Writer Giorgia Mondani spotted wearing a Rolex

Giorgia Mondani, the Italian author behind some of the most definitive reference books ever published on Rolex, was recently photographed wearing one of the most covetable Submariner variants in the entire catalogue — the 116619LB in 18k white gold with blue dial and diamond hour markers. For someone who has spent decades cataloguing the history of the Crown, the choice of wrist wear is anything but accidental.

Introduced at Baselworld 2008, the Rolex Submariner Date 116619LB represented a genuine first for the line: never before had Rolex fitted a Submariner with an 18k white gold case and bracelet. The 40mm Oyster case houses the calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring, chronometer-certified to +/-2 seconds per day, offering 48 hours of power reserve. The unidirectional rotating bezel uses Rolex's proprietary Cerachrom ceramic insert in a vivid blue, resistant to scratching and UV fading — functional technology that here acquires a distinctly luxurious character.

The dial configuration seen on Mondani's example is the diamond-index variant, in which the standard luminous hour markers are replaced by individually set brilliant-cut diamonds. Rolex offered this option for a period before discontinuing it, making surviving examples rarer than the standard 116619LB. The Royal Blue lacquered dial retains its depth and saturation under varied lighting, pairing with the white gold Oyster bracelet to produce one of the most visually coherent luxury dive watches ever made.

From a collector standpoint, the 116619LB occupies a unique niche. It carries the technical DNA of a professional instrument — 300m water resistance, Triplock crown, Glidelock clasp — while being constructed entirely in precious metal. The diamond-dial variant adds an additional layer of scarcity. Grey-market values have remained robust, often surpassing retail significantly on well-documented examples.

For Giorgia Mondani — whose books on Rolex Daytona and Submariner are considered standard references by serious collectors globally — wearing the 116619LB is both a personal statement and a professional one. Few people in the world understand this reference more thoroughly than she does.