Whether you got it from an unfortunate playground incident or from an impressed football coach, almost every Tom, Dick, and Harry has been saddled with a nickname at some point in life. I mean, the proverbial Tom, Dick, and Harry are going by nicknames themselves (Thomas, Richard, and Henry respectively). Famously, several Rolex models are no different, and like so many pro athletes, notable references throughout time are often more associated by their poppy shorthand monikers.
Come on. You’d all likely recognize Babe and Tiger far sooner than you’d recognize George Herman Ruth and Eldrick Woods. This guide to Rolex Watch nicknames will elucidate why so many of us can picture what the Rolex Steve McQueen is in our heads over what the 1655 is—despite McQueen’s lack of association with the watch.
Hulk
YEAR RELEASED: 2010
Where the Hulk Submariner gets its nickname is pretty plain to see. Still, this reference 116610LV, which debuted at Baselworld in 2010, is a quintessential very-special Rolex on a few levels. First off, emerald-hued versions of core models are a fan favorite. This is likely why green is a go-to special edition color for the crown. Hey, it matches the official Rolex watch box.
Second, this Sub joins the ranks of several superhero namesake models. The 11610LV also embodies some then-recent changes with Rolex sport watches, including the Cerachrom insert and the Super Case, which included a thicker silhouette due to fatter lugs and a broader bezel. Basically, this watch Hulked out in more ways than just its color.
Pepsi
YEAR RELEASED: 1954
The Rolex GMT-Master came out in 1954, a collaboration between Pan American Airlines, for pilots who needed accurate wrist watches with more than one time zone. The first ever Pepsi watch, it had a 24-hour bezel that featured a red half that represented PM and a blue half that represented AM.
The red-and-blue look carried on into the GMT-Master II in 1983, until the 2000s. Rolex switched over to fade-proof and scratch-resistant ceramic, which didn’t carry red shades very well. In 2014, after Rolex developed Cerachrom, which could take on the red hue, the Pepsi GMT-Master II came out of its ten-year retirement to much fanfare, cinching it as the jetset watch.
Kermit
YEAR RELEASED: 2003
The first of Rolex’s green trifecta, the Kermit Sub came out in 2003 as a quiet celebration of the Submariner’s 50th anniversary. It was much less beefy than the Hulk and featured an aluminum insert as well as slightly less corrosion-resistant 316L stainless steel construction. Sensibly so, as many would argue a Muppet isn’t as strong or as big as an eight-foot, anger-powered human-mutate.
As the first of the Lunette Verte though, which is where each green model gets their reference letters from (in this case 16610LV), it’s a coveted variant for collectors. Another way to tell it apart from the Hulk is that it has a black dial instead of a sunray green one.
Paul Newman
YEAR RELEASED: 1965
The record-breaking Paul Newman is really just any Rolex Daytona with a hand-winding movement and, more tellingly, an exotic dial. Pre-vertical integration, Rolex had dial design company, Singer, create these block-indexed, warm-accented watch faces in the ‘60s. The variants most associated with the term were black with white subdials and vice versa. In general, vintage Daytonas are actually great representations of the crown before they went fully in-house since Daytonas famously ran on Zenith’s El Primero movement too.
Actor and purveyor of salad dressing, Paul Newman, famously wore this style which is how it gets its nickname. And as many investor collectors might know, his reference 6239 went for a cool $18million at auction.
Coke
YEAR RELEASED: 1983
Simply enough, a Coke Rolex is a GMT-Master II with a red and black bezel, versus a red and blue Pepsi bezel. It came out in 1983 on reference 16760, and continued into 16710. Since Rolex didn’t switch over to ceramic bezels from aluminum until 2005 and stopped producing the 16710 in 2007, most Rolex Cokes are originally aluminum-clad. They’re definitely rarer than Pepsi GMTs, especially since they’ve never come back into production.
President
YEAR RELEASED: 1956
Though any Rolex Day-Date is often referred to as The President, it originally got its name from the 1956 model that Lyndon Johnson wore. He was the first president to officially wear a Rolex. Moreover, while “President” is just a nickname for this flex of a watch, the bracelet it comes on is formally called a President Bracelet.
Style-wise this bracelet looks like a mix between an oyster and Jubilee, a three-link composition but with rounded pieces for extra glisten. It’s also only made with precious metals (did I mention this watch is a flex?).
Root Beer
YEAR RELEASED: 1963
Going down the soda fountain line, a Root Beer Rolex is a GMT-Master adorned with gold and brown tones. The original Root Beer was reference 16753 from 1963, which was equipped with a bezel in brown and gold, and a bracelet in steel and gold. It was Rolex’s first GMT-Master with a two-tone bracelet. Clint Eastwood was fond of this model, which definitely ups its street cred. In 2018, Rolex released a GMT-Master II with a brown and black bezel, that some argue isn’t a true Root Beer, but most agree is a genuine descendant of the originals.
