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{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master — BezelBase
|title=Rolex gmt-master — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|description=The first watch Rolex ever built for airline pilots, and one of its most copied designs since. Launched in 1955 for Pan Am flight crews, the GMT-Master…
|description=The first watch Rolex ever built for airline pilots, and one of its most copied designs since. Launched in 1955 for Pan Am flight crews, the GMT-Master…
|keywords=Rolex, gmt-master, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, gmt-master, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|image=Ref gmt-master vintage-poster.webp
|image_alt=Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews
|type=article
|type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:46Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:51:32Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


The first watch Rolex ever built for airline pilots, and one of its most copied designs since. Launched in 1955 for Pan Am flight crews, the GMT-Master carries a fourth hand and a 24-hour bezel so the wearer can track two time zones at once. Bakelite turned to aluminum, steel split from gold and two-tone, and the GMT-Master became the GMT-Master II when the local hour hand learned to move on its own. Color branches — Pepsi, Root Beer, Coke, black — ended up carrying as much collector weight as the reference numbers themselves.
The GMT-Master is Rolex's original airline watch: a fourth hand, a 24-hour bezel, and two time zones on the wrist. Rolex launched it in 1955 for Pan Am crews, then split the line in 1982 when the GMT-Master II gave the local hour hand independent adjustment.
 
The line runs in five eras. Bakelite 6542 came first, then the long 1675 vintage core, then quick-set five-digit GMT-Masters, then the independent-hour GMT-Master II from 1982, then the ceramic GMT-Master II from 2005. Pepsi, Root Beer, Coke, and black became the family's own collector language.


<span id="early-gmt-master-19551959"></span>
<span id="early-gmt-master-19551959"></span>
[[File:Ref gmt-master vintage-poster.webp|thumb|center|420px|Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews]]
[[File:Ref gmt-master vintage-poster.webp|thumb|center|420px|alt=Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews|Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews]]


== Early GMT-Master (1955–1959) ==
== Early GMT-Master (1955–1959) ==


The experimental years. The case had no crown guards, the 24-hour bezel was moulded from bakelite and cracked easily, and a gold branch with alpha hands ran alongside the red-and-blue (Pepsi) steel watch. Most surviving examples carry later service inserts, because the original bakelite was fragile enough to rarely survive daily wear.
The experimental years. The case had no crown guards, the 24-hour bezel was moulded from bakelite and cracked easily, and a gold branch with alpha hands ran alongside the red-and-blue (Pepsi) steel watch. Most surviving examples carry later service inserts; the original bakelite rarely survived daily wear.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Reference
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Bezel !! Key distinction
! Production
! Movement
! Case
! Bezel
! Key distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6542|6542]] 1955–1959 1036 / 1065 / 1066
| [[Reference:6542|6542]] || 1955–1959 || 1036 / 1065 / 1066 || 38mm SS or 18k YG || Bakelite Pepsi (steel), bakelite brown (gold) || First GMT-Master; no crown guards; fragile bakelite insert
| 38mm SS or 1
| k YG Bakelite Peps
| (steel), bakelite
| rown (gold) First GMT-Master; no crown guards
| fragile bakelite insert
|}
|}


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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Reference
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
! Production
! Movement
! Case
! Branches
! Key distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] 1959–1979 1565 early, 1575 lat
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] || 1959–1979 || 1565 early, 1575 later || 40mm SS, 18k YG, or two-tone || Steel, 1675/8 gold, 1675/3 Root Beer || Core vintage GMT-Master; PCG to rounded guards, gilt to matte
| r 40mm SS,
| 18k YG, or two-tone St
| el, 1675/8 gold, 1675/3 Root B
| er Core vintage GMT-Master; PCG to r
| unded guards, gilt to matte
|}
|}


