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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 16613 Submariner Date}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 16613 Submariner Date}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 16613 Submariner Date — LN black, LB Bluesy, production and dial variants | BezelBase
|title=Rolex 16613 Submariner Date : LN black, LB Bluesy, production and dial variants | Rolexopedia
|description=The 16613 is the two-tone Submariner Date of the caliber 3135 era, in production from 1989 to 2009 in two suffixes — 16613LN (black bezel and dial) and 16613LB (blue bezel and dial, the Bluesy).
|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, 16613LN, 16613LB, Bluesy, Submariner Date, two-tone, Rolesor, Serti, Sultan, 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 Date 16613LB Bluesy — two-tone Rolesor with blue dial and blue 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
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}}


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


The 16613 is the two-tone Submariner Date of the caliber 3135 era, in production from 1989 to 2009 under a single reference number across two suffix configurations: the 16613LN with black bezel insert and black dial, and the 16613LB with blue bezel insert and blue sunburst dial, known to collectors as the Bluesy. Twenty years on a single reference is long for a sport Rolex, and over that span the 16613 absorbed every meaningful Submariner detail upgrade of the period — tritium giving way to Luminova and then Super-Luminova, hollow end links giving way to solid, and a plain inner rehaut giving way to the engraved ROLEX ROLEX band — before the Cerachrom 116613LN and 116613LB replaced it.
<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>


LN denotes ''lunette noire'' (black bezel) and LB denotes ''lunette bleue'' (blue bezel) in Rolex's standard suffix system. The Bluesy nickname applies to every blue-on-blue two-tone Submariner Rolex has produced from the 16803 through to the current 126613LB, but the 16613LB is the version most buyers picture when the word lands. The 16613LB should not be confused with the 116619LB Smurf, which is the blue-on-blue Submariner cased in solid 18k white gold rather than two-tone Rolesor — a different reference, a different metal, and a different price tier. The 16613LB is the steel-and-yellow-gold blue Sub.
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 Date 16613LB Bluesy — two-tone Rolesor with blue dial and blue bezel|Rolex Submariner Date 16613LB — the blue dial and blue aluminum insert that gave the reference its Bluesy nickname]]
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"
|-
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! detail
! detail
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| production
| production
| 1989 to 2009 (~20 years)
| 1988 to circa 2008–09
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
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|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| 18k yellow gold surround, aluminum insert (60-click unidirectional) — black on LN, blue on LB
| 18k yellow gold surround, aluminum insert (120-position unidirectional ratchet) : black on LN, blue on LB
|-
|-
| dial
| dial
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== 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 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.


Within the 16613 pair the LB is the louder sibling. The blue-on-yellow-gold combination photographs as a statement piece, and the secondary market has consistently put the LB at a premium over the black 16613LN. The premium has held remarkably steady across the production run and into the post-discontinuation aftermarket — roughly the same logic that has separated the blue and black two-tone Subs through every generation since the 16803. The LN is the quieter half: gold in every visible position, black gloss dial, black aluminum insert, and the same Rolesor architecture buyers have known since the 1980s. Buyers shopping the two-tone Submariner specifically for daily wear often gravitate to the LN as the more legible everyday configuration.
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 16613LB is not the 116619LB. The 116619LB Smurf is a 2008-onward white-gold Submariner with a blue dial and blue Cerachrom insert, cased entirely in solid 18k white gold rather than steel-and-yellow-gold Rolesor. The visual cue that often confuses buyers is the colour palette; the construction is materially different and the price tier is in another bracket entirely.
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 substantive change at the generational boundary was the movement itself: the 3135 brought Microstella regulation and the higher frequency Rolex would carry forward for the next three decades. The Cerachrom 116613LN and 116613LB succeeded it in 2009, bringing the ceramic bezel insert, Maxi case, and Glidelock-equipped 97203 bracelet that defined the next chapter of the line.
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 ==
== Twenty years in one reference ==


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, 1989 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 generation that followed.
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.
 
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.


== Production outline ==
== Production outline ==


=== Early production (~1989–1998) ===
=== Early production (~1988–1998) ===


Early watches have tritium lume (marked T SWISS T or T<25 at six o'clock), 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.


=== 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. Exact changeover dates are not pinned to specific serial bands in the documented 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.


=== Late production (~2005–2009) ===
=== 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 16613 examples sit closer in finish and detail to the 116613 than to the early tritium watches that opened the 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.


