’s lot 531
File:Ref 16613LN packaging.webp|Presentation material from Sotheby’s lot 531
File:Ref 16613LN tiffany.webp|Tiffany-signed dial from Sotheby’s lot 8
</gallery>
== Related references ==
* [[Reference:16610|Submariner 16610]]: date, caliber 3135 (1988–2010)
* [[Reference:16613LB|Submariner 16613LB]]: 1988–c.2008/09
* [[Reference:16613LN|Submariner 16613LN]]: 1988–c.2008/09
* [[Reference:16618|Submariner 16618]]: 1988–c.2008/09
* [[Reference:14060|Submariner 14060]]: non-date, caliber 3000 (1990–2000)
* [[Reference:14060M|Submariner 14060M]]: 2000–2012
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://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]
 
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-submariner-reference-points Stephen Pulvirent, "Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner", Hodinkee, 2019-07-18]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-3-the-5-digit-references/ Tom Mulraney, "History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 3, The 5-Digit References", Monochrome, 2020-08-20]
* [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]
* [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]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex/submariner-16613 "Rolex 16613", Bob's Watches]
* ''Submariner'' — Nicholas Foulkes, Rolex, 2024
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/five-things-i-learned-from-the-first-ever-rolex-authorized-submariner-book Rich Fordon, "Five Things I Learned From The First Ever Rolex-Authorized Submariner Book", Hodinkee, 2024-09-25]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/rolex-info/rolex-two-tone-submariner.html "Bob's Watches two-tone Submariner history", Bob's Watches]
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/rolex-submariner-date-history/ "Gray & Sons Submariner Date history", Gray & Sons]
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/rolex-submariner-date-history/ "Gray & Sons Submariner Date history", Gray & Sons]
* [https://professionalwatches.com/rolex-submariner-reference-guide/ "Rolex Submariner Reference Guide", Professional Watches]
* [https://professionalwatches.com/rolex-submariner-reference-guide/ "Rolex Submariner Reference Guide", Professional Watches]
 
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/17699/lot/85/rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-18k-gold-automatic-center-seconds-calendar-bracelet-watchsubmariner-date-ref-16613-case-no-k972690-sold-in-2002/ Rolex Submariner Date Ref. 16613, case no. K972690, Bonhams San Francisco, 2009-12-17]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25396/lot/81/rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-gold-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-with-mother-of-pearl-dial-submariner-ref-16613-sold-2nd-january-1993/ Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, mother-of-pearl dial, Bonhams London, 2019-06-19]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25954/lot/227/rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-gold-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-submariner-ref-16613-t-circa-2007/ Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613 T, Bonhams London Knightsbridge, 2020-02-18]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24631/lot/13/rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-gold-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-submariner-ref-16613-circa-1991/ Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, circa 1991, Bonhams London, 2018-06-20]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-n09952/lot.10.html Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, diamond and sapphire-set, Sotheby's Important Watches (N09952), New York, 2018-09]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-online-2/rolex-panama-canal-submariner-ref-16613-limited Rolex 'Panama Canal' Submariner Ref. 16613 limited edition, Sotheby's Watches Online, 2020-03-26]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-weekly-london-2/rolex-submariner-ref-16613-yellow-gold-and Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, Sotheby's Watches Weekly (London), 2020-07-24]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-weekly-new-york-11/rolex-reference-16613-submariner-a-stainless-steel Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, Sotheby's Watches Weekly (New York), 2020-08-04]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/fine-watches/retailed-by-tiffany-co-submariner-ref-16613 Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, retailed by Tiffany & Co., Sotheby's Fine Watches (London), 2021-04-14]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/watches-online/rolex-submariner-reference-16613-a-yellow-gold-and Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, Sotheby's Watches Online (Hong Kong), 2021-04-29]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/june-watches-n10845/reference-16613-submariner-a-yellow-gold-and Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, champagne dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes, Sotheby's June Watches (N10845), New York, 2021-06-15]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/fine-watches-8/reference-16613-t-submariner-serti-a-yellow-gold Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613T, champagne dial with diamond and sapphire-set indexes, Sotheby's Fine Watches, 2022-12-14]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?p=3677691 Rolex Forums discussion of 2004 ref. 16613 bezel ratchet, including 120 positions per rotation]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/archive/index.php/t-790215.html Rolex Forums: “Show us your Serti dials,” including collector use of “Sultan” for a service-fitted champagne dial]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080216/1062?preview=1 Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction: THREE, lot 1062, Panama Canal 16613 no. 53/75]
* [https://www.bukowskis.com/en/auctions/663/1023-rolex-submariner-khanjar-ca-1998 Bukowskis, Khanjar Submariner 16613, lot 1023, serial U365470]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/khanjar-logo-watches-history-and-rolex-quotations/?lang=en Tiziano Patti, “Khanjar Logo Watches: History and Rolex Quotations,” Italian Watch Spotter, 2025]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/important-watches-online/submariner-reference-16613-a-yellow-gold-and Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613, Sotheby's Important Watches Online, 2022-11]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/fine-watches-4/reference-16613-t-submariner-a-yellow-gold-and Rolex Submariner 16613T, Sotheby's Fine Watches, 2024-06-11]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27453/lot/527/rolex-or-submariner-ref16613lb-a-stainless-steel-and-yellow-gold-bracelet-watch-with-date-circa-2000/ Bonhams, London, 31 March 2022, lot 527: 16613LB with blue sunburst dial]