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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Reference
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
! Production
! Movement
! Case
! Branches
! Key distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16750|16750]] 1979–1988 3075 40mm SS
| [[Reference:16750|16750]] || 1979–1988 || 3075 || 40mm SS || Matte to glossy Pepsi, black, spider || Last steel GMT-Master with acrylic crystal; quick-set date
| Matte
| to glossy
| epsi, black, spide
| Last steel GMT-Master with acrylic
| rystal; quick-set date
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16753|16753]] 1979–1988 3075 40mm SS + 1
| [[Reference:16753|16753]] || 1979–1988 || 3075 || 40mm SS + 18k YG || Brown Root Beer, black || Two-tone continuation of the Root Beer line
| k YG Brown
| Root Beer,
| black
| Two-tone continuation of the Root B
| er line
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16758|16758]] 1979–1988 3075 40mm 18k YG
| [[Reference:16758|16758]] || 1979–1988 || 3075 || 40mm 18k YG || Brown Root Beer, black || Last gold GMT-Master with older linked-hand logic
| Brown
| Root Beer,
| black
| Last gold GMT-Master with older lin
| ed-hand logic
|}
|}


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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Reference
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
! Production
! Movement
! Case
! Branches
! Key distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16760|16760]] 1983–1987 3085 40mm
| [[Reference:16760|16760]] || 1983–1987 || 3085 || 40mm SS (thick) || Coke, black || First GMT-Master II; "Fat Lady" / "Sophia Loren"
| SS (thick)
| Coke, black
|
| First GMT-Master II; “Fat Lady” / ”
| ophia Loren”
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16710|16710]] 1989–2007 3185, late 3186 40mm
| [[Reference:16710|16710]] || 1989–2007 || 3185, late 3186 || 40mm SS || Pepsi, Coke, black || Long neo-vintage steel run; late stick-dial 3186 sub-branch
| SS
| Pepsi, Coke, bla
| k
| Long neo-vintage steel run; late st
| ck-dial 3186 sub-branch
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16713|16713]] 1989–2007 3185, late 3186 40mm
| [[Reference:16713|16713]] || 1989–2007 || 3185, late 3186 || 40mm SS + 18k YG || Brown, black || Two-tone GMT-Master II branch
| SS + 18k YG
| Brown, black
|
| Two-tone GMT-Master II branch
|
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16718|16718]] 1989–2007 3185, late 3186 40mm
| [[Reference:16718|16718]] || 1989–2007 || 3185, late 3186 || 40mm 18k YG || Black well-documented, brown thinner || Solid-gold GMT-Master II branch
| 18k YG
| Black well-docum
| nted, brown thinne
| Solid-gold GMT-Master II branch
|
|}
|}


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== Late GMT-Master (1988–1999) ==
== Late GMT-Master (1988–1999) ==


The last reference on the original side of the family split. Sapphire crystal, caliber 3175, and a choice of Pepsi or black bezel. The 16700 kept the older linked-hand GMT logic rather than adopting the independent hour hand of the GMT-Master II references it ran in parallel with, which is the mechanical distinction that kept the two lines separate right to the end.
The last reference on the original side of the family split. Sapphire crystal, caliber 3175, and a choice of Pepsi or black bezel. The 16700 kept the older linked-hand GMT logic rather than adopting the independent hour hand of the GMT-Master II references running alongside it. That mechanical distinction kept the two lines separate right to the end.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] || 1988–1998/1999 || 3175 || 40mm SS || Pepsi, black || Last GMT-Master; tritium to Luminova transition
|}
 
<span id="ceramic-gmt-master-ii-5-digit-20052019"></span>
== Ceramic GMT-Master II 5-digit (2005–2019) ==
 
The Cerachrom era opened in 2005 with the yellow-gold [[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]] and caliber 3186, which runs across the entire 5-digit ceramic family. Rolesor followed in 2006, steel in 2007, the blue-black Batman in 2013, and the white-gold ceramic Pepsi in 2014. These are the thick Super Case GMTs before the slimmer 126710 generation.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]] || 2005–2019 || 3186 || 40mm 18k YG || Black dial, green anniversary dial || First Cerachrom GMT-Master II; caliber 3186 debut
|-
| [[Reference:116713LN|116713LN]] || 2006–2019 || 3186 || 40mm Rolesor YG || Single gloss-black configuration || First Cerachrom GMT-Master II to reach steel-in-case form
|-
| [[Reference:116710LN|116710LN]] || 2007–2019 || 3186 || 40mm SS || Black dial with green signature line || First steel GMT-Master II with ceramic bezel
|-
| [[Reference:116710BLNR|116710BLNR]] || 2013–2019 || 3186 || 40mm SS || Blue-and-black Batman || First two-colour Cerachrom; patented process
|-
| [[Reference:116719BLRO|116719BLRO]] || 2014–2019 || 3186 || 40mm 18k WG || Black dial -0001, blue dial -0002 (2018) || First ceramic Pepsi; white gold only
|}
 
