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Entrepreneur Alan Sugar spotted wearing Rolex

Lord Alan Sugar was recently spotted on a new episode of the BBC's The Apprentice wearing a Rolex Submariner Date reference 116610LV — the model collectors know simply as the 'Hulk.' For a show built on boardroom power dynamics, the choice of wrist wear is rarely accidental, and Sugar's all-green Submariner sends a clear signal.

Rolex introduced the 116610LV in 2010 as a successor to the earlier 16610LV, which had featured an aluminium bezel insert. The new reference brought a full Cerachrom ceramic bezel in green — the first green ceramic bezel Rolex had ever produced — paired with a distinctive sunburst green dial. The 40mm Oyster case in 904L stainless steel houses the Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Rolex's Parachrom hairspring, and a date complication at 3 o'clock. Water resistance stands at 300 metres, consistent with Submariner specification.

What elevated the 116610LV to genuine collector status was its discontinuation in 2020, when Rolex replaced it with the 41mm Submariner 126610LV — dubbed the 'Starbucks' for its two-tone green bezel and black dial combination. The original all-green Hulk immediately became a sought-after reference. Its monochromatic dial-and-bezel pairing, which divided opinion at launch, is now widely regarded as one of Rolex's bolder design statements from the 2010s.

Lord Alan Sugar has long been associated with the trappings of serious business success — he founded Amstrad, built a property empire, and has hosted The Apprentice since 2005. A no-nonsense Submariner in steel, rather than gold or two-tone, fits his self-made, unpretentious public image, even if the Hulk's green flamboyance adds a degree of personality not always associated with the man himself.

On the grey market, the Rolex Submariner 116610LV currently trades at approximately $31,100 — a meaningful premium over its original retail price of around $8,550 at discontinuation. That gap reflects the sustained demand for a reference that is no longer available through authorised dealers, and whose collector appeal only grows with time.