[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]

Latest revision as of 11:47, 9 October 2026


Submariner › 16613

Rolex Submariner Date 16613LB two-tone Bluesy on its Rolex presentation box
Rolex Submariner Date 16613LB : the blue sunburst dial and blue aluminum insert that gave the reference its Bluesy nickname, on its two-tone Oyster bracelet

The 16613 is the two-tone Submariner Date powered by caliber 3135. Bob’s Watches dates its replacement by the 116613 to 2009; Monochrome places the change around 2008. Catalogue suffixes distinguish the 16613LN with a black bezel and dial from the 16613LB with a blue bezel and blue sunburst dial; collectors commonly call the latter the Bluesy. During the run, lume materials, bracelet construction, and the inner rehaut changed.

LN and LB are catalogue suffixes used for the black and blue bezel configurations. Bluesy is collector shorthand for the blue-on-blue two-tone configuration.

Core facts

detail value
reference 16613 (LN = black bezel/dial, LB = blue bezel/dial)
family Submariner Date
nickname Bluesy (LB)
production 1988 to circa 2008–09
movement caliber 3135, automatic, 28,800 vph, quick-set date
case 40mm, Rolesor (904L steel + 18k yellow gold), Triplock crown
crystal sapphire with Cyclops
water resistance 300m / 1000ft
bezel 18k yellow gold surround, aluminum insert (120-position unidirectional ratchet) : black on LN, blue on LB
dial black gloss with applied gold markers (LN); blue sunburst with applied gold markers (LB); Mercedes hands on both
lume tritium (early), Luminova (~1998), Super-Luminova (late)
bracelet 93153 (hollow end links) → 93253 (solid end links, ~2000)
rehaut plain (early/mid), engraved ROLEX ROLEX (~2005 onward)
predecessor 16803 (caliber 3035, 1984–1988)
successor 116613LN / 116613LB (Cerachrom, 2009–2020)

Where it sits in the line

The 16613 is the steel-and-yellow-gold Rolesor member of the 3135-era Submariner Date family. Its gold components include the bezel surround, crown, and centre links, while the case and outer bracelet links are steel. The steel 16610, two-tone 16613, and full-gold 16618 share the 40mm case format and caliber 3135, but their materials and fitments differ.

The LB has a blue dial and blue bezel; the LN has a black dial and black bezel. Auction and dealer records can price them differently, but any comparison depends on condition, completeness, venue, and date. The LN uses the same Rolesor construction with a black gloss dial and black aluminium insert.

The 116619LB Smurf is a 2008-onward blue-on-blue Submariner cased entirely in solid 18k white gold, with a blue Cerachrom insert. The 16613LB uses steel and yellow gold with an aluminum insert.

The 16613 replaced the shorter-lived 16803, which had run from roughly 1984 to 1988 on the earlier caliber 3035. The movement changed to caliber 3135; an individual watch’s performance depends on its condition and service history. The Cerachrom 116613LN and 116613LB followed around 2008–09, bringing a ceramic bezel insert, the Maxi case, and a Glidelock-equipped bracelet.

Twenty years in one reference

Specifications changed during the run. Early examples commonly have tritium lume, a 93153 bracelet with hollow end links, and a plain rehaut. Later examples commonly have non-tritium lume, a 93253 bracelet with solid end links, and an engraved rehaut. Published serial guides place these changes within broad periods; service and replacement parts mean each watch needs its own component check.

