Rolex Submariner Hulk 116610LV: The Story of the Green Submariner, from Kermit to Starbucks

The Rolex Submariner Hulk, reference 116610LV, is the only Submariner Rolex has made with a green dial, set under a green ceramic bezel. It was in production from 2010 to 2020, and therefore it sits in the middle of a short family: the 16610LV “Kermit” that came before it and the 126610LV “Starbucks” that replaced it.

Before the comparison, here is the story of the Rolex Submariner Hulk and of every green Submariner, with the details that tell the three apart.

The green Submariners at a glance

	16610LV	116610LV	126610LV
Nickname	Kermit	Hulk	Starbucks
Made	2003 to 2010	2010 to 2020	2020 to today
Case	40 mm, steel	40 mm, steel	41 mm, Oystersteel
Bezel	Green aluminum insert	Green Cerachrom	Green Cerachrom

Rolex Submariner Hulk, Kermit and Starbucks: dial and movement

	16610LV	116610LV	126610LV
Dial	Black	Green, sunburst finish	Black
Luminescence	Glows green	Chromalight, glows blue	Chromalight, glows blue
Movement	Calibre 3135	Calibre 3135	Calibre 3235, about 70 hours
Clasp	Oyster Fliplock	Oysterlock with Glidelock	Oysterlock with Glidelock
Water resistance	300 m	300 m	300 m

2003: the Kermit starts the green line

First, Rolex dates the Submariner collection to 1953. For its 50th anniversary in 2003, however, the company gave the steel Submariner Date a green bezel insert, a first for the range. Reference 16610LV kept the black dial. It also brought the larger “Maxi” hour markers and broader hands to the Submariner. Although it celebrated the anniversary, it was not a limited edition, and nothing on the case marks it.

Collectors named it the Kermit, years before the Rolex Submariner Hulk arrived. The watch press usually explains the LV suffix as “lunette verte,” French for green bezel, although Rolex has never said so itself. Because the insert is anodized aluminum, the green varies from bright to faded olive. For instance, the earliest bezels, from 2003 and 2004, carry a flat-topped 4 in the 40 that collectors call the “Flat 4.”

2010: the Rolex Submariner Hulk turns the dial green

Rolex presented the 116610LV at Baselworld 2010, and it became the first Submariner with a green dial. First, the bezel moved to green Cerachrom, Rolex’s ceramic, with engraved numerals coated in platinum. Moreover, Rolex says the color of Cerachrom does not fade in ultraviolet light. Although the case stayed at 40 mm, it grew broader lugs and larger crown guards. As a result, that extra bulk, together with the color, earned the watch its nickname.

Inside is calibre 3135, which also offers a power reserve of about 48 hours. Also, the markers glow blue thanks to Chromalight. The Oyster bracelet closes with an Oysterlock clasp and a Glidelock extension, so the bracelet lengthens without tools, over a wetsuit for example. Likewise, the Hulk was never a limited edition, just as the Kermit was not.

However, the two greens do not quite match. The sunburst dial is metallic and changes with the light, while the bezel is a lighter, flatter green, so the pair look identical in some light and noticeably different in other light. Finally, Rolex ended production of the Rolex Submariner Hulk on 1 September 2020, when it introduced the next Submariner generation.

2020: the Starbucks goes back to black

Next, the 126610LV arrived on 1 September 2020. Instead of a green dial, it pairs the green Cerachrom bezel with a black dial again, the combination the Kermit introduced, and collectors call it the Starbucks. Meanwhile, the case grew to 41 mm in Oystersteel, with slimmer lugs than the Rolex Submariner Hulk’s. Calibre 3235 also gives it a power reserve of about 70 hours, and Rolex certifies it as a Superlative Chronometer, accurate to within two seconds a day after casing.

Then, around 2023, the bezel took on a brighter, more saturated green, a change the press noticed and Rolex never announced. Today, therefore, the Starbucks is the only green Submariner in Rolex’s catalogue.

Has Rolex made a gold green Submariner?

Not in its catalogue. In fact, every green Submariner Rolex has listed is steel, including the Rolex Submariner Hulk. However, the one exception is a rarity that never appeared on Rolex’s own pages: a white gold Submariner with an emerald-set bezel, reference 116649, which collectors know through auction house catalogues.

How to tell a Rolex Submariner Hulk from the other green Submariners

• First, a green dial means a Rolex Submariner Hulk, while the Kermit and the Starbucks both have black dials.
• Second, the Kermit’s aluminum bezel has a matte, often faded look, while the Hulk and the Starbucks have glossy ceramic bezels with engraved numerals.
• Next, the Kermit has slim lugs and pointed crown guards, the Hulk has broad lugs and large guards, and the Starbucks has slimmer lugs on a 41 mm case.
• Then, the Kermit closes with a folded Fliplock clasp, while the Hulk and the Starbucks use a solid Oysterlock clasp with Glidelock.
• Also, in the dark, the Kermit’s markers glow green, while the Hulk’s and the Starbucks’ glow blue.
• Finally, only the Starbucks has a small Rolex crown between “Swiss” and “Made” at 6 o’clock.

Why green?

Green is Rolex’s own color. In fact, it appears on the brand’s boxes and on the green seal that marks Superlative Chronometer certification, and Rolex describes it as deeply rooted in its heritage. Therefore, choosing it for the Submariner’s 50th anniversary was a natural fit. Then the Rolex Submariner Hulk took the idea furthest by putting it on the dial.

Before you buy a pre-owned Rolex Submariner Hulk, our guide to Rolex serial numbers shows where to find the serial on a 116610LV and how to match it to the papers.

Rolex Submariner Hulk: frequently asked questions

Interested in a green Submariner?

The watch in our photograph, a 2013 Rolex Submariner Hulk with its box and papers, is in our pre-owned collection, and the current Starbucks 126610LV-0002 also has its own page. To ask about either, call us at 1-800-654-7184 or send an inquiry. You can also see every model on our Rolex Submariner page.