Rolex 116610LN Submariner
Submariner › 116610LN
In 2010 Rolex introduced the 116610LN as the black-bezel steel Submariner Date. The 2010 technical material specifies a 40mm Oystersteel case, a black Cerachrom bezel with platinum graduations, caliber 3135, Chromalight dial, sapphire Cyclops crystal, and Glidelock bracelet. The reference ran until 2020, when the 126610LN replaced it.
The case kept the nominal 40mm diameter but used wider Maxi Case proportions, larger white-gold markers, and the Glidelock clasp. Those details distinguish it from the 16610 without making the reference a single uniform configuration: dial, lume, and service parts vary between individual watches.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 116610LN |
| family | Submariner Date |
| production | 2010 to 2020 |
| movement | caliber 3135 (COSC, ~48hr power reserve) |
| case | 40mm 904L Oystersteel, Maxi Case / Super Case, ~12.5mm thick, ~48mm lug-to-lug |
| crystal | sapphire with Cyclops, anti-reflective inner coating |
| water resistance | 300m / 1000ft |
| bezel | Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click, platinum-filled graduations (PVD deposition) |
| bracelet | Oyster with Oysterlock clasp and Glidelock |
| lume | Chromalight (blue) |
| dial | black, white gold Maxi markers |
| crown | Triplock screw-down with guards |
| predecessor | 16610 |
| successor | 126610LN (41mm, caliber 3235) |
Where it sits in the line
The 116610LN replaced the 16610, which had run for roughly 23 years. Both share caliber 3135 and a 40mm steel case with sapphire crystal, but the 116610LN is where the five-digit steel Submariner Date gave way to the six-digit era. The parallel green-bezel version is the 116610LV, the Hulk. The precious-metal siblings across the same generation are the Rolesor 116613, the full yellow-gold 116618, and the white-gold 116619LB. All four share caliber 3135, Maxi Case architecture, Glidelock, and Cerachrom. The LN is the steel black-bezel member of that generation.
What changed from the 16610
The principal changes from the 16610 were the Cerachrom bezel, Maxi Case proportions, larger markers, Chromalight, and the Glidelock clasp.
| feature | 16610 | 116610LN |
|---|---|---|
| bezel insert | aluminum, fades over time | Cerachrom ceramic, more resistant to fading and scratching |
| lug width | slimmer | wider ("Super Case" / "Maxi Case") |
| lug holes | present | absent |
| lume | Super-LumiNova, commonly green-emitting | Chromalight (blue glow) |
| markers | standard size | Maxi (larger) |
| bracelet clasp | Fliplock with divers extension | Glidelock (20mm micro-adjust) |
| crystal coating | none | anti-reflective inner coating |
| rehaut | plain (early) / engraved (late) | engraved throughout |
The diameter stayed at 40mm. The wider lugs, heavier crown guards, and solid-link bracelet give the 116610LN a different proportion from the 16610.
Production outline
Rolex introduced the 116610LN and green 116610LV at Baselworld 2010. The 126610LN replaced them in 2020. Caliber 3135 and the Cerachrom bezel remained the core specification, while collector references record changes in dial fonts and lume. Rolex has not published complete factory cutoffs for those details, so individual watches should be assessed from their parts and service history.
Movement notes
Caliber 3135 is a COSC-certified automatic movement with a date function, 28,800 vph, and roughly 48 hours of power reserve. Rolex's 2010 technical material identifies a Parachrom hairspring and Breguet overcoil. The stated resistance benefits are Rolex's claims for the alloy; service history can change the parts fitted to an individual watch.
Dial map
The black gloss dial has applied white-gold Maxi markers: a triangle at 12, rectangles at 3, 6, and 9, and round markers elsewhere. Rolex's published specification calls the 116610LN lume Chromalight, commonly seen as blue emission; late 16610 examples commonly show green-emitting Super-LumiNova. Replaced or serviced dials can differ from the original delivery configuration.
Collector references describe changes in the capital "A" in "SUBMARINER" and smaller differences in font weight, numeral shape, and spacing. Early examples are often described as flat-top A and later examples as pointed A, but no published Rolex cutoff establishes a production date for the change.
Some collector reports describe early-production watches with green-emitting lume. Those reports do not establish a factory-wide cutoff, so a 2010 or early-2011 example should be checked against its dial, serial context, and service history rather than judged from lume color alone.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
Case
The case is 40mm in 904L Oystersteel in the Maxi Case (or "Super Case") format. Lugs are wider and heavier than on the 16610, the case sits about 12.5mm thick and roughly 48mm lug-to-lug, lug holes are gone, and the screw-down caseback is solid and fluted. The wider lugs and heavier crown guards change the proportions from the five-digit case.
