Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Lil Uzi Vert spotted wearing Rolex

Lil Uzi Vert has built a reputation as one of hip-hop's most adventurous watch collectors — a wrist game that has included diamond-set exotica and ultra-complicated pieces. Which makes this appearance of a clean, unmodified Rolex Submariner Date 116610LN all the more telling. Sometimes the most confident move is the straightforward one.

The Rolex Submariner Date ref. 116610LN is the definitive modern iteration of a dive watch lineage stretching back to 1953. Introduced at Baselworld 2010, the 116610LN brought a fourth-generation upgrade to the Submariner case, now measuring 40mm in Oyster steel with a 300-metre water resistance rating. Its defining technical leap was the black Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert, virtually impervious to the fading and scratching that plagued earlier aluminum bezels. Inside sits the Rolex Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring, and COSC-certified chronometric precision — one of the most thoroughly developed ebauches in Swiss watchmaking. The jubilee or Oyster bracelet choice with the glidelock clasp made it as practical as it is recognizable.

Among collectors, the 116610LN occupies a peculiar status: universally respected, impossible to dismiss, yet so ubiquitous that serious enthusiasts sometimes overlook it. The transition to ceramic made these references significantly more wearable long-term, and the 116610LN generation is now viewed as the last 40mm Submariner — a closed chapter that collectors are actively revisiting since the 41mm 126610LN took over in 2020.

For Lil Uzi Vert, whose collection reportedly extends into seven-figure territory, the Submariner 116610LN functions as a grounding piece — the equivalent of a musician returning to acoustic guitar. It signals literacy rather than restraint. The rapper has been photographed with far rarer steel on his wrist, which only reinforces that wearing the 116610LN is a deliberate, informed choice.

On the secondary market, the 116610LN continues to trade at a meaningful premium over its original retail price. Grey market values have stabilized following post-pandemic corrections but remain firm, reflecting sustained global demand and the reference's now-discontinued status.