The Original Frog Watch Leaps In On Monday — Rolex Submariner 16610LV “Kermit”

Even when something is objectively better, it could still be subjectively worse. I’m sure you can think of an example, be it cars, hi-fi equipment, boats, or watches, of course. When I had an unexpected encounter with the Rolex Submariner 16610LV “Kermit,” all kinds of thoughts went through my head. Yes, the current “Sub” is a better watch when it comes to specs. But this neo-vintage “Kermit” with its Mark I dial and B2 “Flat 4” bezel is so much more charming than the younger and much bulkier “Hulk” or the “Starbucks” with all its full-fat frizzles on top.

Do you hear “Shake, Rattle and Roll” by Big Joe Turner in your head as soon as you pick up a Rolex from yesteryear? I do. And that’s a good thing. This 1954 up-tempo blues song puts a smile on your face. So does many a (neo-)vintage Rolex, and the green-bezel Submariner 16610LV “Kermit” puts a smile from ear to ear on mine.

Rolex Submariner 16610LV “Kermit” — the original “frog watch” dissected

In 2003, Rolex marked the 50th anniversary of the Submariner by releasing the reference 16610LV. Rolex allowed its frivolous side to shine through by introducing a fourth-generation Sub with a green bezel, the house color of the Genevan brand. The Submariner 16610 had the letters “LV” added to the reference number, meaning “Lunette Verte.” And because nearly every sports Rolex has a nickname, this celebratory Sub also got one — “Kermit.” It’s a nickname just as charming as the world-famous green host of an enormously popular variety show.

Apart from the funky bezel, the dial of the “Kermit” also showed another change. It was a “Maxi” dial with enlarged hour markers and hands. But apart from the aesthetic changes, the Kermit is every inch a Sub. There’s the 40mm Oyster case in 904L stainless steel, the Triplock screw-down crown with guards, a solid screw-in case back, plus a flat sapphire crystal with a Cyclops on top to magnify the date below. Do I need to remind you that every 16610 Sub carries a 300m depth rating and measures 12.8mm thick, 47.6mm long, and 20mm between the lugs?

Why “Kermit”?

The nickname is spot on, but it’s not just the green aluminum bezel insert that inspired it. Have a good look at the large, round white indexes, and then think of the real Kermit’s eyes. You see? The Submariner 16610LV has both the color and the eyes of Kermit!

As I wrote before, a slightly rattly Rolex of yesteryear puts a smile on my face. Yes, the current 126610 might be objectively better; the current caliber 3235 has a power reserve of 70 hours, for instance, while the previous caliber 3135 could “only” muster 48 hours. But this slightly bigger 41mm luxury tool watch, although incredibly impressive in terms of build quality, is also a very “serious” watch. Even the current LV, the watch that got the nickname “Starbucks,” is not as lighthearted and fun as the original LV, the 50th-anniversary Kermit.

The current Sub looks like it has a membership to the gym and goes there three to four times a week. The Kermit, on the other hand, is just a lean and athletic creature by nature. It doesn’t try hard to look fit, it just does because of great genes. And that’s why the slightly rattly Kermit makes me smile broadly.

Kermit comes in different guises

No brand is under scrutiny as much as Rolex. Collectors investigate every little detail and analyze their findings to the bone. What fascinates me is that Rolex just seems to produce watches to the best of its abilities and with no deeper meaning, while fans of the brand try to find deeper reasoning behind certain details and differences. But still, if you look at Rolex watches as the product of rational evolution, the different stages of progress and how they present themselves are quite fascinating. Just look at the evolution of the frog, sorry, the Kermit.

There are several sub-generations of the Kermit that were in production between 2000 and 2007, each displaying subtle aesthetic differences. There are five different versions of the unidirectional bezel, for instance. The “Flat 4” version is the most famous and sought-after one. And, as you can see by looking at the “40” mark on the bezel, the Kermit that jumped into Fratello HQ is a Flat 4. For your information, only the 2003 Y- and 2004 F-serial models show this particular typography. Later versions have a pointier “4” on the green bezel insert. The bezel insert also comes in different green hues. The B1 insert, which was the first series, shows an olive-green color, which resulted in yet another nickname, “Bertolli.” So it is possible to own a Rolex Submariner 16610LV Kermit Flat 4, B1, Bertolli. It’s a bit much, I think. Anyway, the Kermit at hand is a Flat 4 with a B2 insert.

The “Oval O’s” and “Round O’s”

If you think it ends with bezel variations, you’re wrong. There are also different dials to analyze — five, to be exact, and even six if you also count a possible service dial. Without diving into too many details, there are “Oval O’s” and “Round O’s.” The Kermit at hand has a Mark I dial, which has a flattened, oval-shaped “O” in the Rolex signature. And for those who want to dive even deeper, there’s something to see at 6 o’clock. There, the minute markers from 28 to 32 are shorter than on later dials, and the “Swiss Made” wording extends past them. Rolex connoisseurs call this “Wide” typography.

We’re not finished yet. There’s still the case and the bracelet to inspect. Well, Kermit came in two case varieties, the Non-Engraved Rehaut (NER) case and the Engraved Rehaut (ER) one. As the repetitive “ROLEX” words are not on the rehaut, “our” Kermit has the NER case. Finally, there’s the bracelet. This is a simple matter since the 16610 only came on the Oyster bracelet ref. 93250, a brushed steel bracelet with solid outer and hollow center links. And this leads me to a somewhat ludicrous summary of the watch that is center stage in this article. Here goes: Rolex Submariner 16610LV Kermit, Flat 4, B2, Mark I Wide, NER.

Final words on the Rolex Kermit

When the Submariner 16610LV Kermit came to the market in 2003, the price of the watch was €3,950. Its last list price before it was discontinued in 2010 had risen to €6,700. And if you want to buy a Kermit now, please be ready to shell out a lot more. The Kermit isn’t exactly an endangered species, with 490 live “critters” on Chrono24 alone at the time of publishing. But there are humungous price differences between the various “subspecies.” There are €12K versions that were created at the end of the watch’s production run. But there are also earlier Flat 4 examples that go for double that price.

The prices are more or less comparable to those of the later Hulk and Starbucks Subs. As a watch, however, the Kermit stands out. It’s the last of the aluminum-bezel Subs, and therefore, in my eyes, it is the last charming Sub. The technically superior Subs with scratch-resistant and color-stable ceramic bezels, beefier cases, and unrivaled bracelets and clasps are just too serious to be charming. Come to think of it, the ceramic bezel is like a hairdo with too much gel in it — perfect down to the last hair but a tad artificial and overthought.

An aluminum bezel, on the other hand, is like the nonchalant look you have at the end of a glorious day at the beach. It’s a bit wild and ruffled but casually phenomenal. The current Subs are just too good to be true, and on top of that, they are, now more than ever, status symbols. In my opinion, the 16610LV Kermit, no matter what subspecies, is the best and last of its kind. It’s fun, special, charismatic, lively, reliable, and so many other good things. Come to think of it, it’s everything you need from your partner…I mean “watch.”