Rolex 116618 Submariner
Submariner › 116618
The 116618 is the full 18k yellow-gold Submariner Date of the Cerachrom era, in production from roughly 2008 to 2020 on caliber 3135. Rolex has offered a full yellow-gold Submariner Date since the 1680/8 appeared in 1969. The 116618 is the ceramic-bezel generation of that line.
The yellow-gold case distinguishes it from the steel 116610LN and the less conspicuous white-gold 116619LB.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 116618 (LN = black, LB = blue) |
| family | Submariner Date |
| production | about 2008 to 2020 |
| movement | caliber 3135 (date, quick-set, 28800 bph, ~48hr power reserve) |
| case | 40mm Super Case, full 18k yellow gold |
| crystal | sapphire with Cyclops |
| water resistance | 300m |
| bezel | Cerachrom ceramic (blue or black), gold-filled numerals |
| lume | Chromalight (blue glow) |
| bracelet | full gold Oyster ref.97208 with Glidelock, polished center links |
| rehaut | engraved ROLEX ROLEX |
| predecessor | 16618 |
| successor | 126618LB / 126618LN |
Gold Submariner lineage
Rolex has offered a full yellow-gold Submariner Date across every major generation since 1969.
| reference | years | notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1680/8 | 1969–~1977 | First gold Submariner; nipple hour markers; early blue dials prone to tropical aging |
| 16808 | ~1977–1988 | Transition reference; same basic construction |
| 16618 | 1988–2008 | Last aluminum-bezel gold Sub; predecessor to 116618 |
| 116618 | ~2008–2020 | First ceramic-bezel gold Sub; Super Case; Glidelock |
| 126618LB / LN | 2020–present | 41mm; caliber 3235; thinner lugs; 21mm bracelet |
Where it sits in the generation
The 116618 is the full-gold member of the ceramic-era Submariner generation, alongside the steel 116610, the Rolesor 116613, and the full white-gold 116619LB. The two precious-metal models launched together around 2008 and carried the first Cerachrom ceramic bezels in the Submariner family. The steel 116610LN and two-tone 116613 only followed in 2009–2010.
What changed from the 16618
The gold Submariner took the same generational package the 116610LN brought to steel. Cerachrom ceramic replaced the aluminum insert, the Glidelock clasp replaced the Fliplock, the case widened into the broader-lugged Super Case, Chromalight replaced SuperLuminova, and the rehaut picked up engraving. The 16618 used an aluminium insert that can fade and scratch; the Cerachrom insert is more resistant to those forms of wear, though ceramic can still chip or be damaged.
Production outline
Both LB (blue) and LN (black) variants are documented across the production period. The cited sources do not establish a complete mid-run change table for every dial and market.
The case, bezel body, crown, crown guards, bracelet, and case back are 18k yellow gold. Total weight varies with bracelet sizing and links, so a forum-reported weight is not a specification.
Movement notes
Caliber 3135 throughout, the same movement that runs the 116610, the 116613, and the 116619LB. Quick-set date, 28,800 vph, Microstella regulation, and a Parachrom blue hairspring in Rolex's paramagnetic niobium-zirconium alloy, more resistant to magnetic interference than the older hairspring alloys. The same caliber family appears in the steel, two-tone, yellow-gold, and white-gold Submariners of this generation. The 116618 differs from the 116610LN in case, bracelet, bezel, and dial materials; the movement specification remains caliber 3135.
The successor 126618 moved to caliber 3235, which brought a 70-hour power reserve, the Chronergy escapement, and updated regulation. That is the functional gap between the 116618 and the current gold Submariner.
Dial map
Blue dial (LB)
Like the two-tone 116613LB, the blue-dial 116618LB went through a dial-finish transition during production. Earlier examples carried a flatter blue; later production moved to the more pronounced sunburst blue that became the standard across the gold Submariner line. The exact timing on the 116618LB is less well-documented than on the two-tone reference.
The blue dial can appear darker or lighter as the sunburst catches different light. It has gold Maxi markers, large luminous plots, and gold hands, paired with the blue Cerachrom bezel.
Black dial (LN)
The LN pairs a black dial with gold Maxi markers and a black Cerachrom bezel.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
Case
The entire case is 18k yellow gold: body, bezel, crown, crown tube, crown guards, and case back. Lugs and crown guards are heavier than the 16618's, the geometry collectors call the Super Case or Maxi Case. Triplock crown, sealed to 300m.
A 40mm case on a 20mm bracelet. The successor 126618 went to 41mm with thinner, more tapered lugs and a 21mm bracelet; Fratello's review of the 126618LB called the new lugs pointier and closer to the original 1680/8, a retreat from the blocky Maxi Case shape. The 116618 is where that broad-lug geometry peaked.
Bezel
Cerachrom ceramic, the change that defines the generation. It is more resistant to fading and surface scratches than the 16618's aluminum insert, although ceramic can chip under a hard impact. Numerals and graduations are filled with gold to match the case; the steel and white-gold models use different filling materials.
Crystal
Sapphire with Cyclops over the date window. The inner rehaut is engraved with repeating ROLEX ROLEX text and the serial number at 6 o'clock.
Hallmarks
Hallmarks follow the standard Swiss precious-metal system. A 750 stamp, meaning 18k or 750 parts per thousand fine gold, should appear on the case and case back. The St. Bernard "Barry" mark is the Swiss precious-metals stamp used post-1995.
Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes
Bracelet
The 97208 is a full 18k yellow-gold Oyster with a Glidelock extension giving roughly 20mm of micro-adjustment. Polished center links sit against brushed outer links, so the bracelet shifts finish as it moves; Colin A. White's The Vintage Rolex Field Manual treats that contrast as a distinguishing quality of the gold Submariner bracelets. The steel 116610LN Oyster is brushed throughout.
The full-gold bracelet is substantially heavier than the steel bracelet used on the 116610. The bracelet does not change during the run; every 116618 carries the same Glidelock-equipped 97208.
Market and collector context
The 116618 appears less often at auction than vintage gold Submariners and is more commonly seen in dealer and certified-pre-owned listings. Results vary with dial, case condition, bracelet, papers, service history, and whether the watch is LB or LN. One Bonhams 2020 blue-dial lot is cited below. It is a single documented sale, not a price guide.
Related references
- Submariner 116619LB: "Smurf", White Gold (2008–2020)
- Submariner 116613: 2009–2020
- Submariner 116610LV: "Hulk", Green Dial (2010–2020)
- Submariner 116610LN: 2010–2020
- Submariner 114060: 2012–2020
- Submariner 16610LV: "Kermit", Green Bezel (2003–2010)
See also the Submariner family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.
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Full-gold 116618LB -
Blue dial and Cerachrom bezel detail
Sources
- History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date; Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
- Bob's Watches two-tone Submariner history; Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
- The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide; Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
- Gray & Sons Submariner Date history; Gray & Sons editorial, Gray & Sons
- Rolex Submariner Reference Guide; Professional Watches editorial, Professional Watches
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual; Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
- Rolex ref. 116618 Submariner, sunburst blue dial, lot 6; Bonhams, London, 24 November 2020
- The Rolex Submariner; Rolex, Submariner history and technical overview
- Submariner Date brochure; Rolex, caliber 3135 and Cerachrom technical specifications