Bezel
Cerachrom ceramic, unidirectional 60-click. The numerals and graduations are filled with platinum by PVD deposition, giving them a silver-grey appearance against the black ceramic. Many aluminum inserts can scratch, fade, or develop patina with age. Cerachrom is much harder and more resistant to ultraviolet light and corrosion, but it can still be damaged and individual bezels can be replaced. The change removes one source of age variation rather than eliminating condition questions.
Crystal
Sapphire crystal with a Cyclops magnifier at 3 o'clock over the date window. The inner surface carries an anti-reflective coating that gives the crystal a slight blue or purple tint when viewed at an angle. The 16610 had no such coating, and this is one of the less obvious generational differences between the two references.
Crown
Triplock screw-down with crown guards, rated to 300m / 1000ft.
Rehaut
The inner rehaut ring is engraved with repeating "ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX" text around the circumference and the individual serial number at the 6 o'clock position. Documented 116610LN examples have an engraved rehaut; individual watches should still be checked for replacement parts.
Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes
Bracelet
The Oyster bracelet runs solid links throughout, fitted with the Oysterlock clasp and the Glidelock extension system. Oysterlock is the locking safety clasp Rolex uses across the modern Professional line. Glidelock is the in-clasp micro-adjustment that allows roughly 20mm of length change in 2mm increments without tools. The system was new to the Submariner with the 116610 generation and replaced the older Fliplock. The adjustment lets the wearer change fit without tools, including over a wetsuit.
The bracelet reference is 97200, 20mm at the lugs with solid end links, consistent with six-digit Submariner fitment.
Packaging
Retail sets from the production period can include a green Rolex box, warranty card, COSC tag, booklets, and hang tags. Packaging and warranty-card format vary by market and delivery date, so they do not identify the reference on their own.
Production volume estimates
Rolex does not publish production totals by reference. Dealer-allocation calculations and collector estimates exist, but they do not provide a verifiable figure for the 116610LN, so no volume estimate is given here.
Special editions
Auction catalogues document 116610LN examples with institutional engravings or retailer signatures. They should be treated as individually documented watches, not as a single factory variant or proof of a general Rolex delivery program.
Sotheby's has catalogued an SRR example, a United States Secret Service engraved example dated circa 2020, and a GIGN 40th-anniversary example. The catalogues support those individual descriptions; they do not by themselves establish how each watch was delivered or whether the engraving was applied at the factory.
Sotheby's catalogued a Schlumberger-signed 116610LN, and Phillips documented a Relojeria Alemana anniversary example. Those catalogues are evidence for the individual watches; they do not establish a production-wide rarity or prove that every component matches standard delivery.
Market and collector context
The 116610LN is modern production rather than a vintage piece, and it does not draw the lot-level attention that vintage Submariners get at Phillips or Sotheby's. Market activity runs primarily dealer-to-dealer and secondary retail.
The 116610LN is discontinued modern production, so current examples are traded mainly through dealers and the secondary market. Prices vary with condition, completeness, service history, and any documented engraving; no general range is asserted here. It sits between the 16610 and the 126610LN, retaining the 40mm case and caliber 3135 while the successor moved to a 41mm case and caliber 3235.
Related references
- Submariner 116610LV — "Hulk", Green Dial (2010–2020)
- Submariner 116613 — 2009–2020
- Submariner 114060 — 2012–2020
- Submariner 116618 — Yellow Gold (2008–2020)
- Submariner 116619LB — "Smurf", White Gold (2008–2020)
- Submariner 16610LV — "Kermit", Green Bezel (2003–2010)
See also the Submariner family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.
Sources
- Rolex Baselworld 2010 Submariner technical material — contemporaneous specifications for 116610LN/116610LV
- Rolex Submariner technical specifications — Cerachrom, Chromalight, Oysterlock, and Glidelock definitions (current successor page)
- Sotheby's 116610 — 2010 introduction and 2020 replacement context
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — reference chronology and technical overview
- Wikipedia: Rolex Submariner — chronology and family comparison
- History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
- History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 4, Modern Ceramic References — Monochrome
- Rolex Submariner 116610LN vs Omega Seamaster Diver 300m — Frank Geelen, Monochrome
- The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
- SRR Submariner Ref. 116610LN Limited Edition — Sotheby's
- Reference 116610LN Submariner United States Secret Service — Sotheby's
- Submariner 40 ans du GIGN Reference 116610LN — Sotheby's
- Rolex Submariner Schlumberger Reference 116610LN — Sotheby's
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
- Rolex Submariner 114060 and 116610 Watch Review — aBlogtoWatch
- Rolex Submariner 116610LN 52Mondayz Week 50 2019 — Fratello
- Submariner Ceramic Dial Variations — Millenary Watches
- Dial Variations on the Submariner Date 116610LN — RolexForums
- Change in 116610LN dial? — RolexForums
- New font on Submariner dial — RolexForums
- Breaking Down Rolex's Submariner Production — Everest Bands
- Bob's Watches Submariner history — Bob's Watches
- Rolex Chromalight vs SuperLuminova — Bob's Watches