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Ground Khanjar/market claims in three verified Sotheby's 116610LV lots; remove mislabeled Phillips link (actually a Ref. 1500)
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The 116610LV is the green-dial, green-bezel Submariner Date that collectors call the Hulk. Rolex introduced it in 2010 alongside the black 116610LN, replacing the 16610LV "Kermit," and ran the reference until 2020 when the 126610LV "Starbucks" took over. Case, movement, bracelet, and crystal are shared with the 116610LN. Bezel and dial are the only points of difference, and they are what the market pays for.
The 116610LV is the green-dial, green-bezel Submariner Date that collectors call the Hulk. Rolex introduced it in 2010 alongside the black 116610LN, replacing the 16610LV Kermit, and discontinued it in 2020 when the 126610LV followed. The case, movement, bracelet, and crystal match the 116610LN; the bezel and dial are the defining differences.


The Hulk is a one-generation anomaly. Every other green-bezel Submariner pairs that bezel with a black dial; only this reference runs green Cerachrom over a green sunburst dial, green on both surfaces. When it left production in 2020, the green Submariner dial left with it.
The reference pairs a green Cerachrom bezel with a green sunburst dial. The earlier 16610LV and later 126610LV use green bezels with black dials, so the all-green combination identifies this generation.


<span id="core-facts"></span>
<span id="core-facts"></span>
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|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, platinum PVD numerals
| green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, platinum-filled graduations (PVD deposition)
|-
|-
| bracelet
| bracelet
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== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 116610 generation ran as a pair: the black-bezel LN and the green LV. Everything structural is common to both, from case and movement through bracelet, crystal, and crown, so choosing between them was a color decision and nothing else.
The 116610 generation ran as a pair: the black-bezel LN and the green LV. The case, movement, bracelet, crystal, and crown are shared; the bezel and dial distinguish the two references.


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<span id="green-submariner-lineage"></span>
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| 2010–2020
| 2010–2020
| Cerachrom ceramic
| Cerachrom ceramic
| green (permanent)
| green (Cerachrom; resistant to fading)
| green sunburst
| green sunburst
|-
|-
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| 2020–present
| 2020–present
| Cerachrom ceramic
| Cerachrom ceramic
| green (permanent)
| green (Cerachrom; resistant to fading)
| black
| black
|}
|}
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Rolex introduced the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010 as the direct replacement for the Kermit. The Hulk carried the same generational upgrades as the 116610LN: Cerachrom bezel, Maxi Case, Glidelock bracelet, and Chromalight lume. Caliber 3135 stayed throughout. The bezel never changed across the run, and the dial changed only in print detail.
Rolex introduced the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010 as the direct replacement for the Kermit. The Hulk carried the same generational upgrades as the 116610LN: Cerachrom bezel, Maxi Case, Glidelock bracelet, and Chromalight lume. Caliber 3135 stayed throughout. The bezel never changed across the run, and the dial changed only in print detail.


Production ended in September 2020 when Rolex replaced the Hulk with the 126610LV "Starbucks" at the postponed 2020 novelties announcement. The successor moved the line to a 41mm case.
Production ended in 2020 when Rolex replaced the reference with the 126610LV. The successor moved the line to a 41mm case.


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


Caliber 3135 runs the whole production, the same movement the 116610LN uses: COSC-certified automatic, 28,800 vph, about 48 hours of power reserve, Parachrom blue hairspring. The successor 126610LV moved to caliber 3235 and a 70-hour reserve, which is the one functional gain across the generational change.
Caliber 3135 runs the production: COSC-certified automatic, 28,800 vph, about 48 hours of power reserve, and a Parachrom hairspring. The successor 126610LV moved to caliber 3235 with a stated 70-hour reserve. Service history can change the parts fitted to an individual watch.


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


The green sunburst dial is the feature the Hulk is named for. In low light it reads almost black; in direct sun it turns vivid green. Paired with the wide Maxi case, it gives the watch a heavier visual presence than the Kermit at the same nominal size.
The green sunburst dial is the feature behind the Hulk nickname. It can read very dark in low light and brighter in direct light. The Maxi Case proportions are shared with the black 116610LN and differ from the 16610LV's five-digit case.


<span id="what-makes-the-green-dial-unique"></span>
<span id="what-makes-the-green-dial-unique"></span>
=== The green sunburst ===
=== The green sunburst ===


The sunburst finish is specific to the Submariner, not a Day-Date green dial dropped into a diver case. Collector accounts describe the lacquer as carrying gold and aluminum particles, which would account for its depth and the way it shifts under different light. Against the green Cerachrom the dial reads as a single monochromatic field, an effect no other Rolex sport watch carries.
The dial has a green sunburst finish and applied white-gold Maxi markers. Its color shifts with the light, from dark green to a brighter metallic green. Collector references describe several print variations, but Rolex has not published a complete generation chart or production cutoff.
 
