Actor Cameron Diaz spotted wearing a Rolex

In the 2010 Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz action-comedy Knight and Day, costume and prop departments made a quietly interesting choice: putting Diaz's character June Havens in a stainless-steel Rolex Submariner Date reference 16610 on an Oyster bracelet. It is a subtle but credible detail in a film built around kinetic energy and escapism.

The Rolex Submariner ref. 16610 is a landmark reference. Introduced in 1988 as the successor to the ref. 16800, it ran in production until 2010, when Rolex replaced it with the current ref. 116610. At its core sits the Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a Glucydur beryllium-copper balance wheel, Parachrom hairspring (introduced in later production runs), and a 48-hour power reserve. The movement is widely regarded as one of the most robust and reliable Swiss ebauches ever produced. The watch itself offers 300 metres of water resistance, a unidirectional rotating bezel with a black aluminum insert, and a 40mm Oyster case — the architecture that defined the modern dive watch category.

For collectors, the ref. 16610 occupies a sweet spot. It is modern enough to wear daily without anxiety, yet it spans a production window long enough to reward serious variation hunting. Late-period examples with the solid-link Oyster bracelet and the Maxi dial are particularly sought after, while transitional pieces command premiums among specialists. The reference also benefits from the broader Submariner mythology: no other watch has been spotted on as many wrists — civilian, military, and fictional — across seven decades.

Cameron Diaz, whose career placed her consistently at the intersection of mainstream Hollywood and genuine cultural visibility, wore the Submariner as a character defined by spontaneity and resilience. The ref. 16610 suits that brief: it is not a status piece in the flashy sense, but a watch that signals competence and durability.

On the grey market today, a clean ref. 16610 with box and papers trades in the region of $12,000, a significant premium over its original retail price and a figure that has held remarkably steady. For a reference discontinued in 2010, demand shows no sign of softening.