Production outline

Early production (~1988–1998)

Early watches have tritium lume (marked T SWISS T or T<25 at six o'clock), a 93153 bracelet with hollow end links and Fliplock clasp, and a plain inner rehaut. These details overlap with the outgoing 16803 generation.

Mid production (~1998–2005)

The dial lume moved from tritium to Luminova around 1998 and on to Super-Luminova within a year or two. The bracelet moved from 93153 to 93253 with solid end links around 2000. Published accounts place both changes around the turn of the millennium, with individual examples varying by serial and service history.

Late production (~2005–c.2008–09)

Late watches gained an engraved inner rehaut, with repeating ROLEX ROLEX text and the serial number at the 6 o'clock position. The feature appeared somewhere between 2005 and 2008 depending on source. Late examples share some visible features with the following 116613, but parts and service history still need individual inspection.

Movement notes

Caliber 3135 throughout the run. Quick-set date, 28,800 vph, Microstella regulation, roughly 48 hours of power reserve, COSC chronometer certification. Rolex used the same movement in the steel 16610, the full-gold 16618, the Datejust, and many other references from the late 1980s onward. The caliber number remained unchanged throughout the 16613’s run.

Later 3135 specimens received the Parachrom blue hairspring, a paramagnetic alloy more resistant to magnetic fields and temperature swings than the earlier hairspring. Published accounts place its introduction within the later 3135 period; the exact 16613 changeover remains unsettled.

Dial map

Two core dial configurations run across the production span: a blue-bezel LB with blue sunburst dial and a black-bezel LN with black gloss dial, both with applied gold hour markers and gold Mercedes hands. Auction catalogues document additional gem-set examples with champagne and silver bases. Identify these variants from the specific watch’s dial, bezel, case, movement, provenance, and catalogue record.

The lume-text branches mirror the wider Submariner family, and dial text is one useful period check for a 16613, subject to service-part changes. Early dials read T SWISS T or T<25 (tritium), which places the watch pre-1998. A brief transitional window carries SWISS only (Luminova), roughly 1998 to 2000. Late dials read SWISS MADE (Luminova then Super-Luminova), 2000 onwards.

16613LB blue dial

The 16613LB dial is blue with a radial sunburst finish, applied gold hour markers, and gold Mercedes hands.


Sotheby’s lot 10 (1997) records a blue insert and silvered sunburst dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes. Its 2021 lot 9 describes a circa-1990 16613 with a champagne dial and the same types of indexes.


16613LN black dial

The LN dial is black gloss with gold-applied hour markers and gold Mercedes hands. Monochrome documents raised-marker “nipple” dials on the preceding 16803. A 16613 example needs its own watch-specific record.

  • Standard gloss : black lacquer base, applied gold hour markers, gold Mercedes hands. Tritium lume on early watches, Luminova then Super-Luminova on later examples.
  • Gem-set examples : Sotheby’s catalogues individual 16613 watches with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes. Case records, service documents, and provenance help distinguish original delivery from Rolex service replacement or later changes.
  • 16613LN, black dial
    16613LN, black dial
  • Black dial detail
    Black dial detail

Mother-of-pearl dial

A mother-of-pearl 16613LB is documented at Bonhams London (Fine Wristwatches, 19 June 2019, lot 81): movement no. 657****, a mother-of-pearl dial with applied diamond-set gold dot hour markers and sapphire-set quarters, on the early 93153 hollow-end-link bracelet with a blue bezel insert. The watch was first sold on 2 January 1993, placing it at the very start of the 16613's production run. Its inner caseback is stamped 16610, the steel Submariner Date reference. Bonhams records the stamp without interpretation; the lot leaves open whether it reflects a shared case blank or a later service caseback. The watch remained unsold against an estimate of GBP 4,000–6,000.

Service-replacement dial caution

Rolex service centers fitted Luminova dials to tritium-era watches after tritium dials left production. A pre-transition 16613 with a later SWISS MADE dial may carry a service replacement. These parts can be period-correct while differing from the watch’s original delivery; compare the dial, hands, movement, service records, and serial context.

Gem-set dials

Sotheby’s catalogues describe a silvered 16613 (1997, lot 10), a champagne example (circa 1990, lot 9), and a champagne 16613T titled “Serti” (circa 2003, lot 236). The catalogues establish those individual watches; original delivery calls for watch-specific documentation.