== Movement notes ==
== 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 3135 is one of the most reliable and best-documented calibers in the modern catalog, and no movement change happened during the 16613's run.
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 swing than the earlier hairspring. The exact transition point for Parachrom on the 16613 is not firmly pinned in the documented evidence.
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 ==
== Dial map ==


The 16613 ran two core dial configurations across the production span — the blue-bezel LB with a blue sunburst dial and the black-bezel LN with a black gloss dial — both with applied gold hour markers and gold Mercedes hands. Within each suffix the same set of factory variants appears: standard production, the gem-set Serti family, and the early nipple-dial executions carried over from the 16803/16808. The lume-text branches mirror the wider Submariner family. Early dials read T SWISS T or T<25 (tritium); a brief transitional window carries SWISS only (Luminova); late dials read SWISS MADE (Luminova then Super-Luminova). Dial text is the fastest way to date a 16613: T SWISS T = pre-1998, SWISS only = 1998–2000 transition, SWISS MADE = 2000 onwards.
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 ===
=== 16613LB blue dial ===


[[File:Ref 16613LB serti-silvered.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Factory Serti dial 16613LB with diamonds and sapphire baguettes|Factory Serti dial: silvered sunburst with eight diamond hour markers and sapphire baguettes at 6 and 9 o'clock — the Sultan-style configuration. Sotheby's Hong Kong, October 2021, lot 8026.]]
The 16613LB dial is blue with a radial sunburst finish, applied gold hour markers, and gold Mercedes hands.
[[File:Ref 16613LB serti-detail.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Silvered Serti dial close-up|Serti dial detail: the diamond/sapphire pattern reads as a quieter Sultan than the gold-cased 16808 variant.]]


The 16613LB dial is blue with a radial sunburst finish, applied gold hour markers, and gold Mercedes hands. Across the run the blue shifts across a wider range than the black LN dial: deep navy in low light, bright cornflower in direct sun, and a paler blue in the mid-tones that photographs rarely capture. Later-production dials show a more pronounced sunburst with sharper radial brushing than the flatter blue of early examples.


The factory sub-variants of the LB:
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.


* Standard sunburst blue — the canonical 16613LB dial. Blue radial sunburst, applied gold markers, gold Mercedes hands. Tritium lume on early watches, Luminova then Super-Luminova on later examples.
* Tropical purple — blue 16613LB dials that have oxidized over decades to a distinctly purple or plum hue. The shift is driven by long UV exposure and slow chemical aging of the blue pigment, and it is progressive and irreversible. Tropical purple dials appear either evenly across the full face or in uneven patches depending on how the watch was worn and stored. The collector market treats an even, attractive tropical purple as a desirable feature rather than a defect, consistent with the broader market for tropical vintage Rolex dials.
* Factory Serti — silver-base gem-set dial, diamond hour markers, sapphire indices in the cardinal positions. The name comes from the French ''sertissage'' (gem-setting). Factory Sertis are not aftermarket conversions; Rolex produced them at the factory, and a clean factory Serti carries a substantial premium over an aftermarket gem-set dial that looks similar at a glance. The blue-bezel LB Serti is the more commonly encountered configuration of the gem-set 16613.
* Sultan dial (factory champagne Serti) — 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 used by the wider specialist trade — silver-base gem-set is "Serti", champagne-base gem-set is "Sultan". The name is not a reference to the Sultanate of Oman or the Khanjar emblem, which is a separate provenance line covered in Special branches below. Sultan dials are scarcer than silver Sertis and command premiums when papers and serial fall inside a coherent run.


[[File:Ref 16613 serti-dial.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Factory Serti dial — diamond hour markers and sapphire indices|Factory Serti dial in the silver-base configuration; the LB Serti is the more commonly seen gem-set 16613]]


=== 16613LN black dial ===
=== 16613LN black dial ===


[[File:Ref 16613LN dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Black gloss dial of the 16613LN|The 16613LN gloss black dial, applied gilt-tone indices, gold-painted Submariner Superlative Chronometer text.]]


The 16613LN dial is black gloss with gold-applied hour markers and gold Mercedes hands. The LN runs as a single core dial configuration through the production span, with three documented sub-variants:
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.


