Details

Brand

Rolex

Model

Submariner

Reference

16610

Movement

Automatic cal. 3135

Case

40 mm

Metal

Stainless Steel

Circa

1995

Dial

Black

Bezel

Black Aluminium (Divers)

Condition

Good

Box/Papers

Open Papers

About this watch

Band: Steel (Oyster) Glass: Sapphire crystal Water Resistant: 10 Bar The Ref. 16610 arrived in 1989 as the direct successor to the 16800. It retained the same 40mm case, sapphire crystal, and aluminium bezel insert. It did, however, house the newly introduced calibre 3135 behind a 904L caseback. It became one of the longest-serving Submariner references in Rolex's history, remaining in production for over two decades. The 116610LN replaced the 16610 in 2010 with a thicker "Super Case," a ceramic Cerachrom bezel, and blue Chromalight lume in place of the tritium and Luminova used across the 16610's run. This example, from 1995, is early enough in that run to carry the original tritium lume rather than the Luminova that Rolex introduced later in the decade. The black dial features white gold luminous hour markers and the classic Mercedes handset filled with tritium. Tritium, a radioluminescent material, ages over time to a warm cream or honey tone on a dial of this age, a trait many collectors specifically look for. The 40mm Oyster case pairs a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with a black unidirectional aluminium rotating diver's bezel. Thanks to its screw-down Triplock crown and solid construction, the watch is pressure-resistant to 30 bar/300m, a rating suited to most diving applications. As with any vintage piece, we'd recommend a pressure test before relying on it in the water. Power comes from the calibre 3135, an automatic, COSC-certified chronometer movement operating at 4Hz (28,800vph), the same movement Rolex would carry through into the 116610LN over a decade later. The 3135 is known for its ease of servicing, shock resistance, and parts availability. This watch has just been through our service centre, Watch Tech, and is covered by our…