What Happened to the Rolex Hulk?
With Rolex releasing a whole new generation of Oyster Perpetual Submariner watches that feature a slightly larger 41mm case, a remodeled bracelet, and their newer movement, calibre 3235, one of the most popular Rolex watches ever made and a grail of watch collecting is now discontinued from production. That watch is the Rolex Submariner 116610LV, colloquially known as the HULK.
If you thought people were transfixed by this epic timepiece before, it is even crazier now. The second hand market is going green bananas for the Rolex Hulk…
ROLEX HULK HISTORY
It all started in 1953, when René-Paul Jeanneret, a Rolex board of directors member and expert diver, came up with the idea for a divers watch that also doubled as a sophisticated, aesthetically pleasing, everyday timepiece.
He envisioned a watch that was more than just water-resistant. He wanted a true divers watch that could plunge deep into the sea.
At the time, Panerai was a subsidiary of Rolex and they were producing diver’s watches. So, they would be able to take expedite the process of creating a highly-advanced diver’s watch.
René-Paul Jeanneret brought this idea to Hans Wilsdorf and he was on board without hesitation.
Testing begins
To make certain that they would produce only the best of the best diver’s watch, and to make some noise in the media, Rolex consulted the famous diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
They immediately got to work. It wasn’t long before Rolex produced a serious driver’s watch.
The R&D phase involved the new watch design being attached to the hull of a deep-diving submarine. It plunged deep down to more than 3,000 meters below the ocean’s surface.
When the submarine resurfaced, the Rolex team was thrilled to see the watch was still intact and functional.
From there, Rolex tested it with deep sea divers, including Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The word got out and people were brimming with interesting.
BaselWorld 1954
Months later when the Basel Fair hit, Rolex unveiled the “diver’s friend”, their new diver’s watch named the Submariner.
It was a stunning wristwatch with a matte black dial, powerfully luminous hands, and a rotating bezel with a 60-minute graduation.
The watch used a screw-down crown via a patented Twinlock mechanism. It was guaranteed waterproofness to 100 meters.
100 meters to 300 meters
The original Submariner was water-resistant to 100 meters, but less than a year after its release, Rolex introduced a new Submariner reference that was water-resistant down to 200 meters. This was a real game-changer, as divers rarely go below 200m. It wasn’t long before the Submariner was a household name. It transcended the diver’s community, it transcended the Rolex watch community, and it became a watch sought after by serious collectors and casual watch wearers alike.
Now, it wasn’t until 1977 that the Rolex Submariner got the water-resistant rating that we still have to this day, 300 meters (or 1,000 feet).
Over the years, we saw a lot of iterations to the Submariner, such as tweaks to the design, color schemes, movement upgrades, and material upgrades. However, it always kept its fundamental design. A new Submariner is instantly recognizable to the original design, even with the original design not having the “Submariner” written on the dial.
2010 – The Introduction of the Rolex Hulk
In 2010, Rolex unveiled the Submariner reference 116610LV, which would soon receive the nickname, the Hulk.
As we know, green is the official color of Rolex. But, they had never used the color on their watches.
The Hulk was the successor to the first Rolex Submariner (and Rolex watch in general) to use the color green, the Rolex Submariner “Kermit” reference 16610LV. The Kermit Rolex commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Submariner in 2003.
However, unlike the Hulk, the Kermit only used green in the bezel. The Hulk, which replaced the Kermit in 2010, had a green bezel and a green dial. It was also a more robust version of the Kermit’s 40mm case, hence the name Hulk…
Let’s dive into the features of the Rolex Submariner 116610LV, better known as the Rolex Hulk.
ROLEX HULK CHARACTERISTICS
Let’s first discuss the most obvious characteristic of the Rolex Hulk, it’s distinctive green color. The green color is found on the watch’s unidirectional bezel and its sizable dial. It changes from bright green to dark green depending on the lighting. In theory, green all over the face of a watch is probably an overkill, but in actuality, it works magnificently, which is why the Hulk is not only one of Rolex’s most popular watches, but it is also one of the most popular watches in the world.
The green dial is contrasted beautifully by the maxi dials eye-catching white gold appliqués and Mercedes-style hands. The iconic circle, rectangle and triangle indices are white in the light and powerfully bright bluish-green in the dark…as is the robust hour and minutes hand. The Rolex Hulk is a date Submariner so it also has the prominent date window at its 3 o’clock.
As for the case of the Rolex Hulk, it is a super case, which played in perfectly to its nickname. It is more robust and it wears larger lug-to-lug than the Rolex Kermit even though they are both 40mm cases.
Like the sporty Oysterbracelet, the Rolex Hulk’s case is made from the highly durable 904L stainless steel, which is the same steel used in the aerospace industry. Everything is polished to perfection. The finishing on the case and bracelet is like the watch as a whole, superb…
Back to the mesmerizing green bezel, which is more than just looks, it has important functionality as well…
The bezel has a 60-minute graduation on it with a lume dot at the top. The bezel is what diver’s use to keep track of time underwater.
It probably goes without saying, but it is a rotating bezel. The rotation is unidirectional, that way divers can’t accidentally turn it in a way that prolongs their diving time. If by some chance it accidentally turned, it can only decrease their diving time. As you can imagine, this is a very important feature when you are diving as you have limited oxygen supple.
That said, the bezel doesn’t just rotate with a flick. You need to grip it and turn. That’s why it has the serrated edges so you can grip it, even with a diving suit on.
What’s more, the bezel is made from Rolex’s patented ceramic called Cerachrom. It is a zirconium oxide ceramic, which makes it extremely durable. It won’t scratch and it won’t fade, so the bezel will look like new for a very long time. The 2003 Rolex Kermit did not have this feature. It had a scratch-able and fade-able aluminum bezel insert.