In a 2021 Rolex Forums thread, an owner said Rolex service had fitted a champagne Serti dial to a 1998 16613LN. Another participant called that colorway “Sultan.” The exchange records collector usage and a service replacement.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The case is 40mm 904L stainless steel with 18k yellow gold crown guards and a gold Triplock screw-down crown, rated to 300m. The crystal is sapphire with a Cyclops magnifier over the date window at three o'clock. The bezel is 18k yellow gold carrying a unidirectional aluminum insert with a 60-minute scale and 120-position ratchet, plus a luminous pearl at twelve; black on the LN and blue on the LB. The 16613 uses an aluminum insert; Cerachrom arrived with the successor 116613.

Aluminum inserts scratch, fade, or get replaced. Their appearance reflects exposure, wear, cleaning, and the insert itself; color alone is a weak guide to originality.

The inner rehaut is plain on early and mid-production watches. Late examples, from around 2005, carry the engraved ROLEX ROLEX band also used on later Submariner generations.

Hallmarks on the gold components follow Rolex's standard precious-metal marking of the period. Earlier watches carry the Helvetia bust with G Geneva assay mark on the mid-case and bracelet components. After 1995, the St. Bernard dog Barry mark replaced the older Helvetia system.

Caseback and two-tone bracelet of a catalogued 16613LN
Caseback and bracelet of the Sotheby’s lot 531 16613LN.

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

Lume type and bracelet construction help date the components on a 16613. Neither alone establishes the watch’s original configuration.

Early bracelet: 93153 (hollow end links)

The 93153 is a two-tone Oyster bracelet with steel outer links and 18k gold center links, fitted with hollow end links and a Fliplock diver's-extension clasp. It covers early production through about 2000. A 16613 on a 93153 with a tritium dial sits firmly in the pre-millennium collector tier.

Gold-through clasp transition

Collector references place the gold-through clasp transition around the A-to-P period. Gold continues through the clasp body as well as across its exterior. Bracelets and clasps are replaceable, so date the clasp separately from the watch head.

Later bracelet: 93253 (solid end links : SEL)

The 93253 uses solid end links (SEL), which close the gap between bracelet and case. Published accounts place the change around 2000, alongside the transitions on the steel 16610 and full-gold 16618. Rolex introduced solid end links on the Sea-Dweller before extending them to the Submariner.

The 93153-to-93253 change helps place a bracelet within the production run. Replacement and retained period parts occur, so date the bracelet and watch head separately.

Clasp date codes follow the standard Rolex scheme of the period: 1976 = A through 1988 = M, 1989 = N, through 2000 = AB, 2001 = DE, up to 2010 = RS. An S stamp indicates a service replacement clasp. The code dates the bracelet; the watch head can be older, younger, or a later replacement entirely.

Presentation case and printed material catalogued with a 16613LN
Sotheby’s lot 531 presentation case and printed material.


Special branches

Panama Canal limited edition

Seventy-five two-tone steel and yellow-gold 16613s were produced in 1999 to commemorate the December 1999 transfer of the Panama Canal from the United States to the Republic of Panama, retailed exclusively by Mercurio Joyero in Panama City. The dial carries a gilt Panama Canal emblem above six o'clock with the inscription "Panama Canal : Canal de Panamá"; the caseback is engraved with the limited-edition number around its periphery. A parallel run of seventy-five steel examples uses the same dial layout and circulates as the 16610 Panama Canal. Sotheby's Watches Online March 2020 lot 4 (c.1999, A946579, numbered 57/75, estimate CHF 25,000–40,000) documents one two-tone example. Both catalogue records identify black dials; an LB commission needs its own record.

Khanjar caseback

The documented Khanjar 16613 carries the Sultanate of Oman's curved dagger emblem on its caseback. Bukowskis lot 1023 (circa 1998, serial U365470) records the engraving, a Khimji Ramdas warranty card, and a Khanjar-stamped box. Italian Watch Spotter traces Omani commissions' move from dial signatures to caseback engravings around the start of the 2000s. A Khanjar dial on a 16613 needs its own catalogue or provenance record.

Tiffany & Co. retailer signature

Tiffany & Co.-signed 16613LN dial
A Tiffany & Co.-signed 16613LN : "TIFFANY & CO." printed above SUBMARINER on the black gloss dial.