<span id="ceramic-gmt-master-ii-6-digit-2018present"></span>
== Ceramic GMT-Master II 6-digit (2018–present) ==
 
The current ceramic generation starts in 2018 with the steel Pepsi [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] and caliber 3285. Jubilee returned, the case slimmed down from the Super Case, and the line then expanded into Root Beer, Batman, Destro, and GRNR branches. This is the modern 70-hour GMT-Master II platform, and both the steel Pepsi and the white-gold Pepsi left the catalogue in 2026.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Reference
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
! Production
|-
! Movement
| [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] || 2018–2026 || 3285 || 40mm SS || Jubilee -0001, Oyster -0002 (2021) || First steel ceramic Pepsi; Jubilee return
! Case
|-
! Branches
| [[Reference:126711CHNR|126711CHNR]] || 2018–present || 3285 || 40mm Rolesor Everose || Single CHNR configuration || First two-colour Cerachrom after BLNR/BLRO; "Cough Syrup"
! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:126715CHNR|126715CHNR]] || 2018–present || 3285 || 40mm solid Everose || Black dial -0001, Tiger Iron -0002 (2025) || Solid-Everose Rootbeer halo
|-
| [[Reference:126710BLNR|126710BLNR]] || 2019–present || 3285 || 40mm SS || Jubilee Batgirl, Oyster Batman (2021) || Batman on cal. 3285; first Jubilee Batman
|-
| [[Reference:126720VTNR|126720VTNR]] || 2022–present || 3285 || 40mm SS || Oyster -0001, Jubilee -0002 || First modern left-crown Rolex sports watch; Sprite/Destro
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] 1988–1998/1999 3175 40mm S
| [[Reference:126713GRNR|126713GRNR]] || 2023–present || 3285 || 40mm Rolesor YG || Single GRNR configuration on Jubilee || Return of yellow Rolesor; first precious-metal Jubilee GMT
| Pepsi, black
|-
| Last GMT-M
| [[Reference:126718GRNR|126718GRNR]] || 2023–present || 3285 || 40mm solid YG || Black dial, Tiger Iron dial (2025) || Return of solid yellow gold to the line
| ster; tri
|-
| ium to Luminov
| [[Reference:126710GRNR|126710GRNR]] || 2024–present || 3285 || 40mm SS || Oyster -0001, Jubilee -0002 || Bruce Wayne/Ghost; steel conclusion of the GRNR family
| transition
|}
|}


