The Rolex Submariner 116619LB “Smurf”: A Discontinued White Gold Icon

Few watches show a brand’s confidence like a Submariner cast in white gold. The reference 116619LB, known to collectors as the “Smurf,” took Rolex’s rugged dive watch and gave it a precious-metal makeover, with a cool blue palette that made it stand out. Production ended in 2020, which makes a watch from that final year a particularly interesting find.

A Dive Watch in Formal Dress

The Submariner began as a tool for divers, and steel has always been its natural home. Rolex has long offered gold versions too, but most pair gold with black or green. The 116619LB took a different route. Its 40mm Oyster case and bracelet are 18k white gold, a metal that looks closer to platinum than to the yellow gold many people picture. Against that pale, silvery surface, the blue ceramic bezel and sunburst blue dial stand out.

The dial shifts with the light, from deep navy indoors to a brighter, almost electric blue in sunlight. The hour markers are filled with Chromalight, so the watch stays legible in the dark, and a Cyclops lens magnifies the date.

Why “Smurf”?

Collectors love a nickname, and this one came from the colour. The bright blue dial and bezel reminded people of the cartoon characters, and the name stuck. It’s affectionate and slightly irreverent, which suits a watch that is otherwise very dressy.

What’s Inside

Behind the blue dial sits Rolex’s Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with date, a proven workhorse used across the brand’s catalogue for years. It is known for reliability and ease of servicing, which matters to anyone planning to keep a watch for decades.

The specifications at a glance:

• Reference: 116619LB
• Case: 40mm, 18k white gold
• Bezel: unidirectional, blue Cerachrom ceramic
• Dial: blue sunburst with luminous markers
• Movement: Calibre 3135, automatic
• Bracelet: 18k white gold Oyster, with Oysterlock clasp and Easylink extension
• Water resistance: 300 metres (1,000 feet)

The 2020 Farewell

In 2020 Rolex retired the 116619LB and replaced it with the 126619LB, a larger 41mm model with an updated movement. The new watch kept the white gold case and blue bezel but switched to a black dial. That change is the heart of the Smurf’s story: the blue-on-blue white gold Submariner is no longer in the catalogue.

A watch dated 2020 comes from the last stretch of that production run. That timing appeals to collectors who like owning the final examples of a discontinued reference, and it often means a more recent watch with less accumulated wear than an earlier one.

The 116619LB Smurf is a rare mix of dive-watch toughness and luxury-metal polish. As a final-year example of a discontinued reference, a 2020 piece offers an appealing way to own one of the more distinctive Submariners Rolex has made.

This watch is available to pickup from our boutique in Sydney CBD.

Comes as a full set down to all the links and paperwork.