Collector research splits the Hulk dial into three print generations across the decade. The differences are real but subtle.


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=== Bezel ===
=== Bezel ===


Green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional, 60 clicks, numerals and graduations in platinum PVD. It does not fade or take on patina the way the green aluminum insert on the Kermit did, and Kermit fading is something collectors track and pay for, with well-faded inserts carrying a premium.
Green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional, 60 clicks, numerals and graduations in platinum PVD. Cerachrom is much harder and more resistant to ultraviolet light and corrosion than the Kermit's aluminum insert. Aluminum inserts can scratch, fade, or develop patina; individual bezels can also be replaced.


Rolex publishes nothing about how Cerachrom is pigmented. The collector-side reading is that green is the hardest of the colored inserts to fire consistently, with a proprietary pigment formula and tighter sintering tolerances than black or blue. The same green carries forward onto the successor 126610LV.
Rolex has not published the pigment formula or a production tolerance chart for the green ceramic. The same general green-bezel treatment continued on the successor 126610LV, whose dial is black.


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<span id="crystal"></span>
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=== Packaging ===
=== Packaging ===


Standard Rolex green box of the 2010s era with warranty card, COSC tag, booklets, and hang tags. No known packaging differences between the 116610LV and 116610LN.
Retail sets from the period can include a green Rolex box, warranty card, COSC tag, booklets, and hang tags. Contents vary by market and delivery date; packaging does not identify the reference on its own.


<span id="the-nickname-lineage"></span>
<span id="the-nickname-lineage"></span>
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Collector nicknames for the green Submariners track color combinations, not reference numbers. Kermit comes from the Muppet, for the green aluminum bezel over a black dial. Hulk names the all-green look. The 126610LV answers to two names: Starbucks, after the green-and-black palette it returns to, and Cermit, a blend of "ceramic" and "Kermit".
Collector nicknames for the green Submariners track color combinations, not reference numbers. Kermit comes from the Muppet, for the green aluminum bezel over a black dial. Hulk names the all-green look. The 126610LV answers to two names: Starbucks, after the green-and-black palette it returns to, and Cermit, a blend of "ceramic" and "Kermit".


The Hulk name stuck because the watch is green everywhere, and that is also what divides collectors. Some find the all-green too much. Others call it the most distinctive modern Submariner.
The Hulk nickname refers to the all-green bezel and dial. Collector reactions to that combination vary, but the nickname itself is widely used.


<span id="special-editions"></span>
<span id="special-editions"></span>
== Special editions ==
== Special editions ==


A small number of 116610LV watches left production with engraved casebacks or retailer signatures tied to institutional or royal deliveries. The best documented are the Khanjar Hulks, delivered through Khimji Ramdas in Oman during the reign of Sultan Qaboos, who died in 2020. They carry the crossed-dagger emblem engraved on the caseback and international guarantee paperwork stamped by Khimji Ramdas. Sotheby's catalogued one such watch — case G'556'084, guarantee dated 1 April 2012 — with a USD 25,000–50,000 estimate in a 2024 sale, more than double what an ordinary Hulk from the same era brings, which prices the Omani provenance on top of the Hulk's own premium.
Auction catalogues document 116610LV examples with institutional or retailer-linked engravings. Sotheby's catalogued a Khanjar example delivered through Khimji Ramdas in Oman, with a crossed-dagger caseback emblem and guarantee paperwork stamped by the retailer. The catalogue describes the individual watch and its estimate; it does not establish a general delivery program or a standard production branch. Other signed or special-delivery examples should be assessed from their own lot records.
 
Other retailer-signed and special-delivery examples surface at auction from time to time, none of them at the scale of a named series. The Khanjar watches are the one small branch of the reference outside standard production that is consistently documented.


<span id="market-and-collector-context"></span>
<span id="market-and-collector-context"></span>
== Market and collector context ==
== Market and collector context ==


The 116610LV has traded above the 116610LN on the secondary market since both were in production, and the gap widened after discontinuation in 2020. As of late 2025, Sotheby's data put the Hulk at about USD 23,600, close to double the USD 11,900 retail on its successor, the 126610LV.
The 116610LV is discontinued modern production and trades mainly through dealers, auction houses, and the secondary market. Prices vary with condition, completeness, service history, and documented provenance; dated auction estimates belong with their individual lots and should not be treated as a stable reference-wide range. Rolex does not publish a production total, so scarcity claims should remain qualified. The reference sits between the 16610LV and 126610LV in the green Submariner line.
 
Individual lots from the reference's own catalogue history sit under that figure. Sotheby's estimated an ordinary circa-2020 example at USD 12,000–18,000 in a December 2020 sale, and a watch catalogued as still new in its last production year at HK$140,000–180,000 (roughly USD 18,000–23,000) in an April 2021 Hong Kong sale — both close to or below the "about USD 23,600" mark Sotheby's later put on the reference, and both well under the Khanjar premium described above.
 