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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Caliber
! Caliber !! Frequency !! Hacking / quick-set !! Used in !! Notes
! Frequency
! Hacking / quick-set
! Used in
! Notes
|-
|-
| 1036 / 1065 / 1066
| 1036 / 1065 / 1066 || 18,000 vph || no / no || [[Reference:6542|6542]] || Earliest GMT-specific movements; picture still unresolved
| 18,000 vph
| no / no
| [[Reference:6542|6542]] Earliest GMT-specific movements;
| icture still unresolved
|-
|-
| 1565
| 1565 || 18,000 vph || no / no || [[Reference:1675|1675]] (early) || First stable 1675 caliber
| 18,000 vph
| no / no
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] (early) First stable [[Reference:1675|1675]] caliber
|
|-
|-
| 1575
| 1575 || 19,800 vph || hacking from ~1971 || [[Reference:1675|1675]] (late) || Long-run 1675 caliber; sometimes signed 1570
| 19,800 vph
| hacking from ~1971
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] (late) Long-run [[Reference:1675|1675]] caliber; sometime
| signed 1570
|-
|-
| 3075
| 3075 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || [[Reference:16750|16750]], [[Reference:16753|16753]], [[Reference:16758|16758]] || Five-digit quick-set upgrade; still linked-hand GMT
| 28,800 vph
| yes / yes
| [[Reference:16750|16750]], [[Reference:16753|16753]], [[Reference:16758|16758]] Five-digit quick-set upgrade; still linked-hand GMT
|
|-
|-
| 3085
| 3085 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || [[Reference:16760|16760]] || First independently adjustable local hour hand
| 28,800 vph
| yes / yes
| [[Reference:16760|16760]] First independently adjustable loca
| hour hand
|-
|-
| 3175
| 3175 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || [[Reference:16700|16700]] || Last linked-hand GMT-Master caliber
| 28,800 vph
| yes / yes
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] Last linked-hand GMT-Master caliber
|
|-
|-
| 3185
| 3185 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || [[Reference:16710|16710]], [[Reference:16713|16713]], [[Reference:16718|16718]] || Long neo-vintage GMT-Master II movement
| 28,800 vph
| yes / yes
| [[Reference:16710|16710]], [[Reference:16713|16713]], [[Reference:16718|16718]] Long neo-vintage GMT-Master II movement
|
|-
|-
| 3186
| 3186 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || late [[Reference:16710|16710]], [[Reference:16713|16713]], [[Reference:16718|16718]]; all 5-digit ceramic ([[Reference:116710LN|116710LN]], [[Reference:116710BLNR|116710BLNR]], [[Reference:116713LN|116713LN]], [[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]], [[Reference:116719BLRO|116719BLRO]]) || Parachrom hairspring, revised GMT wheel; standard across the ceramic era
| 28,800 vph
|-
| yes / yes
| 3285 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || All 6-digit ceramic references ([[Reference:126710BLNR|126710BLNR]], [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]], [[Reference:126710GRNR|126710GRNR]], [[Reference:126711CHNR|126711CHNR]], [[Reference:126713GRNR|126713GRNR]], [[Reference:126715CHNR|126715CHNR]], [[Reference:126718GRNR|126718GRNR]], [[Reference:126720VTNR|126720VTNR]]) || Chronergy escapement, 70-hour reserve, Superlative -2/+2 sec/day
| late [[Reference:16710|16710]], [[Reference:16713|16713]], [[Reference:16718|16718]] Rare late Parachrom-era movement
|
|}
|}


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== Color and metal logic ==
== Color and metal logic ==


Recurring branch identities run across the reference numbers and sometimes matter more than the digits themselves. The red-and-blue Pepsi bezel starts with the steel [[Reference:6542|6542]] and has stayed the default visual identity of the line ever since. The brown-and-gold Root Beer bezel begins on the two-tone 1675/3 and gold 1675/8 in the early 1970s, then carries forward into the [[Reference:16753|16753]], [[Reference:16758|16758]], [[Reference:16713|16713]], and the brown side of the [[Reference:16718|16718]]. The red-and-black Coke bezel arrives with the first GMT-Master II, the [[Reference:16760|16760]], and stays associated mainly with that reference and the early [[Reference:16710|16710]]. Gold and two-tone GMT-Masters are part of the family from the earliest production onward, not a late luxury afterthought.
Color branches matter almost as much as reference numbers here. Pepsi starts with the steel [[Reference:6542|6542]] and stays the default GMT look. Root Beer starts with the two-tone 1675/3 and gold 1675/8, then carries forward through later gold and two-tone references. Coke belongs mainly to the GMT-Master II era from the [[Reference:16760|16760]] onward. Gold and two-tone watches are part of the main line from early on, not side branches.


<span id="collecting-context"></span>
<span id="collecting-context"></span>
== Collecting context ==
== Collecting context ==


The GMT-Master market rewards different habits than the Submariner market, even when the watches overlap in period. The Submariner collects around case shape, military use, and dial text. The GMT-Master collects just as much around bezel color, travel mythology, and branch identity.
The GMT-Master market rewards different habits than the Submariner market. Submariner collecting tracks case shape, military use, and dial text. GMT collecting tracks bezel color, travel mythology, and branch identity in equal measure.
 
