Stainless steel Rolex Submariners watches were only ever available with black bezels for the first four decades of the diving watch's history. However, in 2003, that all changed with the introduction of a new green Rolex Submariner. Since then, Rolex has continuously offered its stainless steel Submariner Date watches with the choice of a green or black bezel.
As is often the case, the then-new green Sub wasn't particularly popular; just like the company itself, many Rolex watch buyers can be conservative in their tastes — and green was just a little too wild for the otherwise quite somber steel diving tool watch. However, the popularity of the green Submariner eventuality picked up, and now they're some of the most sought-after Rolex sports watches in the market. Green bezel versions are more expensive than their black bezel counterparts, slightly so at retail but significantly so on the secondary market.
Rolex has made three generations of the green Submariner so far in less than two decades. Join us as we take a closer look at these green Rolex Submariner references: the 16610LV, 116610LV, and the 126610LV.
What's LV on a Green Rolex Submariner?
Submariners fitted with green bezels will always have the letters "LV" in their references. But what does LV mean? LV is short for the French words "Lunette Verte," which translates to "Green Bezel."
Similarly, other bezel colors also have unique letter codes such as black LN (Lunette Noir) and blue LB (Lunette Bleu).
Generation 1: Rolex Submariner 16610LV
Stainless steel
40mm case
Green aluminum bezel insert
Black dial
Oyster bracelet
Caliber 3135 automatic movement
Production years: 2003 - 2010
The very first green Rolex Submariner was the reference 16610LV, which debuted in 2003 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Submariner. Other than its bezel, it was the same as the steel and black bezel Submariner 116610LN that had been around since the late-1980s.
This is to say that the Submariner 16610LV features a 40mm stainless steel case, a unidirectional rotating bezel, a dial with Mercedes-style hands for the time, and a date window at 3 o'clock magnified by the Cyclops lens on the sapphire crystal above it. What's more, it has the customary three-link Oyster bracelet and it runs on the Caliber 3135 automatic movement with about 40 hours of power reserve.
Like all Submariner models that had come before it, the green 16610LV has a bezel fashioned from aluminum, complete with a 60-min scale to track immersion times. However, its defining trait is of course the green color of that bezel. So much so that the Submariner 16610LV picked up the "Kermit" nickname. Rolex discontinued the reference 16610LV in 2010
Expect to pay anywhere from $16,500 to $22,800 to buy a pre-owned green Submariner 16610LV.
Generation 2: Rolex Submariner 116610LV
Stainless steel
40mm "Super" case
Green Cerachrom bezel insert
Green dial
Oyster bracelet
Caliber 3135 automatic movement
Production years: 2010 - 2020
Rolex replaced the 16610LV with another green Submariner in 2010 in the form of the ref. 116610LV. While the Submariner 116610LV retained much of the design blueprint of its predecessor, it also brought plenty of updates to the table.
For example, the green bezel of the 116610LV is fashioned from Cerachrom, which is Rolex's proprietary scratch- and fade-proof ceramic alloy. Furthermore, in addition to the bezel, the dial is also green, making this the greenest Submariner Rolex ever created. The case remains 40mm, however, it's notably larger on the wrist than the previous model thanks to its "Super" case silhouette.
The Super case is characterized by fatter lugs, a thicker profile, and a wider bezel. Therefore, because of the bright green bezel and dial combination, along with the heftier case, the green Submariner ref. 116610LV is nicknamed the "Hulk."
Rolex manufactured the Submariner ref. 116110LV for a decade and eventually discontinued it in 2020 to make way for a new model.
Expect to pay anywhere from $20,500 to $26,100 to buy a pre-owned Rolex Submariner ref. 116610LV "Hulk."
Generation 3: Rolex Submariner 126610LV
Stainless steel (a.k.a. Oystersteel)
41mm case
Green Cerachrom bezel insert
Black dial
Oyster bracelet
Caliber 3235 automatic movement
Production years: 2020 - present
In 2020, Rolex unveiled its latest lineup of Submariner watches including an LV version. The newest Submariners underwent plenty of updates and the green version merges some elements of the previous Kermit and Hulk.
For instance, the Submariner grew slightly in diameter and now sports a 41mm case. However, it's important to note that despite the larger case measure, the new Subs are more classic in proportion than the now-discontinued Super case. The new-gen Submariner watches have slimmer and more tapered lugs and a thinner case profile than the preceding models. To accommodate the larger case and slimmer lugs, Rolex redesigned the Oyster bracelet to be 21mm wide (instead of 20mm). One of the biggest updates to these new Submariners is the movement that powers them -- the new-generation Caliber 3235 with an increased 70-hour power reserve.
On the new green Submariner 126610LV, Rolex decided to drop the green dial and swap it out for a black one instead. As a result, it looks quite like the original "Kermit" but with a Cerachrom bezel instead of an aluminum one. This explains the origins of one of the watch's nicknames, the "Cermit." The other popular nickname for the 126610LV is "Starbucks."
While the Rolex Submariner 126610LV retails for $10,600, the watch is exceedingly difficult to find at boutiques given the demand for the watch. As such, expect to pay anywhere from $18,000 to $21,500 to buy a pre-owned Submariner ref. 126610LV watch.
