Rolex Submariner Date 16610LV “Kermit” — Green Bezel, 40 mm Stainless Steel, Box & Papers (2006)

LTFL Background and Ownership History

Luxury Time For Less® was extremely fortunate to discover and purchase this ONE OWNER, excellent-condition Submariner — the reference collectors know simply as the “Kermit.” Beyond its sterling condition, this one arrives complete with its box, papers and hang tags, which for a Kermit is a genuinely rare find. A great many of these have long since been separated from their paperwork.

The Oyster bracelet and clasp carry a few very minor scratches, and LTFL made a deliberate decision not to polish them before listing — the next proud owner may well prefer the watch exactly as it is. If you would rather it were polished, we will have that done at no charge before shipping, which is also free.

This stunning example is sold with LTFL’s full one-year warranty covering defects in the movement, case and bracelet arising under normal wear, so the next owner can buy with confidence.

Condition, Box and Papers

Presented in excellent overall condition throughout. The 40 mm stainless steel case retains strong, well-defined lines, the green bezel insert is clean and correct, and the black dial and luminous hands are crisp and unmarked. The automatic movement is running as it should.

The watch is accompanied by its original Rolex presentation box, its original papers and its hang tags — the full set. Wrist size is currently 7 inches.

Based in St. Louis, Missouri — serving collectors across the United States. Questions about this Submariner, or looking to source or sell one of your own? Call Rich directly at 314-210-4661.

Heritage and Brand Origins

Rolex was founded in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf, who moved the company to Geneva, Switzerland a decade later. From the very beginning, Wilsdorf was obsessed with two things: precision and waterproofing. In 1926 Rolex introduced the Oyster, the world’s first commercially successful waterproof wristwatch case. In 1953 the company turned that expertise toward the sea with the Submariner — the first wristwatch guaranteed waterproof to 100 meters, and the watch by which every other diver has been measured ever since.

Fifty years later, in 2003, Rolex marked the Submariner’s half-century with reference 16610LV. It kept everything that made the 16610 a benchmark — the 40 mm Oyster case, the Triplock screw-down crown, the automatic Caliber 3135 — and added one thing no Submariner had ever worn before or has worn since in aluminum: a green bezel. Collectors named it the “Kermit” almost immediately, and the LV in the reference stands for lunette verte, French for green bezel.

Produced only until 2010, the 16610LV is the last Submariner of the old school — aluminum bezel insert rather than ceramic, drilled-lug proportions, a slimmer case than anything that followed. Its successors wear larger and shinier. This one still wears like a tool watch, and that is precisely why demand for clean, complete examples has not let up.

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