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Entrepreneur Jonathan Warburton spotted wearing Rolex

Jonathan Warburton, the affable chairman of Warburtons — Britain's biggest bakery brand — made his watch choice impossible to miss when he appeared in the company's self-deprecating TV advertisement alongside Jim Henson's most famous creation, Kermit the Frog. On his wrist: a Rolex Submariner Date reference 16610LV, universally known in collector circles as the 'Kermit.' The pairing of man, frog, and watch is arguably one of the more memorable celebrity sightings this site has documented.

Rolex introduced the 16610LV in 2003 specifically to celebrate the Submariner's 50th anniversary, and it represented a genuine milestone: the first steel-cased Submariner ever to receive a green aluminium bezel insert. The case itself is the proven 40mm Oyster in 904L stainless steel, housing the calibre 3135 — Rolex's workhorse self-winding movement featuring a Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock absorbers, and a power reserve of approximately 48 hours. Water resistance sits at 300 metres. The dial is matte black with luminous Mercedes hands and hour markers, contrasting cleanly against the signature green bezel that sparked the nickname from day one.

The 16610LV remained in production until 2010, when Rolex replaced it with the ceramic-bezel 116610LV — immediately dubbed the 'Hulk.' That discontinuation crystallised the Kermit's collector status overnight. Among enthusiasts, the aluminium bezel generation carries a nostalgic warmth that the ceramic successor, for all its technical superiority, has struggled to replicate. The 16610LV is now firmly regarded as a modern classic and a pivotal reference in Submariner history.

Warburton is no stranger to high-profile television appearances — the Warburtons ad campaign, which has previously featured Sylvester Stallone and the Muppets, plays deliberately on the family brand's Northern English charm. Wearing a watch nicknamed after his co-star, whether by design or happy coincidence, adds a layer of wit to the sighting that feels entirely in character.

The 16610LV originally carried a UK list price of around £7,950 at retirement. On the grey market today, clean examples with original box and papers regularly trade between $12,000 and $16,000 USD, with unpolished, single-owner watches pushing toward the upper end of that range. Demand remains consistent, and the reference shows no sign of softening.