That premium is demand, not scarcity. Rolex never published production figures, but a decade-long run on a popular Submariner put substantial volume into circulation; what changed in 2020 is that the supply stopped growing. Most of the trade happens through dealers and secondary retail, with the major houses paying the reference comparatively little lot-level attention.




== Related references ==
== Related references ==


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


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]].


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
[[File:Ref_116610LV_hero_2.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 116610LV|Rolex Submariner Ref. 116610LV]]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/archive/index.php/t-120033.html Rolex Baselworld 2010 Submariner technical material] — contemporaneous specifications for 116610LV/116610LN
* [https://www.rolex.com/en-us/watches/submariner/m126610ln-0001 Rolex Submariner technical specifications] — Cerachrom, Chromalight, Oysterlock, and Glidelock definitions
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches/reference-116610lv-submariner-khanjar-hulk-a Reference 116610LV Submariner Khanjar Hulk] — individual provenance and catalogue description
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex_Submariner Wikipedia: Rolex Submariner] — green Submariner chronology
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's

Revision as of 16:17, 28 September 2026


Submariner › 116610LV

Rolex 116610LV Submariner
Rolex 116610LV Submariner

The 116610LV is the green-dial, green-bezel Submariner Date that collectors call the Hulk. Rolex introduced it in 2010 alongside the black 116610LN, replacing the 16610LV Kermit, and discontinued it in 2020 when the 126610LV followed. The case, movement, bracelet, and crystal match the 116610LN; the bezel and dial are the defining differences.

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

Core facts

detail value
reference 116610LV
nickname Hulk
family Submariner Date
production 2010 to 2020
movement caliber 3135 (COSC, ~48hr power reserve)
case 40mm 904L Oystersteel, Maxi Case, ~12.5mm thick, ~48mm lug-to-lug
crystal sapphire with Cyclops, anti-reflective inner coating
water resistance 300m / 1000ft
bezel green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, platinum-filled graduations (PVD deposition)
bracelet Oyster with Oysterlock clasp and Glidelock
lume Chromalight (blue)
dial green sunburst, white gold Maxi markers
crown Triplock screw-down with guards
predecessor 16610LV "Kermit"
successor 126610LV "Starbucks" / "Cermit"

Where it sits in the line

The 116610 generation ran as a pair: the black-bezel LN and the green LV. The case, movement, bracelet, crystal, and crown are shared; the bezel and dial distinguish the two references.

Green Submariner lineage

The green-bezel Submariner has run continuously since 2003, and each generation handled the color differently. Only the Hulk took green past the bezel.

reference nickname years bezel material bezel color dial
16610LV Kermit 2003–2010 aluminum green (fades) black
116610LV Hulk 2010–2020 Cerachrom ceramic green (Cerachrom; resistant to fading) green sunburst
126610LV Starbucks / Cermit 2020–present Cerachrom ceramic green (Cerachrom; resistant to fading) black

Production outline

Rolex introduced the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010 as the direct replacement for the Kermit. The Hulk carried the same generational upgrades as the 116610LN: Cerachrom bezel, Maxi Case, Glidelock bracelet, and Chromalight lume. Caliber 3135 stayed throughout. The bezel never changed across the run, and the dial changed only in print detail.

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

Movement notes

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

Dial map

The green sunburst dial is the feature behind the Hulk nickname. It can read very dark in low light and brighter in direct light. The Maxi Case proportions are shared with the black 116610LN and differ from the 16610LV's five-digit case.

The green sunburst

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

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Detail view
Detail view

Case

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

Bezel

Green Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional, 60 clicks, numerals and graduations in platinum PVD. Cerachrom is much harder and more resistant to ultraviolet light and corrosion than the Kermit's aluminum insert. Aluminum inserts can scratch, fade, or develop patina; individual bezels can also be replaced.

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

Crystal

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

Crown

Triplock screw-down with crown guards, rated to 300m / 1000ft.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Bracelet

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

Packaging

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

The nickname lineage

Collector nicknames for the green Submariners track color combinations, not reference numbers. Kermit comes from the Muppet, for the green aluminum bezel over a black dial. Hulk names the all-green look. The 126610LV answers to two names: Starbucks, after the green-and-black palette it returns to, and Cermit, a blend of "ceramic" and "Kermit".

The Hulk nickname refers to the all-green bezel and dial. Collector reactions to that combination vary, but the nickname itself is widely used.

Special editions

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

Market and collector context

The 116610LV is discontinued modern production and trades mainly through dealers, auction houses, and the secondary market. Prices vary with condition, completeness, service history, and documented provenance; dated auction estimates belong with their individual lots and should not be treated as a stable reference-wide range. Rolex does not publish a production total, so scarcity claims should remain qualified. The reference sits between the 16610LV and 126610LV in the green Submariner line.


Related references

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

Sources

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