Short answer
A 116610LV copy is a replica of the Rolex Submariner Date 116610LV, the green-dial, green-bezel "Hulk" that Rolex made from 2010 to 2020. Copies run from cheap quartz novelties to builds that use a clone of the calibre 3135, a ceramic bezel insert with filled markers, and a sunburst green dial with correct printing. If you want one that reads right on the wrist, shop the top tier and check four things before anything else: bezel insert color, dial texture, date font, and how the end links sit against the case.
What the 116610LV actually is
Forty millimeter steel case. Green Cerachrom bezel insert. Green sunburst dial. 300 m of water resistance. Calibre 3135 inside. Collectors named it the Hulk for the color, not the bulk, though it does wear thicker than the no-date 114060 and noticeably heavier than the older five-digit 16610LV.
That matters here because the original is entirely measurable. Case width, lug profile, crown guard shape, crystal height, bracelet taper, clasp width. A good copy copies those numbers. A bad one guesses at them.
How the copy market tiers out
Three rough bands, and you can feel the difference in your hand within a minute.
- Entry tier. Cheap automatic or quartz movement, painted or flat-stamped bezel insert, dial that looks olive rather than green. The bracelet rattles and the date font is wrong. Fine as a novelty, not as a daily wearer.
- Mid tier. Usually an A2836 or similar ETA-pattern movement. Case shape is close, the crystal is sapphire, the insert is real ceramic. The tells hide in the details: cyclops magnification, rehaut engraving depth, gaps between the end links and the lugs.
- Top tier. Clone 3135 family movements (VS3135, VR3135 and similar), 904L or 316L case, ceramic insert with platinum-style filled markers, proper sunburst dial, tight SEL fitment, signed crown, correct clasp stamping. This is the tier that deserves the term 1:1.
What separates a good 116610LV copy from a weak one
Bezel insert. The original green Cerachrom is deep and a touch muted, with markers filled so they sit nearly flush. Copies tend to run too bright, too flat, or too yellow. Photos lie about this. Daylight does not.
Dial. The sunburst should shift from dark forest to bright emerald as you rotate your wrist. Printing needs clean edges, a correct coronet, and even spacing across the SUBMARINER line. Blurry text at 10x magnification is the fastest tell there is.
Date and cyclops. Expect roughly 2.5x magnification, a centered date, and correct shapes on the 6 and 9. A cyclops with no anti-reflective coating throws a white glare that the real thing does not.
Case and lugs. Wide lugs, squared crown guards, and no drilled lug holes. The 116610 moved away from drilled lugs, so visible holes on the case sides are a giveaway of an older or cheaper case.
Bracelet. Oyster, 20 mm at the lugs, tapering to about 16 mm at the clasp. End links should sit flush with no step and no daylight underneath.
Movements in plain terms
An A2836 is cheap to replace, easy to service at any local watchmaker, and sweeps at 28,800 vph. It also sets the date differently and winds with a coarser feel, which anyone who handles the real calibre 3135 will notice.
A clone 3135 mimics the architecture of the original, including the winding direction and date quickset behavior. It looks closer through a display back and feels closer on the crown. The tradeoff is service cost. Not every watchmaker will touch one, and parts availability varies by factory batch.
Either way, expect around 40 hours of power reserve and accept that a $200 movement will not hold chronometer-grade time. A minute or two a day is normal.
A pre-purchase checklist
- Ask which factory built it and which movement is installed. Vague answers usually mean the cheapest option.
- Request photos in daylight, not studio light. Bezel color is the whole point of this reference.
- Ask for a straight-on case profile shot to judge lug thickness and crystal height.
- Confirm the insert is ceramic, not aluminum or coated steel.
- Ask whether the bracelet has solid end links or folded ones.
- Check the seller's return policy. If there is none, walk.
Living with one
Water resistance is claimed, not guaranteed. Gaskets on replica cases are inconsistent, so get it pressure tested before you swim, or simply don't swim in it. Rinse the bracelet with fresh water after heavy sweat, and keep it away from chlorine. If the movement starts losing more than a few minutes a day, a service costs more than the watch in some cases, so weigh that honestly.
The legal side, briefly
Replica watches infringe Rolex trademarks. Owning one is a personal decision. Selling one as genuine, or passing it off as an original in a trade, is fraud, and that line is worth respecting.