A few cautions carry across the whole family. Original delivery is not the same thing as period-correct fitment, and a clasp code dates the bracelet rather than the watch head. Service inserts are common on the earliest watches, where the original bakelite rarely survived. The nickname language is useful but loose: Pepsi, Coke, Root Beer, and black each cover more variation than the shorthand suggests.


The same caution comes up again and again across the family. Original delivery is not the same thing as period-correct fitment, and a watch that wears period parts correctly today may never have left the factory that way. Bracelet dates date the bracelet, not the watch head. Service inserts are common on every reference and nearly universal on the earliest ones, where the bakelite originals rarely survived. Nickname language is useful shorthand, but Pepsi, Coke, Root Beer, and plain black each cover a range of dial and bezel variants, and the labels can flatten real differences if used too loosely.


Modern ceramic references — 116710, 126710, 116718, 126715 — are not in this first upload tranche. The hub covers the vintage and neo-vintage references already in the research layer.
The modern ceramic era splits cleanly into two family hubs. [[Reference:gmt-master-ii-5digit-ceramic-family|The 5-digit ceramic family]] covers the 2005–2019 Super Case watches. [[Reference:gmt-master-ii-6digit-family|The 6-digit family]] covers the 2018-onward caliber 3285 generation.


== 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] — unknown, Monochrome
* [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
* [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://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://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://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
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition — unknown, Morning Tundra
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/an-early-retrospective-rolex-gmt-master-ii-lunette-noire-ceramic/ An Early Retrospective – Rolex GMT-Master II Lunette Noire Ceramic] — Evan Yeung, Monochrome Watches
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/baselworld-2019-updated-rolex-gmt-master-ii-batman-126710blnr-jubilee-bracelet-price/ Baselworld 2019 – Updated Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 126710BLNR on Jubilee] — Monochrome Watches
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/yellow-gold-and-rolesor-rolex-gmt-master-ii-grey-and-black-ceramic-bezel-2023-editions-126713grnr-126718grnr-specs-price/ Yellow Gold and Rolesor Back On The Rolex GMT-Master II With Grey & Black Ceramic Bezel] — Monochrome
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/fasten-your-seatbelts-rolex-gmt-master-history/ Fasten Your Seatbelts: Rolex GMT-Master History and Overview of All Major References] — Fratello Watches
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-pepsi-the-key-references The Rolex Pepsi: The Key References] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/rolex-caliber-3186-vs-rolex-caliber-3285.html Rolex Caliber 3186 vs. Caliber 3285] — Bob's Watches
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/rolex-pepsi-gmt-master-ii-discontinued-market-1237890139/ With the Rolex Pepsi Now Gone, the Market Is Smelling Blood] — Robb Report, 2026
* ''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 20:38, 29 April 2026


The GMT-Master is Rolex's original airline watch: a fourth hand, a 24-hour bezel, and two time zones on the wrist. Rolex launched it in 1955 for Pan Am crews, then split the line in 1982 when the GMT-Master II gave the local hour hand independent adjustment.

The line runs in five eras. Bakelite 6542 came first, then the long 1675 vintage core, then quick-set five-digit GMT-Masters, then the independent-hour GMT-Master II from 1982, then the ceramic GMT-Master II from 2005. Pepsi, Root Beer, Coke, and black became the family's own collector language.

Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews
Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews

Early GMT-Master (1955–1959)

The experimental years. The case had no crown guards, the 24-hour bezel was moulded from bakelite and cracked easily, and a gold branch with alpha hands ran alongside the red-and-blue (Pepsi) steel watch. Most surviving examples carry later service inserts; the original bakelite rarely survived daily wear.

