When it comes to watches, Will Ferrell doesn’t stick to one brand. You are just as likely to see him rocking a Zenith El Primero as you are affordable Timex gems—the range of a true watch aficionado. But at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this week, he pledged his allegiance to the Crown with a mighty fine stainless steel Rolex.
Ferrell dialed up his wrist game with a Submariner Date ref 116610LV. It’s nicknamed the Hulk thanks to its green ceramic bezel and green dial (the only Submariner to have one) and dropped in 2010 as the successor to the 50th Anniversary ‘Kermit’ from 2003. It’s the middle sibling in Rolex’s highly collectible trio of green dial Submariners, but the last to come in 40 mm. The ref 126610LV ‘Starbucks’ dropped in 2020 at 41 mm. Rolex stopped producing the ref 116610LV in 2020, so getting your hands on one for less than $16,000 is near impossible thanks to collectors’ post-pandemic thirst for stainless steel Rollies like the Submariner and GMT-Master II.
The automatic ticker packs in Rolex’s 3135 movement which gives you 48 hours of power reserve, it’s waterproof up to 300m, and has a handy magnified cyclops date window lens. So function-wise it ticks all the right boxes. The watch has the rugged familiarity of an OG Submariner but with some unique visual features that set it apart from the pack—a bit like the superhuman powers of Dr. Bruce Banner’s jacked Hulk alter ego.
Given Ferrell’s watch collecting status, it’s not surprising to see this one in his collection. He has a thing for hard-to-get IYKYK pieces from all ends of the spectrum. At this year’s Critics Choice Awards it was an obscure Japan-only collab between Timex and Swedish fishing company Abu Garcia, and a No Time To Die Omega Seamaster at the Golden Globes. These two conversation starters run the full gamut of horology, from fabric strap quartz models to titanium automatics, reflecting Ferrell’s genuine interest in the pieces he wears and certified watch guy status.
No matter the price tag, Ferrell seems to have a deep appreciation for a solid ticker. And the Hulk Submariner is another example of his elite-tier watch tastes, which all get revealed with the same wonderfully intentional sleeve reveal.
This story originally appeared on British GQ.