As for its waterproofness, the Hulk uses a screw-down crown with a Triplock triple waterproof system, as Submariner’s have for the last several decades. This guarantees the watch 1,000 feet of water resistance.
Overall, the Rolex Hulk is highly versatile in style and function. It’s not just a watch for divers or collectors, it’s a watch you want to wear everyday and on any occasion. In fact, it is more than just a wristwatch, it is a status symbol and a historical timepiece. If you see a green-faced luxury timepiece, it better be a Submariner, because Rolex owns this look.
ROLEX HULK DISCONTINUED
If you didn’t know, know you know that the Rolex Hulk Submariner reference 116610LV has been discontinued as of 2020. When the word got out about it being discontinued late last year, the secondary market felt the news in a profound way. The prices started rising, and quickly. People already held high esteem for the Rolex Hulk, it was a Rolex grail, alongside watches like the GMT-Master II Pepsi and Batman and the white and black bezel steel Daytona. Waiting lists at authorized Rolex dealers had the Hulk at 2-3 years. Because of that, even when it was in production, most people got their Rolex Hulk on the secondary market. Now, there is no other choice, and the price has jumped. You are looking at paying a minimum of $22,000 for a pre-owned Rolex Hulk in good condition.
Why was the Rolex Hulk discontinued?
The Rolex Hulk was discontinued because Rolex made some changes to the Submariner collection. All of the 2020 models are now 41mm, rather than 40mm, and they have an updated Oyster bracelet and a new and improved movement, the Calibre 3235. This new movement has many new patents and it offers 70 hours of power reserve rather than 48 hours power reserve the Hulk’s calibre 3135 workhorse had.
As such, with these pending upgrades, the Hulk Submariner 116610LV was simply outdated. The specs just weren’t up to scratch anymore.
But why didn’t they make the new 2020 model with the same green on green design?
If you are familiar with the new Rolex Submariner watches, you know that the Kermit is back. The 2020 Rolex Submariner 126610LV has a black dial with a green bezel, just like the Kermit of 2003, except with all of the new updates.
The Kermit was a slam dunk and people are thrilled to have it back. However, a lot of people are disappointed that the new Submariners don’t have the Hulk version. It probably goes without saying that Rolex wasn’t going to do both the Kermit and Hulk at the same time. How could they when they are essentially the same watch (more on this in a moment).
So, the question is, will the green dial and green bezel Rolex Submariner be back someday?
Only time will tell, we have a feeling it will. It’s only a matter of time. We very well may see the Kermit discontinued in the future in place of the Rolex Hulk.
PS. Some people are calling the new Kermit Rolex the “Hermit” – Hulk + Kermit – due to its size. Not sure that will stick as you are going to hear it called the new Kermit 9 out of 10 times.
ROLEX KERMIT VS ROLEX HULK – DIFFERENT WATCH OR JUST AN UPDATE?
Here is something many people don’t really consider, the Kermit and the Hulk Rolex are really the same watch. At least according to Rolex they are. Look at the reference numbers as this tells it all. The original Rolex Kermit was 16610LV, then the Hulk was the 116610LV, and now the new Kermit is the 126610LV. This is exactly how Rolex advances all of their famous watches. The Rolex Pepsi’s references have changed in the same manner over the years (they are all BLRO), but no one is calling it a different name because the dial and bezel color combo has remained the same.
Again, in Rolex eye’s the watches are the same. The reference number change is simply an indication of advancement in design and function. The Rolex Kermit had an aluminum bezel and the previous generation’s 40mm Oyster case. The Rolex Hulk had a ceramic bezel with a 40mm “Super Case”. Both watches had the calibre 3135. Both watches were labeled “LV”.
The point is, Rolex didn’t really discontinue the watch, they’ve just updated it. But, in the eyes of the Rolex community, this was, in fact, a discontinuation. We won’t argue the fact. The green dial vs black dial does make a big difference.
If we had to guess, we think the “Hulk” will be back eventually. Until then, how the Hulk being discontinued will effect the secondary market, we can’t be certain.
Anyway, we thought that this was an important aspect of the Rolex Hulk, so we wanted to get this off our chest. Now, let’s talk current prices for the Rolex Hulk Submariner 116610LV.
PRE-OWNED ROLEX HULK SUBMARINER 116610LV PRICE
When the Hulk was still in production, the price was around $10,000 MSRP. The secondary market’s pre-owned Rolex Hulk price was around $15,000-$17,000 (long waiting list = premium prices on the second-hand market).
Since word got out about the Rolex Hulk 116610LV being discontinued, prices have been steadily increasing. Right now, the price is ranging from $22,000 to $25,000 for a good condition used Rolex Hulk 116610LV.
Is the Rolex Submariner Hulk a good investment?
First of all, the Rolex Hulk is one of Rolex’s most popular watches ever. So, that automatically makes it a good investment. Those who were lucky enough to buy one new would have more than a 100% return on investment now.
But, is it still a good investment in terms of resale value? It seems so. If you had bought the Rolex Hulk within the last year, you would be able to sell it for more right now. The price on the second-hand market continues to increase.
WHERE CAN I BUY A ROLEX HULK NOW?
If you live in Boca Raton or you are ok with buying online, you can get The Rolex Submariner 116610LV “Hulk” at Diamonds By Raymond Lee. We are Boca Raton’s #1 seller of pre-owned Rolex watches. We have the largest collection of Rolex watches in the area and we’ve been in the business for nearly 4 decades. Our reputation precedes us.
See the full sales listing for the Rolex Hulk
