Reference:16718: Difference between revisions

From BezelBase
[checked revision][checked revision]
← Older edit
VisualWikitext
Distribute images into relevant sections
Resize hero: 340px -> 250px
 
(24 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex 16718 GMT-Master II — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|description=The `16718` is the solid yellow-gold GMT-Master II of the `16710` era. It takes the independent GMT-hand system and puts it into a full-gold case before…
|description=The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold GMT-Master II of 1989 to 2005. Caliber 3185 with rare late cal 3186, four documented dials (black, brown sunburst, white, champagne / silver serti), black or brown ("rootbeer") aluminium bezel, 18K Oyster or Jubilee bracelet.
|keywords=Rolex, 16718, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 16718, GMT-Master II, yellow gold, caliber 3185, serti dial, rootbeer
|image=Ref 16718 hero.webp
|image_alt=18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II
|type=article
|type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:36Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T12:10:00Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] -> '''16718'''</small>


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] → '''16718'''</small>
The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the all-yellow-gold variant of the 16710 — the 18K case-and-bracelet sister to the steel [[Reference:16710|16710]] and the two-tone [[Reference:16713|16713]]. Production runs 1989 to approximately 2005, succeeded by the 116718LN with the new ceramic Cerachrom bezel and the 50th-anniversary green dial. Same caliber 3185 across most of the run, same 40mm Oyster case dimensions, same flyer-GMT mechanic — but executed in 18K yellow gold throughout, with the dial palette weighted toward Cellini-buyer evening-dress configurations alongside the standard sport variants.


[[File:Ref 16718 hero.webp|thumb|right|340px]]
<span id="core-facts"></span>
 
 
The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the solid yellow-gold GMT-Master II of the [[Reference:16710|16710]] era. It takes the independent GMT-hand system and puts it into a full-gold case before the ceramic era rewrites the look of the family again. In the current source set, it is also one of the clearest reminders that precious-metal GMTs are not side notes. They are their own collector lane.


The challenge with the [[Reference:16718|16718]] is not whether it exists as a serious reference. It does. The problem is that the current direct market layer is much stronger for black-dial examples than for brown ones, even though collector literature clearly supports both.
[[File:Ref 16718 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II|18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II]]


<span id="core-facts"></span>
== Core facts ==
== Core facts ==


Line 28: Line 31:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| GMT-Master II
| GMT-Master II (all-yellow-gold variant)
|-
|-
| production
| production
| roughly 1989-2007
| 1989 to approximately 2005. Replaced by the 116718LN at Baselworld 2005 alongside the GMT-Master 50th-anniversary green-dial release. The "2003" reading sometimes cited for end of production is wrong — that date traces to the steel 116710LN launch, not the gold version
|-
|-
| movement
| total examples
| caliber 3185, with late 3186 noted in the Field Manual
| no published Rolex production figure
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm solid yellow-gold Oyster case
| 40mm 18K yellow-gold Oyster with crown guards, 100m water resistance
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| sapphire with Cyclops
| sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from approximately 2003
|-
| movement
| caliber 3185 across most of the run (Nivarox flat hairspring with Breguet overcoil); rare late-production caliber 3186 with Parachrom blue hairspring on end-of-run examples. The 3186 is documented inconsistently for the 16718 specifically — the bulk of the corpus reads cal 3185 throughout
|-
|-
| water resistance
| GMT mechanic
| 100m
| flyer GMT — independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
|-
| dial generations
| four documented configurations: glossy black, brown sunburst ("rootbeer"), white, champagne / silver serti gem-set with diamond hour markers and ruby accents at 6 / 9. (GMT serti dials use rubies, not the Submariner's sapphires.)
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| black in the direct market examples, with brown branch support in collector literature
| 24-hour aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black or brown ("rootbeer"). No factory pavé-diamond bezel surfaces in major-house lots — diamond-set bezels on 16718 cases circulate as aftermarket conversions
|-
|-
| key identity
| bracelet
| solid-gold GMT-Master II with stronger black-branch documentation than the current direct brown layer
| 18K Oyster (sport-leaning, more often paired with black-dial) or 18K Jubilee (more often paired with serti and rootbeer). Bracelet codes: 78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee — both stamped on the largest centre link
|}
|}


