Rolex GMT-Master II

The Rolex GMT-Master II

The GMT-Master II shows two time zones at once: a 24-hour hand reads against the two-colour bezel while the normal hands show local time, and the local hour hand jumps independently when you land. Rolex made the original for Pan Am pilots in 1954; the II of 1982 added the jumping hour hand and became the most collected travel watch there is.

The bezel colours have names, and the names are what people search for. Every one of them is listed by a verified dealer and covered by buyer protection. Start with the Pepsi or the Batman.

Three generations

The first GMT-Master II, reference 16760 of 1982, had a red and black bezel and a thicker case, which earned it two nicknames at once: Coke and Fat Lady. The 16710 that followed in 1989 ran until 2007 with interchangeable aluminium bezels in Pepsi, Coke and black.

The ceramic era began in 2005 with the yellow-gold 116718LN and reached steel in 2007 with the all-black 116710LN. Two-colour ceramic took Rolex until 2013, when the blue and black 116710BLNR arrived and was immediately the Batman. The steel Pepsi came back in 2018 on a Jubilee bracelet as the 126710BLRO, with the calibre 3285 and a 70-hour reserve.

The current line added the green and black Sprite in 2022, with its crown on the left side of the case, and the grey and black Bruce Wayne in 2024. The steel Pepsi left the catalogue in 2026, and its prices moved up the moment it did.

What to know before you buy

1. 01

   Bezel colours

   Pepsi is red and blue, Batman blue and black, Sprite green and black, Root Beer brown and black, Bruce Wayne grey and black, Coke red and black. Each is a different reference, so the colour is also the price.

2. 02

   Materials

   Steel is the bulk of the market and the hardest to buy new. Two-tone pairs steel with yellow or rose gold; full gold comes in yellow, white and rose. The white-gold Pepsi (126719BLRO) is the dress version of the steel watch at several times the price.

3. 03

   Bracelets

   Oyster is the three-link sports bracelet, Jubilee the five-link dress one. Since 2018 most steel references have been offered on both, and the same watch on Jubilee carries a different nickname: Batman on Oyster, Batgirl on Jubilee.

4. 04

   Movements

   Five-digit references run the calibre 3185 or 3186; six-digit references from 2018 run the 3285 with a 70-hour reserve and a Chronergy escapement. The jumping local hour hand is what separates a GMT-Master II from the original GMT-Master.

5. 05

   Size

   Every GMT-Master II is 40 mm. Cases from 2005 on are the broader-lugged style; the Sprite is the only one with the crown on the left, for left-handed wearers.

Popular references

• 126710BLROSteel Pepsi, 2018–2026
• 126710BLNRSteel Batman on Jubilee
• 116710BLNRBatman on Oyster, 2013–2019
• 126720VTNRSprite, left-hand crown
• 126710GRNRBruce Wayne
• 126711CHNRTwo-tone Root Beer
• 116710LNAll-black steel, 2007–2019
• 16710Aluminium bezel, 1989–2007

Frequently asked questions