The Rolex Submariner is one of the most recognizable and popular watches in the world, and like most Rolexes, needs no introduction. First created in the 1950s and with evolution rather than revolution in mind, the Submariner has endured until today with its design language still largely intact.
The Submariner 11610 was introduced in the ’90s and was produced for over two decades. While the standard version featured the familiar black dial with black bezel, in 2003, Rolex surprised the world when it introduced the 11610LV. With ‘LV’ standing for Lunette Verde, the new Submariner featured a green bezel instead of the usual black and was made to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the model line. You have to see this in context, as while other brands chop and change their models all the time, Rolex in general, does not. There is a reason why as mentioned, a Submariner from the 50s still looks similar to the one made today.
Nicknamed the ‘Kermit’ for its green bezel, the 11610LV was produced for 7 years only before it was discontinued. Furthermore, as the production of the Kermit had variances throughout its lifetime, there were several marks of the Kermit, all subtle, but exactly the recipe of making something collectible.
This particular example is an M serial watch, meaning it’s one of the later Kermits to be produced. Most notably it features a rehaut ring that Rolex only introduced around 2007. While this piece is considered an ordinary Kermit, the early watches with the famed ‘Flat Four’ bezels are highly collectible, as are the B3 Lime inserts that featured a faded lime green, only produced in the mid-2000’s- you can imagine how deep just one reference can get.
I have very high hopes for the Kermit as not only a great looking and highly unusual Rolex, but also as a solid investment piece for the future. This is really the first time Rolex introduced color to its stainless steel Submariner and as an anniversary piece coupled with the variances and its relatively short production life, it is still a highly undervalued watch.