Line 55: Line 64:
== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the solid-gold partner to the [[Reference:16710|16710]] steel GMT-Master II and the [[Reference:16713|16713]] two-tone branch.
The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold counterpart to the [[Reference:16710|16710]] within the five-digit GMT-Master II line — same case shape, same caliber, same flyer-GMT mechanic, but executed in 18K yellow gold throughout. It runs in parallel with the all-steel 16710, the two-tone 16713 Rootbeer, and (from 2005) the ceramic 116718LN successor. The reference replaces the [[Reference:16758|16758]] (1979/80–1988, caliber 3075, caller GMT) which ran on the synchronized hand-set logic of the original GMT-Master line.
 
* [[Reference:16758|16758]]: last gold GMT-Master, still on the old side of the family split
* [[Reference:16718|16718]]: gold GMT-Master II with independent GMT-hand logic
* later ceramic gold GMTs: more modern and more overtly luxury-led in feel


The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is therefore the gold watch that fully crosses into GMT-Master II behavior while still keeping the classical five-digit case shape.
The 16718 inherits the gold case-and-bracelet positioning of the 16758 but adopts the new GMT-Master II flyer mechanic and the 1989-onwards sapphire-crystal Oyster case with crown guards. The next-generation gold GMT is the 116718LN (2005-onwards, caliber 3186 flyer GMT, Cerachrom ceramic bezel, Maxi dial, Super Case, solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet).


<span id="production-outline"></span>
<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
== Production outline ==


The broad production frame is stable enough at 1989-2007, but the branch picture is still incomplete.
Launch year unanimous at 1989 — the 16718 entered the catalog as the gold partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16758 it succeeded. End year reads at 2005 across the editorial and Major-house lots, lining up with the Baselworld launch of the 116718LN as the 50th-anniversary green-dial replacement. The "2003" reading sometimes carried in dealer summaries traces to the steel 116710LN launch year, not the gold version — the all-gold 116718LN is a 2005 release, not 2003.
 
<span id="black-branch"></span>
=== Black branch ===


This is the best-supported direct branch in the package. Both the early and later black examples are already in the corpus, and that makes the black watch the safest baseline for the article.
A discrete intra-production case-stamp transition runs c.2002–2003 alongside the steel and two-tone sisters: lug holes drop and the laser-etched coronet appears on the sapphire crystal at 6 o'clock. The 16718 follows the same case revision sequence as the 16710 / 16713, although the gold-case-stamp variant is sometimes catalogued without the "T" suffix that the steel sister carried.


<span id="brown-branch"></span>
No total-production figure surfaces in the surveyed sources. Specialist coverage describes the gold variant as much rarer than the steel 16710 — the run is meaningfully smaller given the case material, but no source quantifies it.
=== Brown branch ===
 
The brown branch is directly supported by Revolution, VRFM, and the broader Root Beer family material. The current corpus does not yet hold a dedicated brown [[Reference:16718|16718]] sale page, so the configuration is documented in collector literature but under-represented in direct-sale evidence.
 
What the collector literature actually says is worth pulling forward. Revolution’s two-part GMT-Master II survey treats the brown-dial solid-gold configuration as a period-correct retail option alongside the black version, with bronze-tinted bezel inserts that read warmer than a plain brown. VRFM’s gold GMT-Masters piece places the brown solid-gold watch inside the same Root Beer continuity that runs from the 1675/8, through the [[Reference:16758|16758]], into the [[Reference:16718|16718]]. Sotheby’s Root Beer guide does the same. None of these sources include a [[Reference:16718|16718]]-specific hammer price chart. They treat the brown branch as genuinely produced and genuinely rare. The honest line for buyers is that a brown [[Reference:16718|16718]] with period-correct dial, bezel, and hands is documented in the collector record, even when direct sale examples are sparse, and any offered today deserves archive papers and dial-feet photography rather than trust by catalogue claim.


<span id="movement-notes"></span>
<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==
== Movement notes ==


The movement story is straightforward by late-five-digit Rolex standards.
Caliber 3185 powers most of the run. Specifications carry over directly from the 16710 / 16713: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 50-hour reserve, hacking, quickset date, COSC chronometer, Glucydur balance with Microstella four-screw regulation, Kif Elastor anti-shock. The 3185 hairspring is Nivarox flat with a Breguet overcoil — the blue Parachrom hairspring arrives later on caliber 3186.