A Tiffany & Co.-signed 16613 is documented in Sotheby's London, Fine Watches Including Masterworks of Time (14 April 2021, lot 8): circa 1991, serial X723491, with the retailer's name on the case, dial, movement, and original guarantee. That provenance applies to this watch.


Market position

Auction catalogues document both suffixes. Blue and black examples can differ in price, but the relationship changes with condition, dial, bracelet, completeness, venue, and date.

Auction estimates and results vary with lume era, bracelet, rehaut, dial, condition, and completeness.

The 116613 successors added Cerachrom and the Maxi Case. The table preserves dated estimates and results; gem-set and signed watches need case-specific provenance and condition review.

Auction record

Major-house lots documenting the 16613 across its twenty-year run, covering both suffixes as well as the gem-set and limited-edition branches.

Date House / sale Lot Suffix Configuration Result
2009-12-17 Bonhams Fine Watches and Wristwatches (San Francisco) 85 LB case K972690, sold new in 2002, blue sunburst dial, 93253 Oyster bracelet with Flip-Lock diver's extension sold US$5,185 inc. premium (est. US$5,000–6,000)
2018-06-20 Bonhams Fine Watches and Wristwatches (New Bond Street, London) 13 LB circa 1991, movement no. 605****, sunburst blue dial, applied luminous filled gold dot hour markers sold GBP 5,250 inc. premium (est. GBP 4,000–5,000)
2018-09 Sotheby's Important Watches (n09952, New York) 10 LB c.1997, silvered sunburst dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes, blue aluminium insert, case U190178, on two-tone Oyster est. USD 7,000–9,000
2020-02-18 Bonhams Watches and Wristwatches (Knightsbridge, London) 227 LB 16613T, circa 2007, movement no. 3198****, sunburst blue dial with gilt Mercedes hands sold GBP 8,812.50 inc. premium (est. GBP 4,000–6,000)
2020-03-26 Sotheby's Watches Online 4 LN c.1999, Panama Canal limited edition no. 57/75, black dial with gilt canal emblem above six o'clock, case A946579, original guarantee est. CHF 25,000–40,000
2020-07-24 Sotheby's Watches Weekly (London) 702 LB c.2004, blue sunburst dial, case F605993, full set with guarantee, booklets, presentation case, anchor est. GBP 5,000–7,000
2020-08-04 Sotheby's Watches Weekly (New York) 1056 LN c.1991, black tritium dial, case N221047, on two-tone Oyster with folding clasp est. USD 8,000–12,000
2021-04-14 Sotheby's Fine Watches Including Masterworks of Time (London) 8 LN c.1991, retailed by Tiffany & Co., signed case, dial, and movement; black tritium dial; case X723491; consigned by the original purchaser, signature also on the original guarantee est. GBP 12,000–18,000
2021-04-29 Sotheby's Fine Watches (Hong Kong) 9233 LB c.2000, blue sunburst dial, case K972831, on two-tone Oyster with folding clasp est. HKD 65,000–95,000
2021-06-15 Sotheby's June Watches (n10845, New York) 9 LB (blue bezel) c.1990, champagne dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes, case E524471, original Rolex presentation box and hang tags est. USD 10,000–15,000
2022-11 Sotheby's Important Watches Online 531 LN c. mid-production 16613LN, black gloss dial, two-tone Oyster lot closed; result not published
2022-12-14 Sotheby's Fine Watches 236 16613T c.2003, champagne dial with diamond- and sapphire-set indexes; Sotheby's titles the lot “Serti,” case F931450 est. USD 10,000–15,000
2024-06-11 Sotheby's Fine Watches 315 LB c.2008, late 16613T blue dial, case Z798795, movement 31654377, full set with December 2008 guarantee est. USD 8,000–16,000


  • 16613LB blue-dial watch, Bonhams lot 527
    16613LB blue-dial watch, Bonhams lot 527
  • 16613LN black-dial watch, Sotheby’s lot 531
    16613LN black-dial watch, Sotheby’s lot 531
  • Black dial detail from Sotheby’s lot 531
    Black dial detail from Sotheby’s lot 531
  • Caseback and bracelet from Sotheby’s lot 531
    Caseback and bracelet from Sotheby’s lot 531
  • Presentation material from Sotheby’s lot 531
    Presentation material from Sotheby’s lot 531
  • Tiffany-signed dial from Sotheby’s lot 8
    Tiffany-signed dial from Sotheby’s lot 8

Related references

See also the Submariner family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

Sources

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