Rolex Kermit 16610LV: The Original Green Submariner
For the longest time, the main colors you would find in watches were black, white, or silver, usually on dials. Blue was an option if you wanted to add a bit of color. However, these days, a watch brand is selling itself short if they're not offering at least one green watch—and that's all thanks to the Rolex Submariner Kermit.
Rolex Submariner Kermit History
The Rolex Kermit, officially known as the Submariner Date 16610LV, was released in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Submariner. Unknown at the time, this introduction of green in the Rolex Submariner collection, would set off a chain of releases that would give us the Hulk (ref. 116610LV) and the Starbucks (ref. 126610LV), both highly sought after by Submariner enthusiasts.
Just a green bezel?
It's incredible to think that such a small change—adding a shade of color—could have such a massive impact. But that's exactly what the Kermit did. The logic was that since this was an anniversary model, Rolex wanted to use its signature color to commemorate 50 years since the release of the Submariner.
While this wasn’t the first Rolex tool watch to feature a colored bezel - the GMT Master had been sporting bicolor bezels since the original Pepsi of 1954, and even the gold and two-tone Submariners had blue bezels in the form of the 16613 and 16618 respectively, but the Kermit was the first time that a color other than black had been added to a stainless steel Rolex.
16610LV vs 16610
The green bezel wasn’t the only difference between the Kermit and a black 16610, it also featured what would come to be known as the Maxi dial. This dial was originally seen on the Yacht-Master which, ironically, was meant to be a replacement for the Submariner 16610 until it was decided that it would instead be a new line alongside the Submariner. It featured larger hands and indices which, when compared to the standard dial on the black 16610, made it much more legible.
This made the Kermit a transition model between the five-digit Submariner, which had been running since 1988, and the soon-to-be-released six-digit Submariners that would redefine the look and feel of the Submariner for the next 20-plus years. Indeed during the 7 years of production the Kermit kept the Maxi Dial while all the other 5 digit Submariners had the standard dial.
Movement & Specs
On the inside, it featured the Rolex Calibre 3135, a workhorse movement that had powered the Submariner as well as several other time and date Rolexes since 1988. After the Kermit was discontinued in 2010, its successor the 116610LV, also known as the Rolex Hulk, continued to use the Calibre 3135. It wasn’t until 2020 that the Submariner line started to use the uprated 3235.
| Rolex Submariner 16610LV | |
|---|---|
| Case/Bracelet Material | Stainless Steel |
| Bezel Material | Aluminium |
| Case Diameter | 40mm |
| Thickness | 12.6mm |
| Water Resistance | 300M |
| Calibre 3135 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacture | Rolex |
| Movement Type | Automatic |
| Power Reserve | 48 Hours |
| Complications | Date |
| Certifications | COSC, Superlative Chronometer |
More than an average Dive Watch
It was the green bezel that truly elevated the Kermit, and in turn the Submariner to be more than just a tool watch. The aluminum bezel insert could show different shades of green depending on how the light hit it, and variations in the manufacturing process created several variations on the Kermit that in turn made it highly collectible. Ironically, it was the imperfection caused by adding color to the bezel that helped it become so much more collectible than its equivalent, more utilitarian, black variation. This was a significant departure for Rolex, which had typically kept models it’s steel tool watches such as the Submariner, Sea Dweller and Explorer as monochromatic affairs with little room for error or individuality.
It was this break with tradition that made the Kermit more than just a tool; it became an expression of personality.
The Best Green Submariner
In my opinion, the Kermit is the best example of the green Submariners. Not only was it the first, but it also exemplifies the greatness of the five-digit Submariners. It had modern qualities like the Maxi dial but retained the older metal bezel and the sleeker case of the pre-supercase Submariners. It represented both a previous and current generation and marked the end of an era, as Rolex completely revamped the line only a few years after its introduction.
Compared to the Hulk, which lasted ten years, the Kermit had a relatively shorter lifespan, making it more uncommon and special. The Submariner Hulk may be the posterchild for green watches today, but arguably it was the Kermit that paved the way for it first. Considering the direction the watch industry has taken today - with everyone from Omega to Patek Philippe producing green bezels, dials, or both, on their own iconic models - it’s hard to ignore the impact of the Rolex Kermit.