* caliber 3185 for most of the run
Late-production 16718 examples may carry the upgraded caliber 3186 with the Parachrom blue hairspring and the spring-loaded date mechanism that fixed the 3185's GMT-hand creep. The 3185 → 3186 transition window for the 16718 specifically is documented inconsistently across editorial — the bulk of documented examples reads cal 3185 throughout the 16718 production. A 3186 in a 16718 case warrants serial-aware verification.
* late 3186 examples according to the Field Manual
* GMT-Master II independent-hour functionality throughout


This is not a watch that needs to be explained as a transitional mechanical reference. Its complexity is more about branch survival, market scarcity, and how little of the brown side appears in direct sale material.
The flyer-GMT mechanic with independently adjustable local hour is the same architectural break from the linked-hand 3075 that ran in the 16758 predecessor.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
== Dial map ==


[[File:Ref 16718 early-black.webp|thumb|right|280px|Early black 16718]]
[[File:Ref 16718 early-black.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Early black 16718|Early black 16718]]
The current package supports two branches, but not equally.


<span id="black-branch-1"></span>
Four documented dial branches across the run.
=== Black branch ===


This is the direct branch. The package has an early black example and a cleaner later black example, which is enough to write the branch confidently.
<span id="black-glossy-nipple"></span>
=== Glossy black ===


<span id="brown-branch-1"></span>
The standard sport configuration. Glossy black lacquer with applied yellow-gold-surround indices ("nipple" markers — precious-metal cones with a central tritium plot in earlier production, applied yellow-gold-surround indices in later production). Pairs most often with the all-black aluminium bezel insert. The black 16718 lacquer is the more stable formulation; black-dial examples age more cleanly than the brown sunburst.
=== Brown branch ===


The brown branch is supported in the collector literature, especially Revolution and the Root Beer family material, but it is still under-imaged and under-observed in direct sale terms. That means the article should name it, explain it, and also state that the current package is stronger on black than on brown.
<span id="brown-sunburst-rootbeer"></span>
=== Brown sunburst ("rootbeer") ===


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
The signature gold-rootbeer configuration on the 16718. Brown sunburst lacquer with applied yellow-gold nipple markers; pairs with the brown-and-cream "rootbeer" bezel insert. The lacquer carries the period formulation that produces flaking on the 16713 and 16753 brown sunburst — the standing condition warning is identical, with damage typically concentrated around the index circumference. Italian and Middle-Eastern collector demand drove much of the regular 16718 brown market through the 1990s.
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==


[[File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|thumb|right|280px|Black 24-hour bezel close-up]]
The "Sundust" finish that appears on modern Everose Daytona / Datejust / Day-Date production is a different surface treatment — using "Sundust" on a 1989–2005 yellow-gold GMT will read wrong to collectors. The vintage 16718 brown is correctly described as brown sunburst or rootbeer.
The case is the expected full-gold five-digit Oyster case with sapphire and a 24-hour aluminum insert. The biggest unresolved issue here is not the case or crystal. It is the branch map.


* the Field Manual table leans black-bezel LN
<span id="white-dial"></span>
* Revolution explicitly says the watch came in black-dial/black-bezel and brown-dial/bronze-bezel forms
=== White ===


That conflict should stay visible. The article should not pretend the package has solved it more cleanly than it really has.
A less-common factory dial configuration. White ground with applied yellow-gold-surround indices and yellow-gold coronet, paired with the all-black bezel insert. Surfaces less frequently than the black or brown branches and carries its own collector niche.


