Watch Paparazzi

Politician Juan Miguel Zubiri spotted wearing Rolex

Juan Miguel Zubiri, the prominent Filipino politician and businessman who served as Senate President of the Philippines, was recently spotted on the wrist with one of the most recognizable discontinued Rolex references of the modern era — the Submariner Date 'HULK,' reference 116610LV. The sighting places a watch with genuine secondary-market cachet on the wrist of one of the Philippines' most visible public figures.

Rolex introduced the 116610LV in 2010 as part of the brand's 50th anniversary celebration of the Submariner line, pairing a vivid green Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert with a matching green sunburst dial — a first for the model. Powered by the in-house Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Glucydur balance wheel, and Parachrom hairspring for magnetic resistance, the watch sits in a 40mm Oyster case rated to 300 metres of water resistance. The date is magnified at 3 o'clock through Rolex's Cyclops lens, a standard Submariner Date feature that some purists debate but most wearers appreciate for daily legibility.

Rolex quietly discontinued the 116610LV in 2020, replacing it with the updated ref. 126610LV — the so-called 'Kermit' — which retains the green bezel but pairs it with the classic black dial. That single change preserved the Submariner's traditional aesthetic while retiring the divisive all-green look. The result was immediate and predictable in collector circles: the HULK became a sought-after discontinued reference almost overnight, with grey-market premiums climbing sharply and holding firm years after production ended.

Zubiri, known for his high-profile political career and business background, is a credible candidate for the HULK's profile. The watch occupies a sweet spot between serious sports watch and status piece — wearable every day, instantly recognizable, and now appreciating rather than depreciating. It projects confidence without the extravagance of a precious-metal piece, a calculation that suits a public figure's image well.

On the current grey market, the Rolex Submariner 'HULK' ref. 116610LV trades comfortably above its original retail price of approximately $9,550, with clean examples in full set regularly changing hands between $16,000 and $19,000 depending on condition and provenance. For a discontinued reference with a devoted collector following, the HULK remains one of the more defensible purchases in modern Rolex history.