Watch Paparazzi

Boxer Anthony Crolla spotted wearing Rolex

With a world title fight against Jorge Linares looming, Anthony Crolla was photographed wearing a Rolex Submariner Date reference 116610LV — the model collectors have long called the 'Hulk' — a watch that, much like its wearer, carries serious weight in its category.

Introduced by Rolex in 2010, the Submariner 116610LV distinguished itself as the first Submariner to combine a vivid green sunburst dial with a matching green Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert. Prior to 2010, green bezels on Submariners had been reserved for the no-date 114060's predecessors in aluminium — but the 116610LV took the green theme further than any production Submariner before it. Underneath the 40mm Oystersteel case beats the Rolex Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring, and chronometric certification from COSC. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres, consistent with Rolex's professional dive watch standard.

From a collector standpoint, the 116610LV occupies a particularly interesting position. Rolex discontinued the reference in 2020, replacing it with the larger 41mm 126610LV — immediately nicknamed the 'Starbucks' for its two-tone black-and-green bezel. That discontinuation turned the Hulk into an instant collectible. Grey-market premiums climbed sharply post-2020, and clean examples with boxes and papers continue to command well above original retail. For many collectors, the all-green monochromatic aesthetic of the 116610LV is actually preferable to its successor.

Anthony Crolla, the former WBA lightweight world champion from Manchester, was no stranger to high-stakes moments when this sighting occurred. The Linares rematch — their second meeting following Crolla's narrow 2016 defeat — was one of the most anticipated lightweight bouts in British boxing that year. Crolla's choice of the Hulk reads naturally: it's a bold, immediately recognisable Rolex with genuine sporting credentials, not merely a dress watch masquerading as a tool watch.

At the time of the sighting, UK list price sat at £6,600. Today the 116610LV trades significantly above that on the secondary market, with well-preserved examples routinely fetching premiums that reflect both its discontinued status and enduring demand.