Reply With QuoteI believe it stands for Lunette Verte or Green Bezel in English.
Nib
A question for the Rolexheads amongst us. What was the reason that Rolex chose to use LV as the model suffix for their 50th Anniversary model.
The Submariner was introduced in 1953 (model 6200)
The 50th Anniversary model was introduced, as you would expect, in 2003.
And yet LV is the Roman numeral for 55, not 50, and not 53. So why? It seems a quite specific choice and must have been used for a reason but I can't see any logic to it and it's not as if the model was preceded by the LU and superceded by the LW - so what's the reason?
I believe it stands for Lunette Verte or Green Bezel in English.
Nib
LV - Lunette Verte (Green bezel in French).
Ah, it's French.Originally Posted by nibby
No wonder I couldn't see any logic. :)
L: Lunette (bezel)
V: Verti (green)
N: Noir (black)
Combine and voila!
Lunette Verte is French for Green Bezel, that's it
So the 'new' ceramic LV is incorrectly named as the bezel and dial are green? Shouldn't the 16610 version be referred to as the Sub LV and the 116610 be the Sub V then?
I don't really understand why Rolex produced a green ceramic sub as it has no significance whatsoever to any anniversary?
Maybe the 116610 should be LVC or CLV to distinguish it from the earlier one then? From the TT models they only specify the colour of the bezel not the dial (LN LB).
May I just add that lunette verte is French for green bezel? In case it wasn't already clear from the first response.
Just what I was thinking.
Maybe they knew there'd be a market for it, and folk would like to buy somthing a bit different from the usual generic black bezelled divers watch...
The swiss watch indusrty is mainly french speaking with a minority ´german´.
The largest part of their márket is Mandarin- and English- but the industry French/German speaking. This is also reflected in the in depth literature intended for/ produced by it. Most obviously reflected in both jargon and typology.
And if one day you are interested in a Milgauss, there is the GV - glace verte - or green crystal version.
A lot of the technical stuff about watches is in French, so it does all make sense. Most stuff has an English and German translation with it too, which isn`t always helpful because it's a literal translation and doesn`t always make sense!
As for Rolex continuing with a green bezel version of the Sub, the answer's simple: they know they can sell them and the demand exists.
I can never see the 'collectibility' aspect of the original LV because it was made in large numbers I know the affectionados bang on about tiny differences during the production run etc but to most of us they're all the same. You either like 'em or you don`t.......and I don`t! Give me a 'Lunete Noir' 16610 anyday.
Paul
Green = Rolex....
Since green is a primary company colour it would seem to me wholly significant. Just a continuation of the original lv.
Oui, mon brave, je le sais bien. J'habite en Romandie moi-même, en faite à Genève, le commune de la cité. Mais comme tu as vu, tout le monde y fait préciser qu'importe "LV", on ne sait pas pourquoi. Donc, j'ai fait rigoler un peu.
And here was me thinking it was because it was the same shade of green as Luncheon Vouchers....
Forgive me for being so stupid, I was merely making the point that what makes the 16610LV 'different' is the bezel colour, hence 'lunette verte' or whatever. If you want to identify the new 'hulk' ceramic model there is no point calling it the 'green bezel' model as the dial and bezel are both green so why not just call it the Sub (V)ert.
I wear a 16610 every day and I don't think I have a special limited edition - I just always imagine the green bezel was made to mark the 50th anniversary. To make another green bezelled Submariner with no 'anniversary' significance seems an odd decision to me. I've actually just swapped the insert on my LV to black as I have grown bored if the green.
There's always blue, for those that don't like green or black:-)
I took a bullet? I'm too thick skinned and stupid to notice, I suppose. French was never a forte. (Poor punnish joke intended). :)
The Roman numerals idea simply seemed the most obvious but it was clear to me that "55" didn't fit the facts.
Yes, somebody was displaying one on TZ about a year ago.... :lol:
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Nice to do that and keep the larger markers,
RIAC
Whatever happened to him?
The only person to give the correct answer so far. They choose to play on this association as both are apparently as good as cash the world over. That's why the SAS used to be issued luncheon vouchers.And here was me thinking it was because it was the same shade of green as Luncheon Vouchers....
All you need is to add a movement to the back and hands to the front and hey presto you got a Rolex LV!And here was me thinking it was because it was the same shade of green as Luncheon Vouchers....
I believe that might be the rare, transition 'railtrack' LV sticker.And here was me thinking it was because it was the same shade of green as Luncheon Vouchers....
As the watch fora are predominantly english this leads wis-dom to percieve that the watchworld is.
Even looking at the Swiss markets the picture is already different.
The world is the market and important as the english market was, that did/does not dictate the language spoken at the factories.
Today the BRIC countries added up are more important than the english speaking but the industry itself is not going to speak Hindu or Mandarin. It will stay Swiss, speaking french or german depending on where they are located in Switserland, thus what the majority of the factory personel speaks, and have things translated as necessary. Or not if they see fit.
When they restarted the observatory chrono trials they used insufficient translation servicesas reason to keep it ´european´...
Ok. Back to Rolex.
Rolex is registered as Rolex S.A., which stands for Société Anonyme, which is french, and is located in french speaking Switserland.
Montres Tudor S.A. ditto.
Lunette Verte thus stands to reason.
As a matter of interest one should note that the Aegler factory which was bought by Rolex and renamed Rolex Biel/Bienne is right on the language border.
Just received some ´73 dealer documentation on the GP352 btw.
Quite an extensive set including a service manual and a technical ´educational´ article to back up AD training on this new technology.
All in french as the language of the factory was and is french as most workers were and are french speaking, most even líving in France and commuting.
There is a prickly story concerning the french angle btw. When GP was developing this technology, they had involved a French electronics company. As that was part state owned, working for the French military, it was deemed politally incorrect that they would be involved in assisting a Swiss competitor of the French watch industry. Thus the coöperation was terminated and GP´s head of development turned to Motorola who were véry keen to jump in.
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