One dial detail worth expanding. Gold GMT-Master II dials use applied hour markers set inside fine gold surrounds, and the surrounds themselves evolved across the run. Early [[Reference:16718|16718]] dials carry the narrower surround style inherited from the [[Reference:16758|16758]], with a more pronounced bevel around each lume plot and a warmer gilt coronet that matches the case colour. Later dials widen the surround slightly and move toward a flatter, more uniform baton geometry. The change is gradual and no clean service-parts catalogue line has been published, but side-by-side images in the Revolution and Sotheby’s Root Beer materials show the two styles clearly enough. A buyer examining a specific [[Reference:16718|16718]] should match the surround style, the coronet tone, and the dial foot printing against the serial range before accepting a late-period attribution, because later service dials occasionally appear on earlier cases.
<span id="champagne-silver-serti"></span>
=== Champagne / silver serti ===


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
A factory gem-set variant on the standard 16718 architecture. Champagne or silvered ground with diamond hour markers and triangular ruby markers at 6 and 9 — replacing the standard nipple-marker / luminous-plot layout with precious-stone hour markers. The 16713 and 16718 are the only two GMT references to receive serti dials (the Submariner serti uses sapphires; the GMT serti uses rubies, the diagnostic distinction). Serti-dial 16718s most often pair with the 18K Jubilee bracelet.
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


[[File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|thumb|right|280px|Gold Oyster bracelet]]
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
The direct black examples in the package both show gold Oyster presentation, and the later one adds stronger box-and-papers support.
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


The surviving-market baseline currently leans Oyster. That is not the same thing as a universal original-delivery rule for the whole reference.
[[File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black 24-hour bezel close-up|Black 24-hour bezel close-up]]


Late-production [[Reference:16718|16718]] examples (roughly 2000 onward) are the ones most likely to surface today with a full set. Typical content for a well-kept late gold watch includes the outer card sleeve, the green-and-gold inner presentation box, the punched warranty card with a matching five-digit serial, the product booklets in the appropriate language, the hang tag with its red Rolex seal, and the anchor-crown chronometer swing tag. Earlier [[Reference:16718|16718]] examples more often arrive with card and booklets but without the outer sleeve or the hang tag, simply because owners discarded the outer layer sooner. Full-set late examples command a market premium that auction catalogues consistently name, though the Sotheby’s guide does not publish reference-specific numbers. Buyers chasing strict originality tend to prioritise the punched warranty card over the outer packaging, because the card ties directly to the watch and can be cross-checked against dealer stamps and country of delivery.
The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era, executed in 18K yellow gold throughout — mid-case, lugs, bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links all gold. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops over the date sits on the standard sapphire-era crown-guard architecture; from approximately 2003 the laser-etched coronet appears at 6 o'clock on the sapphire. Water resistance is 100m.


<span id="special-branches"></span>
The bezel is a 24-hour bidirectional aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black aluminium or brown-and-cream "rootbeer." The bezel itself is solid 18K yellow gold; the colour comes from the insert. Pepsi (red and blue) does not appear as a factory option on the 16718 — that exists on the steel 16710 only.
== Special branches ==


<span id="black-dial-branch"></span>
A factory pavé-diamond bezel for the 16718 does not surface in major-house lots. Diamond-set bezels do exist on 16718 cases in the dealer market but circulate as aftermarket conversions rather than factory configurations. Treat any "factory diamond bezel 16718" claim as unverified pending a primary catalog or Rolex archive citation; aftermarket bezels are common on the 16718 in the gold-watch dealer market.
=== Black-dial branch ===


The strongest direct branch in the current package and the best current path for a first article illustration.
<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==


<span id="brown-branch-2"></span>
[[File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Gold Oyster bracelet|Gold Oyster bracelet]]
=== Brown branch ===


Revolution, VRFM, and the Sotheby’s Root Beer guide all treat the brown solid-gold [[Reference:16718|16718]] as a period-correct retail configuration with a bronze-tinted bezel insert. Direct sale examples are sparse in auction catalogues but documented in dealer inventory. A Grand Caliber certified pre-owned 1993 watch, sold with Rolex CPO papers, lists the brown Root Beer dial alongside the yellow gold case and caliber 3185 movement, which is the cleanest recent direct-sale anchor for the brown branch.
Two factory 18K bracelet options on the 16718:
* '''18K Oyster 78368''' — three-link, sport-leaning configuration. More often paired with black-dial sport configurations.
* '''18K Jubilee 8386''' (sometimes hidden-clasp "Super Jubilee") — five-link, dressier configuration. More often paired with serti and rootbeer dials.


