The dive watch that set the template — from the 1953 original to today's ceramic Date, Hulk, and Kermit.
Introduced
1953
Family
Submariner
Current ref.
126610LN
Calibre
3235
The Submariner is the watch most people picture when they hear “Rolex.” Launched in 1953, it was among the first watches guaranteed waterproof to 100 metres, and it established the design language — rotating timing bezel, high-contrast dial, Mercedes hands — that nearly every dive watch since has borrowed.
Two branches run through the line: the time-only no-date Submariner, prized for its symmetry, and the Submariner Date with its Cyclops magnifier. Since 2020 both wear a slightly broader 41 mm case and run Rolex's calibre 32-series movements.
History
Early references (6204, 6205, 5512, 5513) were honest tools: no crown guards at first, aluminium bezels, tritium dials. The 1680 brought the date and the first “Red Submariner” text. The 16800/16610 era added sapphire crystals and higher water resistance, and ran for decades as the definitive modern Sub.
In 2010 the 116610LN introduced a Cerachrom ceramic bezel and a slightly chunkier “Maxi” case; the green 116610LV became the “Hulk.” The 2020 redesign (126610LN/LV) refined the proportions and fitted calibre 3235 with a 70-hour reserve.
Reference table
A selective map of the references collectors ask about most — not every variant, but the ones that anchor the line.
| Reference | Years | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5513 | 1962–1989 | No-date | The long-running vintage no-date Sub |
| 1680 | 1969–1980 | Date | First date Submariner; early “Red Sub” dials |
| 16610 | 1989–2010 | Date, aluminium | The modern classic before ceramic |
| 16610LV | 2003–2010 | Green bezel | 50th-anniversary “Kermit” |
| 116610LN | 2010–2020 | Ceramic, black | First ceramic Sub Date |
| 116610LV | 2010–2020 | Ceramic, green | The “Hulk” |
| 126610LN | 2020–present | Ceramic, 41 mm | Current Submariner Date, calibre 3235 |
| 124060 | 2020–present | No-date, 41 mm | Current no-date, calibre 3230 |
Years are approximate production windows. Verify the reference and serial against the watch in hand before relying on any figure.
Nicknames
Each nickname maps to a reference and a story. Tap through for the Naples reference guide on each.
Hulk
116610LV
The all-green Submariner - green bezel, green sunburst dial, discontinued in 2020.
Reference guide →Kermit
16610LV
The 50th-anniversary Submariner - a green aluminium bezel on a black dial.
Reference guide →Starbucks
126610LV
The current green Submariner - green bezel, black dial, on the slimmer 41 mm case.
Reference guide →Smurf
116619LB
The white-gold Submariner - blue bezel, blue dial, the heaviest Sub of its era.
Reference guide →Bluesy
116613LB
The two-tone blue Submariner - steel and yellow gold, blue bezel and dial.
Reference guide →Red Submariner
1680
The first date Submariner - early examples wear the model name in red.
Reference guide →In Naples
Naples is a settled, well-travelled collector town, and the Submariner fits a Gulf-coast life of flights, boats, and Fifth Avenue South dinners. We are a reference, not a dealer — this is context for buyers, not a storefront.
Submariner FAQ
The Submariner Date (126610LN) has a date window and Cyclops magnifier; the no-date Submariner (124060) omits both for a cleaner, symmetrical dial. Otherwise the case, bezel, and movement family are shared.
The modern Submariner is rated to 300 metres (1,000 feet). That far exceeds recreational diving needs and is part of why it became the benchmark dive watch.
Two greens exist: the Kermit (16610LV, green bezel, black dial, 2003) and the Hulk (116610LV, green bezel and green dial, 2010). The current green model (126610LV, green bezel, black dial) is nicknamed the Cermit or Starbucks.