Batman
YEAR RELEASED: 2013
A Rolex Batman is a GMT-Master II with a black and blue bezel. When Rolex made the switch to ceramic bezels and, as previously mentioned, were temporarily thwarted from making Pepsi watches, this colorway Batmobiled into instant popularity. The original was 2013’s reference 116710BLNR. It was the watch industry’s first two-tone ceramic bezel, and is arguably the second most sought-after GMT-Master II after the ubiquitous Pepsi, of course.
Mil-Sub
YEAR RELEASED: 1971
(never commercially available)
For about nine years, starting in 1971, Rolex produced Military Submariners as a request from the British Military of Defense. Since they were never commercially available, these guys are rare collector’s items. An estimated 1,200 are floating around the market. They’re brawnier than the Subs of their day, with fixed lug bars, a tritium T on their dials, and military engravings on the caseback.
Bluesy
YEAR RELEASED: 1985
Encapsulating a power color couple of interior design, a Bluesy is a Rolex Submariner with a blue dial face and bezel, a two-tone gold and steel bracelet, and gold accents throughout. The first to come out was in 1985, reference 16803. Bluesy is still in production, mostly staying the same aesthetically, though one of the most noticeable ways they’ve changed throughout time is the thinning gold outlining on the indices.
Smurf
YEAR RELEASED: 2008
As you’d guess, a Smurf is also a blue Submariner. It’s different from the Bluesy in that it doesn’t have any yellow gold accents or two-toning action. It’s also notably made in white gold instead of steel and came out in 2008 during Rolex’s 100th anniversary and the Sub’s 55th.
This original, reference 116619LB, has a blue dial. There’s a current blue-bezel Sub, the 126619LB, with a black dial that may or may not be a Smurf, depending on who you ask.
Bart Simpson
YEAR RELEASED: 1966
In the ‘60s, there were a few Submariners, all reference 5513s, that were referred to as Bart Simpsons (or having had Bart Simpson dials). The Rolex coronet logos on the dials were the last to have gilt printing. With that thin layer of gold, the crown spikes looked uncannily like the the silhouette of Homer J’s firstborn.
Fat Lady
YEAR RELEASED: 1983
Yet another nickname for the GMT-Master series, the Fat Lady is a subcategory of Coke Watches. The first red-and-black GMT-Master II, the reference 16760 from 1983, came with a brand new, sizable 3085 movement. The chunky caliber called for a chunky case, 0.5mm thicker in fact, which earned it the name Fat Lady. A more complimentary nickname it’s earned is the Sophia Loren, an homage to the actress’s famous figure.
Polar (Explorer II)
YEAR RELEASED: 1985
The sequel to the original Explorer, the Explorer II came out in 1971 as the spelunking counterpart to its mountaineering sibling. The white dials, also called Polar dials, as in the bear, started with Reference 1655 and carry on today. What makes the Explorer II so popular are the pointed differences between it and the original. Examples include the partnering of a GMT hand with a fixed bezel, and this readily available white dial.
John Player Special
YEAR RELEASED: 1969
Between 1969 and 1972, Rolex produced 14-karat gold Paul Newman Daytonas. English cigarette company and Formula 1 sponsors, John Player & Sons, were known to create beautiful cigarette boxes with black and gold lettering. Collectors started referring to these gold-and-black Daytonas as John Player Specials around the mid ‘70s.
An auction house darling, Sotheby’s London sold a JPS for a record £1.215 million in 2022 online, further upping its investment points.
Sprite
YEAR RELEASED: 2022
One of the latest in the many GMT-Master moninkers, the Rolex Sprite is a Master II with a green and black bezel. If you prefer superheros to soda, it’s also called the Green Lantern. And if you prefer foreign languages to both, it’s additionally known as Destro, Rolex’s left-handed offering.
Steve McQueen ( Explorer II reference 1655)
YEAR RELEASED: 1971
What makes the Steve McQueen such a famous nickname for the Explorer II, reference 1655, is that he never actually wore one. McQueen wore Subs. It’s like how JFK is associated with Ray Ban Wayfarers, even though he actually wore American Optical Saratogas.
That being the case, there’s also a touch of mystery behind this nickname. Some credit it to a lost advertising campaign, while others simply think it was a mistake in record.
Starbucks
YEAR RELEASED: 2020
Imagine if the Hulk and Kermit had a spawn—the watches not the characters. The 12660LV Submariner from 2020 is the third in the Sub’s Green Holy Trinity. This Rolex Starbucks features a ceramic green bezel, which has the shine of the Hulk, but the black dial of the Kermit. This contrast makes the green pop more.
Some other less-common nicknames include the Cermit (ceramic Kermit) and the Hermit (Hulk plus Kermit), neither of which are nearly as satisfying to fans of Battlestar Galactica, literature, or coffee.
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