Super Clone Rolex Submariner 116613LB "Bluesy": A Stylish Dive into History

There is a photograph from 2015 of Queen Latifah at the BET Awards. Her wrist is raised mid-gesture, and the warm gold of a two-tone watch catches the stage lights. The watch is unmistakable. Blue ceramic bezel, blue sunburst dial, yellow gold and stainless steel Oyster bracelet. This is the Rolex Submariner 116613LB, known to collectors as the "Bluesy."

NFL quarterback Russell Wilson has worn one. So has golf champion Hideki Matsuyama. So have dozens of celebrities, athletes, and executives who wanted a Submariner with more flair than the standard all-steel black. The Bluesy fills a specific niche. It is the dive watch for people who want to be noticed wearing a dive watch.

The 116613LB has now been discontinued. The larger 126613LB replaced it in 2020. Anyone who wants the original faces a pre-owned market that starts at $15,000 and climbs from there. The other route is a superclone, and the Bluesy superclone ranks among the best on the market. If you are new to this world, the start here guide for super clones walks you through what to expect.

The Anatomy of the Bluesy: What Makes It Special

The 116613LB pairs a 40mm case in stainless steel with 18k yellow gold. The gold sits on the bezel, crown, and outer bracelet links. Rolex calls this two-tone mix "Rolesor," a blend of "Rolex" and "or," the French word for gold. It has been part of the Rolex vocabulary since the 1940s.

The blue Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert arrived in the Submariner family in 2008. It reached the 116613LB at the 2009 launch and replaced the sapphire blue aluminium insert worn by earlier two-tone Submariners. The ceramic version does not fade, and the insert itself does not scratch. It also holds a depth of color the old aluminium could not match. In direct sunlight it shifts from navy to a deep royal blue.

The dial is where the Bluesy gets interesting.

The Sunburst Story: How Rolex Brought Back an Aesthetic

When the 116613LB launched in 2009, its blue dial was flat. A consistent matte blue that matched the ceramic bezel. It looked purposeful and correct, but collectors felt something was missing.

What was missing was the sunburst. Earlier two-tone Submariners from the late 1980s and 1990s used a sunburst-finished blue dial. It shifted hard in light, from nearly black in shadow to a brilliant royal blue when the angle was right. Rolex dropped that finish when it redesigned the Submariner line.

The community noticed and said so. The chatter ran loud enough that Rolex listened, which is rare for a company that changes things on its own schedule. In 2013, the sunburst returned to the 116613LB dial. The new dial reads very differently from the old one. Under direct light it blazes with color. In shade it retreats to something almost black. The contrast with the gold indices and Mercedes hands is striking.

So the 116613LB became one of the few watches where collector feedback shaped a major Rolex decision. That tells you how passionate this community is. It also tells you how closely Rolex watches the community, even while pretending to ignore it.

Production Years and Why It Matters

The 116613LB ran from 2009 to 2020, an eleven-year stretch. The last three years (2017-2020) used the sunburst dial that collectors prefer. In 2020, Rolex updated the Submariner to 41mm and created the reference 126613LB. That is when the 116613LB was discontinued.

This matters for one reason. The 116613LB's 40mm case is now the "small" Bluesy. The 126613LB at 41mm wears larger on the wrist and carries a slightly different bezel proportion. It costs about $17,750 at retail, when you can find one, which stays hard. If you want the 40mm proportions, the 116613LB is the only option. Its secondary market price reflects that demand. For those 40mm proportions today, the accessible route is the 40mm 116613LB Bluesy replica. If you prefer the larger modern case, reach for the current 126613LB Bluesy instead. You can also compare both sizes and the black-dial twin on our two-tone Bluesy Submariner page.

Will it fit your wrist?

Size matters with a dive watch. The 40mm suits a 17 to 19 cm wrist, or 6.5 to 7.5 inches. The 41mm suits an 18 to 20 cm wrist, or 7 to 8 inches.

The Oyster bracelet is not a fixed length. You size it by adding or removing links. So either case can fit a range of wrists once it is set up right.

Tell us your wrist size when you order. Add it in the order notes, or just send us a message. We pre-size the bracelet before it ships. It fits the day it arrives, with no trip to the jeweler. Not sure of your size? Our guide to measure your wrist shows you how.

The Superclone Bluesy: An Exceptional Tribute

The Bluesy is a hard watch to clone well. The two-tone build needs both stainless steel and yellow gold on one piece. That means either gold plating on a precise schedule or PVD yellow gold coating that matches the original's color and wear. The bezel adds a second test. It must hit the exact blue of the Cerachrom insert, not navy and not plain royal blue, but the specific shade Rolex developed for this piece.

The best superclone makers clear both hurdles. They apply PVD yellow gold coating to the right surfaces, the bezel, crown, and Oyster bracelet outer links, so the Rolesor look reads as convincing. They source the ceramic bezel insert from industrial suppliers who make the same base material as genuine Cerachrom. Then comes the sunburst blue dial, the detail that makes the 116613LB so distinctive. They reproduce it with lacquering techniques that get the light-shifting effect right.

The result captures the heart of the Bluesy. You get the drama of the blue-and-gold mix, the heft of the steel and gold bracelet, and a sunburst dial that comes alive as the light changes. It costs a fraction of the $15,000+ a genuine 116613LB commands on the secondary market.

Who Wears the Bluesy?

The Bluesy draws a specific kind of wearer. Someone who wants the credibility of a Submariner with a bit more personality on top. The all-steel black Submariner is minimal, almost anonymous. The Bluesy announces itself. The gold catches light. The blue dial pulls the eye.

This is not a watch for flying under the radar. It is for people who have earned the right to be noticed, and the superclone puts that look within reach. If you are torn between the Bluesy and another Submariner, our tool to find your match can point you to the right reference.

Browse the Submariner superclone collection for our Bluesy variants. To see where the Bluesy sits in the lineage, read the complete history of the Submariner. Still weighing the Submariner options? Our buying guide has you covered. And our 2026 Submariner super clone guide maps the full range.