Rolex
Submariner Date
116613LB
Two-tone Submariner in steel and gold, dressed in deep ocean blue.
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Overview
The Rolex Submariner Date reference 116613LB is the blue-dial expression of the two-tone Submariner line, pairing a 40 mm Oyster case crafted from Oystersteel and yellow gold with a rich blue dial and matching blue Cerachrom bezel insert. It belongs to one of watchmaking's most enduring diver lineages, the Submariner, which Rolex has refined continuously since the 1950s. The 116613LB occupied the two-tone Submariner position from 2009 until 2020, when it was succeeded by the enlarged 41 mm generation.
History
Rolex introduced the 116613LB in 2009 as part of a broader update to the Submariner family, bringing a larger 40 mm case, a redesigned crown-guard profile, and the scratch-resistant Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert to the two-tone configuration. The reference replaced the earlier 16613, carrying forward the classic Oystersteel-and-yellow-gold combination that had defined the luxury tier of the Submariner line for decades. Production continued for approximately eleven years, making the 116613LB a long-running and widely recognised reference before the transition to the current 126613LB in 2020.
Notable points
- The 40 mm Oyster case combines Oystersteel with yellow gold on the bezel, crown, and bracelet centre links — a hallmark of the two-tone Submariner aesthetic.
- The blue Cerachrom bezel insert, introduced with this generation, offers virtually scratch-proof hardness and long-term colour stability that earlier aluminium inserts could not match.
- Calibre 3135, the movement powering the 116613LB, is a self-winding manufacture movement with a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, offering a 48-hour power reserve.
- The sunburst blue dial coordinates with the Cerachrom bezel, giving the reference a visually cohesive identity that distinguishes it from the black-dial sibling, the 116613LN.
- Produced from 2009 to 2020, the 116613LB represents the final 40 mm chapter of the two-tone Submariner Date, lending it a natural milestone status among Submariner collectors.
