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Rolex Submariner Date
Ref. 116619LB
Sits in Rolex’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rolex watches we list, which start at £5,355.
Price range £5,355 to £125,000 across 74 Rolex watches in stock.Launched in 2008 to mark the Submariner's 55th anniversary, the 116619LB was the first Submariner ever made in white gold — and Rolex chose a particular kind. Rather than rhodium-plated white gold, which gradually warms and yellows, they cast the case from a proprietary grey-gold alloy in their own foundry. The tone stays cool and consistent for the life of the watch. The blue ceramic bezel and flat lacquered dial were matched deliberately, which is how the reference earned the nickname "Smurf" almost immediately after release. At 227 grams on the bracelet, you are aware of it on the wrist in a way a steel Submariner never quite achieves. The Super Case profile introduced here — squared lugs, pronounced crown guards — reads as more muscular than the earlier Submariner generations, and the 40mm footprint understates how much wrist it actually occupies. The Calibre 3135 inside is fitted with a blue Parachrom hairspring and a Breguet overcoil, a combination that gives it better resistance to magnetism and shocks than a conventional hairspring. The Glidelock system in the clasp adjusts in 2mm increments across a range wide enough to move from a bare wrist to a wetsuit cuff without tools, which matters if this is going near water. The Chromalight lume runs blue rather than the green most divers carry, consistent with the rest of the dial in a way that only becomes apparent in darkness.
- Reference
- 116619LB
- Brand
- Rolex
- Collection
- Submariner
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 12.3mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- White gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 3135
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47.8mm
- Power reserve
- 48 hours
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf & Davis in London in 1905 with his brother-in-law Alfred Davis, importing Swiss movements and casing them in England. He registered the name Rolex in 1908 — short, pronounceable in any language, and easy to fit on a dial.
Wilsdorf's conviction was that the wristwatch, then regarded as a woman's ornament and hopelessly fragile, could be made accurate and durable. He proved the first half in 1910 by obtaining the first chronometer certification for a wristwatch, and the second in 1926 with the Oyster case, sealed by a screw-down crown and caseback. Mercedes Gleitze swam the Channel wearing one in 1927, and Wilsdorf bought the front page of the Daily Mail to say so — arguably the first modern watch marketing campaign.
The Perpetual rotor followed in 1931, giving automatic winding in a form the whole industry eventually copied. The company relocated to Geneva during the First World War to escape British wartime duties.
The professional models arrived in a compressed burst in the 1950s: Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master, Milgauss, and later the Daytona. Each was built for a specific job — diving, exploration, aviation, laboratory work, racing — and each became a design template.
Wilsdorf left his shares to a private foundation on his death, so Rolex answers to no shareholders. It remains the largest producer of certified chronometers in Switzerland by a wide margin.
- 1905
- Hans Wilsdorf founds Wilsdorf & Davis in London.
- 1908
- The Rolex name is registered.
- 1926
- The Oyster case introduces genuine water resistance.
- 1931
- The Perpetual rotor brings modern automatic winding.
- 1953
- The Submariner and Explorer launch.
- 1963
- The Cosmograph Daytona arrives.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,528), Automatic Watches (1,693), Blue Dial Watches (822), Sports Watches (746), Dive Watches (528) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (344).
2-year Goldsmiths warranty
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 300m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Rolex's more premium watches
Rolex Submariner Date alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification |  116619LB | X55AC686 | 26120ST.OO.1220ST.03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £39,650 | £32,995 | £39,950 |
| Case size | 40mm | 42.5mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 150m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 48 hours | 52 hours | 38 hours |
| This watch |
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|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 300m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 48 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 47.8mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Goldsmiths and Goldsmiths list it at £39,650, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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