<span id="scarcity-angle"></span>
Clasps are 18K Fliplock Oyster or hidden-crown Jubilee. Bracelet codes (78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee) date the bracelet, not the watch head — a clasp dating later than the case head implies a swap or service replacement. Both bracelet options run across the entire 1989–2005 production window with no clean delivery split by year.
=== Scarcity angle ===
 
Hairspring adds a useful collector-market point here: slow in-period sales may explain why the reference feels scarcer than many buyers expect today. That is not the same thing as production data, but it is useful collector context.
 
The broader pattern is consistent with what auction cataloguers report for late-run precious-metal sports Rolexes. Gold GMT-Master II watches sold slowly at retail through the 1990s and early 2000s, and many examples spent their first decade worn only lightly by their original owners before entering the secondary market. The result is twofold. First, unpolished gold [[Reference:16718|16718]] examples with sharp lugs and crisp bezel-fitment gaps are easier to find than an equivalent [[Reference:16710|16710]], because there was less wrist time to wear them down. Second, the total installed base is smaller than the production span suggests, which is why clean examples can disappear from dealer inventories quickly despite a nominally 18-year run. Production numbers have never been published by Rolex, so the scarcity claim remains a market observation rather than an archival fact.


<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==
== Historical market and auction record ==


The current market layer is still direct-sale heavy, but the branch coverage is now broader.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year of watch !! Configuration !! Result
|-
| Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV || 148 || 2021 || rootbeer dial with brown insert, full Rolex service April 2021, engraved-Rolex caseback intact || login-gated
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction SEVEN || 956 || 2018 || c.1990 18K yellow gold, early production || login-gated
|-
| Sotheby's Watches || — || 2020 || yellow-gold automatic dual time || login-gated
|-
| EveryWatch aggregate || Rare Watches lot 207 || — || 1989 champagne dial || aggregate
|-
| EveryWatch / Watches Online: The Geneva Edit || — || — || c.1989 (catalog "1985" likely typo) || aggregate
|}


* an early black example gives the package one branch anchor near the start of the run
The 16718 trades on the gold-watch dealer market more than at major auction. The Phillips Geneva XIV 2021 lot is the strongest single auction-house anchor on the documented record. Standard black-and-Jubilee or rootbeer-and-Jubilee examples cluster across a higher band than the steel 16710 driven by the gold-case material content. Serti gem-set examples sit in their own tier above the standard market — the 16713 and 16718 are the only GMT references with the factory serti option, which the gold variant carries with the most documented collector demand.
* a later black example gives a cleaner late-run baseline with packaging support
* a Tourneau certified pre-owned 1994 black-dial [[Reference:16718|16718]] on yellow gold Oyster, caliber 3185, priced at $40,000, anchors the mid-1990s black branch with current retail context
* a Craft and Tailored 1988 solid-gold example on Horween leather shows a later gilt-era survivor with a blue insert, which is unusual enough that the claimed configuration should be treated as a data point rather than a normal production branch
* a Grand Caliber 1993 brown Root Beer example with Rolex CPO papers closes the longstanding gap for a direct brown-branch sale anchor
* Hairspring’s finds piece frames the watch in the context of gold sports Rolex sales softening through the 1980s and 1990s, which is the broader market reason clean examples are harder to find than the 18-year production span would suggest


The main gap has shifted: the article now has direct black and brown-branch anchors, and a named retail price point from a large CPO dealer. A Phillips, Sotheby’s, or Christie’s hammered auction result would still strengthen the record, because every current anchor is a retail or CPO listing rather than an auction sale.
== Sources ==


== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-gmt-master-and-gmt-master-ii-1955-2024-iconic-traveller-watch-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II] (Monochrome)
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition — unknown, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-master-the-complete-collectors-guide The Rolex GMT-Master: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent (Sotheby's)
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/masterstroke-the-gmt-master-part-ii/ Master Stroke — The Rolex GMT-Master: Part II] — Ross Povey, Revolution
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-rolex-gmt-master-16718/ #TBT Rolex GMT Master 16718] (Fratello)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/a-concise-guide-to-the-rolex-gmt-root-beer A Closer Look at the Rolex Root Beer] — Christina Bohn, Sotheby's
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/gmt-master/16718 Rolex GMT-Master 16718 reference page] (Watchbase)
* [https://www.vrfm.io/gold-gmt-masters.html The Vintage Solid Gold Rolex GMT Master] — MORNINGTUNDRA, VRFM.io
* [https://www.chrono24.com/magazine/golden-boy-with-retro-flair-the-new-rolex-yellow-gold-gmt-master-ii-p_114312/ Golden Boy with Retro Flair: The New Rolex Yellow Gold GMT-Master II] (Chrono24 Magazine)
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/16718-rolex-gmt-master-ii 16718 Rolex GMT-Master II] — Erik Gustafson, Hairspring
* [https://watchesoff5th.com/blogs/news/closer-look-at-the-discontinued-rolex-gmt-master-ii-in-yellow-gold Closer Look at the Discontinued Rolex GMT-Master II in Yellow Gold] (Watches Off 5th)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/used-rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-18k-yellow-gold.html Used Rolex GMT-Master II Ref 16718 18k Yellow Gold] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/thewatchclub/2024/01/02/rolex-gmt-master-ii-yellow-gold-and-rolesor-yellow-gold-editions/ Rolex GMT-Master II Yellow Gold and Rolesor Yellow Gold Editions]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II ref 16718 Black Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/the-history-and-evolution-of-the-rolex-gmt-master-ii/ The History and Evolution of the Rolex GMT-Master II]
* RolexForums 16718 thread bundle — RolexForums community, RolexForums
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/watch-talk-what-are-rolex-serti-dials/ What Are Rolex Serti Dials?]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/5-unforgettable-examples-serti-dial.html 5 Unforgettable Examples of Serti Dials]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-steel-yellow-gold-two-tone-rolesor-126713grnr-hands-on-review-price/ Rolex GMT-Master II 126713GRNR hands-on review] (Monochrome)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080221/148 Rolex 16718 rootbeer — Phillips Geneva XIV lot 148] (Phillips, 2021)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080218/956 Rolex 16718 c.1990 — Phillips Hong Kong SEVEN lot 956] (Phillips, 2018)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-a-yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16718 — Sotheby's Watches] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/16718/watch-9016154 1989 16718 champagne dial Rare Watches lot 207] (EveryWatch)
* [https://watch.the1916company.com/videos/rolex-gmt-master-ii-jubilee-16718-review Rolex GMT-Master II Jubilee 16718 review]
* [https://www.bernardwatch.com/Rolex/GMT-Master-II/RLX5804 Rolex 16718 champagne Serti dial] (Bernard Watch)
* [https://thekeystone.com/products/rolex-yellow-gold-gmt-master-diamond-ruby-watch-ref-16718 Rolex Yellow Gold GMT-Master Diamond Ruby Ref. 16718] (The Keystone)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-16718-jubilee-18k-yellow-gold.html Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Jubilee 18K Yellow Gold]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/pre-owned-rolex-gmt-master-ii-16718-serti-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Serti Dial]
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/watches/rolex-gmt-master-rootbeer-18k-yellow-gold-vintage-mens-watch-16718-32175/ Rolex GMT-Master Rootbeer 18K Yellow Gold 16718]
* [https://www.jaztime.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-yellow-gold-black-dial-oyster-bracelet-116718ln 116718LN Yellow Gold Black Dial] (Jaztime)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra


[[Category:GMT-Master]]
[[Category:GMT-Master]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]

Latest revision as of 04:21, 30 April 2026


GMT-Master -> 16718

The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold variant of the 16710 — the 18K case-and-bracelet sister to the steel 16710 and the two-tone 16713. Production runs 1989 to approximately 2005, succeeded by the 116718LN with the new ceramic Cerachrom bezel and the 50th-anniversary green dial. Same caliber 3185 across most of the run, same 40mm Oyster case dimensions, same flyer-GMT mechanic — but executed in 18K yellow gold throughout, with the dial palette weighted toward Cellini-buyer evening-dress configurations alongside the standard sport variants.

