Short answer
The Rolex 116610LV is the 40mm stainless steel Submariner Date with a green ceramic bezel and a green dial, produced from 2010 to 2020 and nicknamed the Hulk. Because it sold at a high price and stayed popular, counterfeit versions are everywhere. Most fakes give themselves away at the bezel insert, the dial finish, the date magnifier, and the rehaut engraving. A genuine example has a green Cerachrom insert with platinum-coated numerals, a sunburst green dial, and a 2.5x cyclops over the date.
What the 116610LV actually is
- Reference 116610LV, Submariner Date, 40mm Oystersteel case
- Production run: 2010 to 2020, replaced by the 126610LV with a black dial
- Bezel: green Cerachrom ceramic insert, numerals and graduations filled with platinum
- Dial: green sunburst finish with Chromalight lume
- Movement: calibre 3135, 28,800 vibrations per hour, about 48 hours of power reserve
- Water resistance: 300 meters
- Bracelet: Oyster with Glidelock clasp
Before you inspect any watch
Work in daylight or under a bright neutral lamp. Use a loupe of 10x or better and a phone camera for macro shots. Do not open a case back unless you own the watch or have written permission from the owner.
Step-by-step: how to tell a fake 116610LV
- Start with the bezel insert. Genuine Cerachrom is a deep even green with platinum fill that sits flush and catches light. Fakes show printed numerals, a milky or yellow-green tone, or a plastic gloss.
- Tilt the watch toward a light source. The genuine dial is sunburst green that shifts from bright to dark as the angle changes. Fakes hold one flat shade with no gradient.
- Look at the date window. The genuine cyclops magnifies 2.5x with the date centered and the typeface sharp. Fakes show warped magnification, an off-center date, or thin lettering.
- Check the rehaut, the inner ring between dial and crystal. A genuine 116610LV repeats ROLEX and the coronet around the ring, engraved so each mark lines up with a minute marker. Fakes are shallow, uneven, or shifted.
- Study the hour markers under the loupe. Genuine plots sit in polished surrounds with even white Chromalight and clean edges. Fakes show crooked markers or lume that has a different tone from the hands.
- Examine the crown guards and lugs. Genuine guards are asymmetric with polished top faces and crisp lug holes. Fakes run thick, soft, or unequal from side to side.
- Weigh the bracelet in your hand and check the clasp. Genuine Oystersteel has a dense feel, and the Glidelock clasp carries deep, clean engraving. Fakes feel light and show shallow stamps.
- Check the beat rate if you can see the movement. The calibre 3135 runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and hacks when the crown is pulled out. Many fakes use a decorated movement with a different rate or a loose rotor. This step needs a watchmaker.
- Match the reference and serial. The reference is engraved between the lugs at 12 o'clock. The serial sits on the rehaut at 6 o'clock on later examples. Compare both with the card and any service records.
Legal and practical risk in the US
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. 2320, and trademark owners can pursue civil damages under the Lanham Act. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at ports and destroys them. Outside the courtroom, most replica sellers take payment through methods that offer no chargeback, and buyers report packages that never arrive or watches that look nothing like the listing photos.
How to verify a genuine example
Take the watch to an authorized Rolex retailer or to a watchmaker who services Rolex movements. Ask for a movement inspection and a timing check on a timegrapher. Keep the box, warranty card, and service paperwork, since those documents carry weight at resale and during any later authentication.