Rolex Submariner: A Collector's Guide to the References

What should I look for when buying a Rolex Submariner 16610?

The 16610 is the steel Submariner Date made from about 1988 to 2010, with an aluminium bezel insert and calibre 3135. Check that the serial and reference match the papers, that the dial and hands are original, that the bezel insert is genuine and that the case has not been heavily polished. Late examples have engraved rehauts.

Vintage no-date Submariners

The no-date 5513 was made from 1962 to 1990, the longest-running Submariner reference. Earlier references include the 6538 with its oversized crown (Wikipedia).

Check any Submariner with how to tell if a Rolex is real.

What is the Rolex Submariner 116610LN?

The 116610LN is the steel Submariner Date made from 2010 to 2020, the first steel Submariner Date with a black Cerachrom ceramic bezel and the broader Super Case with thicker lugs and crown guards. LN stands for lunette noire, black bezel. It uses calibre 3135 and was replaced by the 41 mm 126610LN in 2020.

What is the Rolex Submariner 116613LB?

The 116613LB is the steel and 18KT yellow gold Submariner Date with a blue Cerachrom bezel and a blue dial, made in the Super Case from around 2009 until 2020. LB stands for lunette bleue. It followed the 16613, which had an aluminium bezel insert. A black-dial version, the 116613LN, was made alongside it.

The 16613

Before ceramic, two-tone Submariners had aluminium bezel inserts in blue or black, with gold markers and hands.

What is the Rolex Smurf?

Smurf is the nickname for the Submariner Date reference 116619LB in 18KT white gold, made from 2008 to 2020, with a blue dial and a blue Cerachrom bezel. Its precious metal case looks like steel, and the blue dial and bezel gave it the cartoon nickname. The 126619LB, with a black dial, replaced it.

What is the Rolex Starbucks Submariner?

Starbucks is a collectors' nickname for the Submariner Date reference 126610LV of 2020, a 41 mm steel watch with a green Cerachrom bezel and a black dial, from the green of the coffee company's logo. There is no collaboration between Rolex and Starbucks: the name is only a nickname, as Kermit and Hulk are.

When was the Rolex Hulk discontinued?

The Hulk, reference 116610LV with a green dial and green ceramic bezel, was made from 2010 and discontinued in 2020, when Rolex introduced the 41 mm 126610LV with a black dial. The Kermit before it, the 16610LV, was made from 2003 to 2010. Both stories are told in our Rolex sports models guide.

The green Submariners are told in full in our Rolex sports models guide.

Can a Rolex Submariner go in water?

A modern Submariner is water resistant to 300 metres with its Triplock crown screwed down, and earlier models were rated to 200 metres. Water resistance depends on seals, so have them tested at each service. A vintage Submariner should not be worn in water until a watchmaker has pressure-tested it.

Which Submariner did James Bond wear?

Sean Connery wore a Rolex Submariner reference 6538 with an oversized crown in his first four Bond films, on a leather strap in Dr. No and From Russia with Love, and on a fabric strap in later films. From GoldenEye in 1995 the Bond films switched to Omega.

What is a Tudor Submariner?

Tudor, Rolex's sister brand, made its own Submariners in Rolex Oyster cases, with Tudor movements, from the 1950s. They were issued to navies including the French Marine Nationale, often with the snowflake hands Tudor later used on the Black Bay. Vintage Tudor Submariners are collected in their own right.

Source: Wikipedia, Rolex Submariner.

Where can I sell a Rolex Submariner?

Send photographs of the dial, the side, the case back and the papers to a specialist for a free valuation. We buy Submariners of every age from anywhere in the UK: post by Royal Mail Special Delivery or free insured FedEx collection, or visit our Mayfair or Braintree office by appointment. Payment is by bank transfer.

Read sell your Rolex watch and the Rolex value guide, or browse Rolex watches in stock.