What does “LV” mean?

LV is the Rolex reference suffix for a green bezel, from the French 'lunette verte'. It appears mainly on Submariner Date models: the 16610LV 'Kermit' from 2003 with a green aluminium insert, the 116610LV 'Hulk' (2010 to 2020) with a green ceramic bezel and green dial, and the 126610LV from 2020 with a green ceramic bezel and black dial, often called the 'Starbucks'.

Green has become one of Rolex's signature colours, and LV models generally attract strong interest compared with the black-bezel versions of the same watch. Don't confuse LV with GV, short for 'glace verte', the suffix of the Milgauss 116400GV, which refers to that watch's green-tinted crystal rather than its bezel. When describing an LV Submariner, state the dial colour too, since the Hulk is the only one of the three with a green dial and buyers often use the nicknames loosely.

Example: '126610LV, black dial, green bezel, 2023, full set.'