Watch reference library
Rolex Submariner Date 16610
Produced 1988 to 2010. Discontinued.
- Replaced by the Rolex Submariner Date 116610LN
The Rolex Submariner Date 16610 is a 40mm stainless steel watch with the calibre 3135, water resistant to 300 meters, made 1988 to 2010.
Specifications
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Bezel
- Unidirectional, black anodized aluminum insert
- Dial
- Glossy black, with tritium lume on early dials, then Luminova and Super-LumiNova
- Movement
- Rolex calibre 3135, automatic
- Power reserve
- About 48 hours
- Water resistance
- 300 meters (1,000 feet)
- Crystal
- Sapphire, with Cyclops lens over the date
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet: reference 93150 with stamped end links on early watches, reference 93250 with solid end links from about 2000 Part number, lug width and links
- Bracelet part
- 93250, from Rolex's 2002 to 2008 price lists
- Lug width
- 20mm
The story
The first Submariner with a five-digit reference was the 16800 of 1979, which Fratello and Monochrome Watches credit with the model's first sapphire crystal, the calibre 3035, a Triplock crown and the 300-meter rating the Submariner still carries. The 16610 followed in 1988 and kept that case, 40mm across and rated to 300 meters, while bringing in the calibre 3135, a chronometer-certified automatic with a quickset date that Rolex went on to use in the Submariner Date for the next three decades.
It then ran for twenty-two years with changes you have to look for. Early watches have tritium dials, drilled lug holes and the 93150 bracelet with stamped end links. Luminova replaced tritium in the late 1990s, Super-LumiNova arrived around 2000 along with the 93250 bracelet and its solid end links, the lug holes disappeared in 2003, and from 2005 the rehaut carries a Rolex engraving. The dial design itself stayed the same from start to finish.
In 2003 a green-bezel sister reference, the 16610LV that collectors call the Kermit, joined it for the Submariner's fiftieth anniversary. In 2010 the 116610LN replaced the 16610 with a ceramic Cerachrom bezel, a broader case with thicker lugs and crown guards, a Maxi dial with Chromalight lume and a clasp with the tool-free Glidelock extension.
What to check before you buy
Fratello's five-digit guide notes that because the 16610 sold in such numbers over such a long run, the vast majority have been polished or have had their dials updated at service. So match the parts to the age: a tritium dial, drilled lugs and stamped end links belong together on an early watch, and a Super-LumiNova dial on a watch with drilled lugs may be a service replacement. Look along the lug bevels and case flanks for softened edges, since an unpolished example is the exception.
The aluminum bezel insert scratches and fades with sun and wear, and inserts are easy to swap, so judge the one fitted rather than assuming it is original. The stamped clasp with its wetsuit extension is correct for the whole run, not a sign of a replacement. The Cyclops over the date tells it apart from the Sea-Dweller 16600 of the same years, which has no Cyclops and a helium escape valve in the case side. The movement is the easy part: Fratello calls the 3135 bulletproof with regular servicing, so ask when it was last done.
Buying or selling a 16610?
Selling one? Text photos to (605) 521-2821 for an offer within hours, or ask for one below. Moda pays by wire or Zelle within 24 hours of receiving the watch, on its own insured label. Rather sell it yourself? Post it in the Moda watch groups and run the listing through the Post Checker first. Buying one from someone you don't know? Moda's middleman service inspects the watch at Moda HQ and the buyer pays the seller only after approving the condition report. When it ships, it goes fully insured through ShipIFS, the shipping vendor Moda uses for its own watches.
A Serial Check tells you whether this 16610 has been reported stolen and whether its dial and bracelet are the factory originals.
Moda-lytics tracks the live market price of this reference from real wholesale listings.
Moda Watch Club is the Moda group for luxury watches, and Moda Watch Club: 10K & Under covers watches below that line. Both are free to join with a join code.
Common questions
When was the Submariner 16610 made?
From 1988 to 2010, when the ceramic-bezel 116610LN replaced it. Fratello and Monochrome Watches both give 1988 as the first year.
What movement does the 16610 use?
The Rolex calibre 3135, a chronometer-certified automatic with a quickset date. The same calibre carried on into the 116610LN.
How can I tell an early 16610 from a late one?
Early watches have tritium dials, drilled lug holes and a 93150 bracelet with stamped end links. Solid end links and Super-LumiNova arrived around 2000, the lug holes went in 2003 and the engraved rehaut came in 2005.
What is the difference between the 16610 and the 116610LN?
The 116610LN of 2010 has a ceramic Cerachrom bezel instead of aluminum, a broader case with thicker lugs and crown guards, a Maxi dial with Chromalight lume and a clasp with the Glidelock extension. Both are 40mm and use the calibre 3135.
Is the 16610 the same watch as the Kermit?
The Kermit is the 16610LV, introduced in 2003 for the Submariner's fiftieth anniversary. It shares the 16610's case and movement but has a green aluminum bezel insert and a Maxi dial with larger markers.
Related references
Sources
The facts on this page come from the brand and from established watch publications.
- Fratello: The Rolex Submariner: Five-Digit Or Six-Digit, Which Side Are You On?
- Fratello: Your Ultimate Guide To Rolex Five-Digit Reference Sports Watches
- Fratello: The Rolex Submariner 16610 And Sea-Dweller 16600 Are Becoming Unaffordable
- Monochrome Watches: History of the Rolex Submariner, Part 3: The 5-Digit References
- Monochrome Watches: In-Depth: The Battle of Green Rolex Submariner, Kermit 16610LV vs. Starbucks 126610LV