* Standard gloss — black lacquer base, applied gold hour markers, gold Mercedes hands. Tritium lume on early watches, Luminova then Super-Luminova on later examples.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
* Nipple dial (early) — earliest 16613LN examples carry nipple-style applied markers with a raised central boss, a detail carried over from the preceding 16803 and 16808 generation. Found on the first years of production, and a collector identification point for pre-1990s watches.
File:Ref 16613LN hero.webp|16613LN, black dial
* Serti dial — factory gem-set dial in the 16613LN line. Diamond hour markers in place of the standard luminous plots. On the LN the diamond markers typically pair with ruby accents at the cardinal positions, with diamond-only configurations also documented. Factory Serti examples carry a substantial premium over aftermarket gem-set conversions, and the gap between the two has made the category a long-running site for fraud — extra scrutiny on any Serti example is warranted.
File:Ref 16613LN dial-detail.webp|Black dial detail
</gallery>
 
=== 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 ===
=== Service-replacement dial caution ===


Rolex servicing routinely fitted Luminova dials to tritium-era watches once tritium dials were no longer manufactured. A pre-A-serial (pre-~1999) 16613 with a SWISS MADE dial has almost certainly had a service replacement. The dial is not wrong — Rolex fitted it — but it is not the original configuration, and collectors treat the swap as a meaningful deduction. The same caveat applies to both LN and LB examples.
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.


== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
=== Gem-set dials ===


[[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]]
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.
[[File:Ref 16613LN caseback.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Two-tone Oyster bracelet and case rear|The 16613LN with two-tone Oyster bracelet and yellow-gold-and-steel case profile.]]


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 60-click graduated aluminum insert with a luminous pearl at twelve — black on the LN, blue on the LB. Aluminum inserts scratch and fade with use — a known patina pathway on older examples, and a condition factor that matters at the market level. The 16613 generation is firmly aluminum-insert; Cerachrom ceramic only arrived with the successor 116613.
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.


The black insert on the LN ages distinctively. Heavy-wear examples lose colour to a graphite-grey or charcoal tone, with the fading concentrated at the high points of the bezel where polishing and incidental contact are heaviest. Crisp original-finish black inserts on the 16613LN are increasingly hard to source, and replacement inserts are widely available — a check on bezel originality is part of any thorough authentication pass.
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


The blue insert on the LB ages along its own pathway. Heavy-wear examples lose colour to a paler, slightly grey-green blue at the high points, with the deeper navy holding longer in the recessed numerals. The faded look is widely considered desirable on the Bluesy; replacement inserts are widely available, and crisp original-finish blue inserts are increasingly hard to source.
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 inner rehaut is plain on early and mid-production watches. Late examples, from around 2005, carry the engraved ROLEX ROLEX band that became the signature of the late aluminum-bezel and Cerachrom Submariner.
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.
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.
[[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, and clasps ==
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==


[[File:Ref 16613 bracelet.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Two-tone Oyster bracelet with steel outer links and 18k gold center links|The 16613 two-tone Oyster bracelet — steel outer links and 18k gold center links, shared by both the LN and the LB]]
Lume type and bracelet construction help date the components on a 16613. Neither alone establishes the watch’s original configuration.
[[File:Ref 16613LN packaging.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=16613LN delivery presentation|Period-correct delivery: green Oyster presentation case, Submariner booklet, and translation card.]]
 
Along with lume type, the bracelet is one of the two primary authenticity checkpoints on a 16613. Reading it correctly is how a buyer places a given watch within the 20-year production run.


=== Early bracelet: 93153 (hollow end links) ===
=== Early bracelet: 93153 (hollow end links) ===
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=== 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) ===


=== 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 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.
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.


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.
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.
 
[[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.


== Special branches ==
== Special branches ==
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=== 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. The Panama Canal commemoratives were issued on black-dial watches; the LB sub-line did not receive a parallel commission in the documented evidence.
 
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.


=== Khanjar caseback ===
=== Khanjar caseback ===


A Khanjar 16613 — the curved dagger emblem of the Sultanate of Oman — is documented as a caseback engraving rather than as a dial signature. By the late 1990s the Omani 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.
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. retailer signature ===


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 the 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.
[[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 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.


=== Factory Serti and Sultan ===


The factory Serti gem-set dial (silver base, diamond hour markers, sapphire indices) is the established gem-set configuration on the 16613. The Sultan dial is the rarer factory sibling, with the same gem-set architecture on a champagne base. Both are factory-original; both carry premiums contingent on clean provenance and unambiguous factory origin; both appear on LB and LN configurations, with the LB Serti the more commonly encountered execution. See the Dial map above for fuller treatment.


