Rolex 116618 Submariner
Submariner › 116618
The 116618 is the full 18k yellow-gold Submariner Date of the Cerachrom era, produced from about 2008 to 2020 with caliber 3135. It was offered with black (LN) or blue (LB) dial and bezel combinations. The 18k yellow-gold case and bracelet distinguish it from the steel 116610LN and 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; 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 aluminum insert that can scratch or fade; Cerachrom is more resistant to ultraviolet light, corrosion, and scratching.
Production outline
The LB (blue) and LN (black) variants share the same case, movement, bracelet, and ceramic-era construction. Rolex has not published a complete year-by-year change register. Case, bezel body, crown, crown guards, bracelet, and caseback are 18k yellow gold; reported fully linked weights vary with link count and accessories.
Movement notes
Caliber 3135 runs the reference, with quick-set date, 28,800 vph, Microstella regulation, and a Parachrom hairspring. Rolex used the movement across steel, two-tone, yellow-gold, and white-gold Submariners, but case and bracelet materials differ. Service history can change the parts fitted to an individual watch.
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 has applied gold Maxi markers, luminous plots, and gold hands, paired with the blue Cerachrom bezel. Its appearance changes with the light; individual dial finish and service history should be checked from photographs or inspection.
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 case body, bezel, crown, crown tube, crown guards, and caseback are 18k yellow gold. The wider lugs and heavier crown guards are commonly called the Super Case or Maxi Case. The Triplock crown contributes to the 300m rating.
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 is more resistant to fading and scratching than the 16618's aluminum insert. On the yellow-gold model, the numerals and graduations are filled with gold; the steel and white-gold models use different metal-filled graduations.
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 construction is heavier than the steel bracelet. The 97208 is the documented bracelet reference, but individual watches should be checked for replacement or service parts.
Production volume estimates
Rolex does not publish production totals by reference or material. Trade estimates for combined gold Submariner output lack a factory source and are not treated as a count here.
Market and collector context
The 116618 trades in a different segment from the steel Submariners. Its closer price comparisons are other precious-metal sports watches, including the white-gold 116619LB.
The 116618 trades in the precious-metal segment rather than with steel Submariners. Current prices vary by dial, condition, completeness, service history, and market; no reference-wide range is asserted here. Relative availability of LN and LB examples also varies by venue and date.
Documented major-house auction results for the 116618 are scarce; most gold Submariner lots at the majors belong to the vintage 1680/8, and the 116618 mostly moves through the dealer market. One verified exception: Bonhams sold a sunburst-blue 116618LB at its London sale in November 2020 for £25,250 including premium, case No. 598*****, movement No. 252*****, on the full 18k gold Oyster bracelet stamped D8P 97208 — the same bracelet reference given in this article's Core facts. A single lot sets a data point, not a market; asking prices in the dealer channel remain the better day-to-day signal.
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.
Sources
- Rolex Baselworld 2010 Submariner technical material — launch-era ceramic Submariner specifications
- Rolex Submariner technical specifications — current yellow-gold successor specifications and feature definitions
- Wikipedia: Rolex Submariner — family chronology
- 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