Short answer
A green sub is a Rolex Submariner with a green bezel, and the phrase covers three different watches. Replicas of all three exist at very different quality levels. The cheap ones look wrong from two feet away. The best ones still fail under a loupe, and none of them are legal to sell or import into the United States.
Which green Submariner is being copied
Ask a seller which reference a replica is based on. The answer tells you whether they know the product at all.
- 16610LV "Kermit" (2003). Aluminum green bezel, black dial, 40mm case, drilled lugs on early examples. The 50th anniversary Submariner. Early inserts are called "flat four" because of the shape of the 4.
- 116610LV "Hulk" (2010). Green ceramic bezel plus a green sunburst dial, 40mm, thicker lugs and crown guards than the Kermit. This is the one most people picture when they say green sub.
- 126610LV "Starbucks" or "Cermit" (2020). Green ceramic bezel on a black dial, 41mm case, slimmer lugs, wider bracelet.
Replicas copy the Hulk most often, because green on green hides dial and print flaws. Kermit builds are harder to pull off and tend to be cheaper copies.
The three tiers you will see
Budget, under about $120. Mineral glass, a painted bezel insert that fades to teal in sun, a 21,600 bph movement, hollow end links that rattle, and a cyclops with no anti-reflective coating so the date washes out in daylight.
Middle, $200 to $350. Sapphire crystal, a real ceramic insert, 316L steel, a 2824 or 2836 clone or a Seiko NH movement, solid end links. It reads as a watch from across a table. It does not read as a Submariner to anyone who handles them.
Top tier, $450 and up. 904L steel, a clone of the 3135 running at 28,800 bph, engraved rehaut, correct crown guards, gen-spec hands, a cyclops at 2.5x with AR coating underneath. These get sold with factory names like Clean, VSF, ARF, or ZF attached. They are the closest the market gets, and they still cost more than a solid entry-level Swiss or Japanese diver.
What to check first
- Bezel insert in daylight, not under a lamp. Green ceramic shifts; painted inserts go flat and purple in sun.
- The pip at 12. On real inserts it sits inside a recessed triangle. On replicas it is often a glued dot sitting proud, or off center.
- Cyclops magnification. 2.5x is the number. Most replicas run closer to 1.5x and the date looks small and flat.
- Date wheel font. Open 6 and 9, correct serifs, centered in the window.
- Bracelet fit at the lugs. Gaps and a step between case and end link are the fastest tell in person.
- Winding and setting. A clone movement feels gritty and the crown threads catch.
Case thickness is the other one. Replica cases are often a half millimeter deep because the movement and spacer do not fit the way the real architecture does. Measure it.
Movements and water resistance, honestly
A replica 3135 is a copy of a design, not the design. Parts do not interchange with the real thing, and many local watchmakers will not touch it because they cannot source components. When it stops, you swap it out.
Water resistance is the part sellers oversell. A rating stamped on a caseback means nothing if the gaskets were never pressure tested. I would not swim in a replica and I would not shower in one. Seals and caseback torque are the first things factories skip.
The US legal picture
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, and that covers selling, not just manufacturing. Importing counterfeit trademarked goods is barred by 19 U.S.C. § 1526, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes shipments when it finds them. Buying one watch for yourself carries less exposure than reselling, but the package can still be taken, with no refund and no appeal. Reselling replicas, even disclosed as replicas, is where people get charged.
There is also no authorized replica dealer. Anyone promising a warranty, a service center, or "1:1 guaranteed" is describing a market with no enforcement and no recourse. Crypto and wire payments are gone the moment the box arrives empty or does not arrive at all.
Bottom line
If you want the green sub look, know which reference you are chasing, know that the top tier is the only one that survives a close look, and know it still will not survive a loupe, a service, or a customs inspection. A used Tudor, a Seiko diver, or a microbrand gets you a real movement, real water resistance, and a real warranty for similar money.