== Historical market and auction record ==
== Market position ==


The 16613 is a regular fixture at auction and in dealer inventories. The blue Bluesy (LB) is the more popular and higher-priced variant; the black (LN) trades at a steady discount that has held across the production run and into the secondary market. Within each suffix, 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 at the top tier, the rarer Sultan dial as a premium category, tropical purple LB dials as a discrete sub-market, and first-year nipple-dial examples as a dedicated specialist segment.
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.


The successor 116613LN and 116613LB brought the Cerachrom ceramic bezel and the Maxi case at retail, and current Rolex pricing on the modern two-tone Sub has pulled the late aluminum-insert 16613 up by a sympathetic amount. Early tritium watches and the special-dial variants follow their own premium logic that does not track the retail reference. Standard sunburst-blue LB examples cluster in the USD 8,000–16,000 estimate band at Sotheby's New York and London Fine Watches sales; the factory gem-set tier (silver Serti and champagne Sultan) lifts the reference into the USD 10,000–20,000+ band where provenance is clean. Phillips and Christie's catalogue the LB more frequently than the LN but still less than the steel 16610.
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 20-year run, both LB and LN configurations and the gem-set and limited-edition branches.
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 !! Suffix !! Configuration !! Result
! Date !! House / sale !! Lot !! Suffix !! Configuration !! Result
|-
|-
| 2018-09 || Sotheby's Important Watches (n09952, New York) || 10 || LB || c.1997, silvered sunburst factory Serti, diamond and sapphire-set indexes, blue aluminium insert, case U190178, on two-tone Oyster || est. USD 7,000–9,000
| 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
| 2020-03-26 || 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
Line 227: Line 240:
| 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 || 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 || c.1990, champagne Sultan factory gem-set dial, 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 || 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
|-
|-
| 2021-10 || Sotheby's Hong Kong || 8026 || LB || silvered sunburst factory Serti with eight diamond hour markers and sapphire baguettes at six and nine, blue insert (the example pictured in the dial-map hero) || lot closed; estimate band consistent with the gem-set tier
| 2022-11 || Sotheby's Important Watches Online || 531 || LN || c. mid-production 16613LN, black gloss dial, two-tone Oyster || lot closed; result not published
|-
|-
| 2022-11 || Sotheby's Important Watches Online || 531 || LN || c. mid-production 16613LN, black gloss dial, two-tone Oyster || lot closed; results behind sign-in
| 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
|-
| 2023-06-15 || Sotheby's Fine Watches (online) || comparable LN cohort || LN || late tritium / early Luminova-era LN, two-tone Oyster, full provenance || part of the recurring Fine Watches LN cohort, est. USD 6,000–9,000 in this band
|-
|-
| 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
| 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 ==
== Related references ==


* [[Reference:16610|Submariner 16610]] — Date, Cal 3135 (1988–2010)
* [[Reference:16610|Submariner 16610]]: date, caliber 3135 (1988–2010)
* [[Reference:16613LB|Submariner 16613LB]] — 1989–2009
* [[Reference:16613LB|Submariner 16613LB]]: 1988–c.2008/09
* [[Reference:16613LN|Submariner 16613LN]] — 1989–2009
* [[Reference:16613LN|Submariner 16613LN]]: 1988–c.2008/09
* [[Reference:16618|Submariner 16618]] — 1988–2009
* [[Reference:16618|Submariner 16618]]: 1988–c.2008/09
* [[Reference:14060|Submariner 14060]] — Non-Date, Cal 3000 (1990–2000)
* [[Reference:14060|Submariner 14060]]: non-date, caliber 3000 (1990–2000)
* [[Reference:14060M|Submariner 14060M]] — 2000–2012
* [[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]].
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]].
Line 252: Line 272:
== 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://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.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-submariner-reference-points Stephen Pulvirent, "Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner", Hodinkee, 2019-07-18]
* [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]
* [https://www.rolex.org/ ''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.fratellowatches.com/rolex-submariner-14060m/ "Rolex Submariner 14060M Review", Fratello 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.fratellowatches.com/rolex-submariner-date-126618lb/ Robert-Jan Broer, "The New Rolex Submariner Date In Gold Reference 126618LB", Fratello Watches, 2020-11-20]
* [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]]

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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