18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II
18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II

Core facts

detail value
reference 16718
family GMT-Master II (all-yellow-gold variant)
production 1989 to approximately 2005. Replaced by the 116718LN at Baselworld 2005 alongside the GMT-Master 50th-anniversary green-dial release. The "2003" reading sometimes cited for end of production is wrong — that date traces to the steel 116710LN launch, not the gold version
total examples no published Rolex production figure
case 40mm 18K yellow-gold Oyster with crown guards, 100m water resistance
crystal sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from approximately 2003
movement caliber 3185 across most of the run (Nivarox flat hairspring with Breguet overcoil); rare late-production caliber 3186 with Parachrom blue hairspring on end-of-run examples. The 3186 is documented inconsistently for the 16718 specifically — the bulk of the corpus reads cal 3185 throughout
GMT mechanic flyer GMT — independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
dial generations four documented configurations: glossy black, brown sunburst ("rootbeer"), white, champagne / silver serti gem-set with diamond hour markers and ruby accents at 6 / 9. (GMT serti dials use rubies, not the Submariner's sapphires.)
bezel 24-hour aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black or brown ("rootbeer"). No factory pavé-diamond bezel surfaces in major-house lots — diamond-set bezels on 16718 cases circulate as aftermarket conversions
bracelet 18K Oyster (sport-leaning, more often paired with black-dial) or 18K Jubilee (more often paired with serti and rootbeer). Bracelet codes: 78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee — both stamped on the largest centre link

Where it sits in the line

The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold counterpart to the 16710 within the five-digit GMT-Master II line — same case shape, same caliber, same flyer-GMT mechanic, but executed in 18K yellow gold throughout. It runs in parallel with the all-steel 16710, the two-tone 16713 Rootbeer, and (from 2005) the ceramic 116718LN successor. The reference replaces the 16758 (1979/80–1988, caliber 3075, caller GMT) which ran on the synchronized hand-set logic of the original GMT-Master line.

The 16718 inherits the gold case-and-bracelet positioning of the 16758 but adopts the new GMT-Master II flyer mechanic and the 1989-onwards sapphire-crystal Oyster case with crown guards. The next-generation gold GMT is the 116718LN (2005-onwards, caliber 3186 flyer GMT, Cerachrom ceramic bezel, Maxi dial, Super Case, solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet).

Production outline

Launch year unanimous at 1989 — the 16718 entered the catalog as the gold partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16758 it succeeded. End year reads at 2005 across the editorial and Major-house lots, lining up with the Baselworld launch of the 116718LN as the 50th-anniversary green-dial replacement. The "2003" reading sometimes carried in dealer summaries traces to the steel 116710LN launch year, not the gold version — the all-gold 116718LN is a 2005 release, not 2003.

A discrete intra-production case-stamp transition runs c.2002–2003 alongside the steel and two-tone sisters: lug holes drop and the laser-etched coronet appears on the sapphire crystal at 6 o'clock. The 16718 follows the same case revision sequence as the 16710 / 16713, although the gold-case-stamp variant is sometimes catalogued without the "T" suffix that the steel sister carried.

No total-production figure surfaces in the surveyed sources. Specialist coverage describes the gold variant as much rarer than the steel 16710 — the run is meaningfully smaller given the case material, but no source quantifies it.

Movement notes

Caliber 3185 powers most of the run. Specifications carry over directly from the 16710 / 16713: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 50-hour reserve, hacking, quickset date, COSC chronometer, Glucydur balance with Microstella four-screw regulation, Kif Elastor anti-shock. The 3185 hairspring is Nivarox flat with a Breguet overcoil — the blue Parachrom hairspring arrives later on caliber 3186.

Late-production 16718 examples may carry the upgraded caliber 3186 with the Parachrom blue hairspring and the spring-loaded date mechanism that fixed the 3185's GMT-hand creep. The 3185 → 3186 transition window for the 16718 specifically is documented inconsistently across editorial — the bulk of documented examples reads cal 3185 throughout the 16718 production. A 3186 in a 16718 case warrants serial-aware verification.

The flyer-GMT mechanic with independently adjustable local hour is the same architectural break from the linked-hand 3075 that ran in the 16758 predecessor.

Dial map

Early black 16718
Early black 16718

Four documented dial branches across the run.

Glossy black

The standard sport configuration. Glossy black lacquer with applied yellow-gold-surround indices ("nipple" markers — precious-metal cones with a central tritium plot in earlier production, applied yellow-gold-surround indices in later production). Pairs most often with the all-black aluminium bezel insert. The black 16718 lacquer is the more stable formulation; black-dial examples age more cleanly than the brown sunburst.

