It’s that time of year again when top tennis players gather at the All England Club to participate in the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament. Running until July 15, this year’s edition marks the 140th anniversary of Wimbledon. As the third Grand Slam in the annual tennis calendar, you can be certain that everyone that plays on Wimbledon’s courts gives it their all.
Rolex and Wimbledon have been partners since 1978 when the Swiss watchmaker became the Official Timekeeper of the tennis tournament. Just like Rolex, Wimbledon is about heritage, excellence, and most importantly, tradition. Aside from the strict all-white dress code, another vital component of the tournament are the perfectly manicured grass courts. In fact, along with the courts, green is an official color of Wimbledon. Coincidently, green is also Rolex’s official corporate color. So with that in mind, let’s explore some green Rolex watches in honor of Wimbledon.
Green Submariner Hulk
If you’re looking to go full on green, then it’s got to be the Submariner ref. 116610LV “Hulk.” Nicknamed after the big green monster, this stainless steel Submariner sports a green dial with matching green Cerachrom ceramic bezel. A popular material among Rolex sports watches, ceramic is known to be both scratch and fade resistant. As Rolex’s signature diving watch, its 40mm Oyster case is waterproof to 1,000 feet (330 meters) deep.
The Submariner ref. 116610LV made its debut in 2010 and remains a current Rolex model. Certainly not a shy timepiece, the Rolex Submariner Hulk wears its emerald shade loudly and proudly.
Gold GMT-Master II with a Green Anniversary Dial
For a luxurious green Rolex watch, the anniversary GMT-Master II certainly fits the bill. Not only was the 18k yellow gold GMT-Master II ref. 116718LN released in 2005 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the famous Rolex pilot’s watch, it was also a completely revamped model.
The GMT-Master II ref. 116718 introduced so many new features to the collection including the ceramic bezel, a heftier (but still officially 40mm) case, the “Maxi” dial with more prominent elements on the face, and an enhanced Oyster bracelet. Other editions of the new style GMT-Master II later followed, but the inaugural yellow gold and green dial version is still one of our favorites.
Green Ladies’ Oyster Perpetual
For the ladies, there’s the simple yet chic Oyster Perpetual 26 with an olive green dial. One of Rolex’s newer models, the Oyster Perpetual ref. 176200 is a time only watch, thus, lending great symmetry to the dial.
This particular women’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch includes a 26mm Oyster case. Furthermore, its stainless steel case pairs seamlessly with its stainless steel Oyster bracelet. An entry-level ladies’ Rolex watch, the Oyster Perpetual 26 ref. 176200 with the green dial is the ideal everyday luxury watch for her.
Milgauss with a Green Sapphire Crystal
So far we’ve seen a green bezel and some green dials. This time however, we delve into a green crystal. Sitting atop the case of the Rolex Milgauss ref. 116400GV is a green tint sapphire crystal that gives a soft green glow to the periphery of the black dial. That somewhat futuristic touch suits the Milgauss well since it was actually a watch created for scientists, doctors, and engineers. Milgauss was built to withstand high magnetic fields—an environment often frequented by the aforementioned occupations.
Under the green crystal of the Milgauss ref. 116400GV is a black dial with orange accents, including the quirky lightning bolt seconds hand that is characteristic to the Rolex scientist’s watch.
Two-Tone Datejust II with the Wimbledon Dial
Of course, our list of green watches to wear courtside wouldn’t be complete without the two-tone Datejust II ref. 116333 with the Wimbledon dial. Although the broader Rolex Datejust II is no longer in production—it’s been replaced by the slimmer Datejust 41 collection—it’s still a very popular model in the secondary market.
This particular dial, with its slate color, green outlined Roman numerals, and yellow gold touches, has been referred to as the Wimbledon model. Indeed, the tasteful design of the Datejust II ref. 116333 “Wimbledon,” which mixes traditional Rolex aesthetics with contemporary appeal, would be perfectly at home at the elegant tennis tournament.
Rolex ambassador and fellow Swiss, Roger Federer, is, of course, hoping to come out on top at this year’s Wimbledon. Wimbledon is actually where Federer claimed his very first Grand Slam singles title in 2003 and he has now won this championship seven times! Will we see Federer (along with his stainless steel and ceramic Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN) raise the trophy for the eighth time this year? We’ll be watching to find out.
What do you think of the above green Rolex watches? Do you have a favorite among them? Let us know in the comment section below.