Brown sunburst ("rootbeer")

The signature gold-rootbeer configuration on the 16718. Brown sunburst lacquer with applied yellow-gold nipple markers; pairs with the brown-and-cream "rootbeer" bezel insert. The lacquer carries the period formulation that produces flaking on the 16713 and 16753 brown sunburst — the standing condition warning is identical, with damage typically concentrated around the index circumference. Italian and Middle-Eastern collector demand drove much of the regular 16718 brown market through the 1990s.

The "Sundust" finish that appears on modern Everose Daytona / Datejust / Day-Date production is a different surface treatment — using "Sundust" on a 1989–2005 yellow-gold GMT will read wrong to collectors. The vintage 16718 brown is correctly described as brown sunburst or rootbeer.

White

A less-common factory dial configuration. White ground with applied yellow-gold-surround indices and yellow-gold coronet, paired with the all-black bezel insert. Surfaces less frequently than the black or brown branches and carries its own collector niche.

Champagne / silver serti

A factory gem-set variant on the standard 16718 architecture. Champagne or silvered ground with diamond hour markers and triangular ruby markers at 6 and 9 — replacing the standard nipple-marker / luminous-plot layout with precious-stone hour markers. The 16713 and 16718 are the only two GMT references to receive serti dials (the Submariner serti uses sapphires; the GMT serti uses rubies, the diagnostic distinction). Serti-dial 16718s most often pair with the 18K Jubilee bracelet.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Black 24-hour bezel close-up
Black 24-hour bezel close-up

The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era, executed in 18K yellow gold throughout — mid-case, lugs, bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links all gold. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops over the date sits on the standard sapphire-era crown-guard architecture; from approximately 2003 the laser-etched coronet appears at 6 o'clock on the sapphire. Water resistance is 100m.

The bezel is a 24-hour bidirectional aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black aluminium or brown-and-cream "rootbeer." The bezel itself is solid 18K yellow gold; the colour comes from the insert. Pepsi (red and blue) does not appear as a factory option on the 16718 — that exists on the steel 16710 only.

A factory pavé-diamond bezel for the 16718 does not surface in major-house lots. Diamond-set bezels do exist on 16718 cases in the dealer market but circulate as aftermarket conversions rather than factory configurations. Treat any "factory diamond bezel 16718" claim as unverified pending a primary catalog or Rolex archive citation; aftermarket bezels are common on the 16718 in the gold-watch dealer market.

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

Gold Oyster bracelet
Gold Oyster bracelet

Two factory 18K bracelet options on the 16718:

  • 18K Oyster 78368 — three-link, sport-leaning configuration. More often paired with black-dial sport configurations.
  • 18K Jubilee 8386 (sometimes hidden-clasp "Super Jubilee") — five-link, dressier configuration. More often paired with serti and rootbeer dials.

Clasps are 18K Fliplock Oyster or hidden-crown Jubilee. Bracelet codes (78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee) date the bracelet, not the watch head — a clasp dating later than the case head implies a swap or service replacement. Both bracelet options run across the entire 1989–2005 production window with no clean delivery split by year.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Lot Year of watch Configuration Result
Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV 148 2021 rootbeer dial with brown insert, full Rolex service April 2021, engraved-Rolex caseback intact login-gated
Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction SEVEN 956 2018 c.1990 18K yellow gold, early production login-gated
Sotheby's Watches — 2020 yellow-gold automatic dual time login-gated
EveryWatch aggregate Rare Watches lot 207 — 1989 champagne dial aggregate
EveryWatch / Watches Online: The Geneva Edit — — c.1989 (catalog "1985" likely typo) aggregate

The 16718 trades on the gold-watch dealer market more than at major auction. The Phillips Geneva XIV 2021 lot is the strongest single auction-house anchor on the documented record. Standard black-and-Jubilee or rootbeer-and-Jubilee examples cluster across a higher band than the steel 16710 driven by the gold-case material content. Serti gem-set examples sit in their own tier above the standard market — the 16713 and 16718 are the only GMT references with the factory serti option, which the gold variant carries with the most documented collector demand.

Sources

Retrieved from "https://bezelbase.org/index.php?title=Reference:16718&oldid=4448"