Reference Production Movement Case Bezel Key distinction
6542 1955–1959 1036 / 1065 / 1066 38mm SS or 18k YG Bakelite Pepsi (steel), bakelite brown (gold) First GMT-Master; no crown guards; fragile bakelite insert

Long vintage core (1959–1980)

The reference that turned the GMT-Master from an experiment into an institution. Crown guards arrived with the 1675, along with an aluminum bezel insert (replacing the fragile bakelite) and a twenty-year production run long enough to hold several distinct watches under one number. Early pointed crown guards, known as PCG, gave way to rounded guards; gilt dials gave way to matte; and the steel watch was joined by a gold branch and a two-tone Root Beer branch.

Reference Production Movement Case Branches Key distinction
1675 1959–1979 1565 early, 1575 later 40mm SS, 18k YG, or two-tone Steel, 1675/8 gold, 1675/3 Root Beer Core vintage GMT-Master; PCG to rounded guards, gilt to matte

Transitional GMT-Master (1979–1988)

The five-digit quick-set era on the GMT-Master side of the family split. Caliber 3075 added a quick-set date and a higher beat rate but kept the older linked-hand GMT logic, in which the 24-hour hand tracks the local hour hand rather than moving on its own. Acrylic crystals held through most of the run. The branch map also gets busier here, with steel, two-tone, and solid-gold references all in production at once.

Reference Production Movement Case Branches Key distinction
16750 1979–1988 3075 40mm SS Matte to glossy Pepsi, black, spider Last steel GMT-Master with acrylic crystal; quick-set date
16753 1979–1988 3075 40mm SS + 18k YG Brown Root Beer, black Two-tone continuation of the Root Beer line
16758 1979–1988 3075 40mm 18k YG Brown Root Beer, black Last gold GMT-Master with older linked-hand logic

GMT-Master II (1982–2007)

The functional break in the family. Caliber 3085 in the 16760 introduced an independently adjustable local hour hand, which turned the 24-hour bezel into a third-time-zone tool rather than a second-time-zone aid. The thick transitional 16760 gave way to the slimmer 16710 in 1989, and the line spent nearly two decades on that reference before the ceramic era rewrote the watch.

Reference Production Movement Case Branches Key distinction
16760 1983–1987 3085 40mm SS (thick) Coke, black First GMT-Master II; "Fat Lady" / "Sophia Loren"
16710 1989–2007 3185, late 3186 40mm SS Pepsi, Coke, black Long neo-vintage steel run; late stick-dial 3186 sub-branch
16713 1989–2007 3185, late 3186 40mm SS + 18k YG Brown, black Two-tone GMT-Master II branch
16718 1989–2007 3185, late 3186 40mm 18k YG Black well-documented, brown thinner Solid-gold GMT-Master II branch

Late GMT-Master (1988–1999)

The last reference on the original side of the family split. Sapphire crystal, caliber 3175, and a choice of Pepsi or black bezel. The 16700 kept the older linked-hand GMT logic rather than adopting the independent hour hand of the GMT-Master II references running alongside it. That mechanical distinction kept the two lines separate right to the end.

Reference Production Movement Case Branches Key distinction
16700 1988–1998/1999 3175 40mm SS Pepsi, black Last GMT-Master; tritium to Luminova transition

Ceramic GMT-Master II 5-digit (2005–2019)

The Cerachrom era opened in 2005 with the yellow-gold 116718LN and caliber 3186, which runs across the entire 5-digit ceramic family. Rolesor followed in 2006, steel in 2007, the blue-black Batman in 2013, and the white-gold ceramic Pepsi in 2014. These are the thick Super Case GMTs before the slimmer 126710 generation.

Reference Production Movement Case Branches Key distinction
116718LN 2005–2019 3186 40mm 18k YG Black dial, green anniversary dial First Cerachrom GMT-Master II; caliber 3186 debut
116713LN 2006–2019 3186 40mm Rolesor YG Single gloss-black configuration First Cerachrom GMT-Master II to reach steel-in-case form
116710LN 2007–2019 3186 40mm SS Black dial with green signature line First steel GMT-Master II with ceramic bezel
116710BLNR 2013–2019 3186 40mm SS Blue-and-black Batman First two-colour Cerachrom; patented process
116719BLRO 2014–2019 3186 40mm 18k WG Black dial -0001, blue dial -0002 (2018) First ceramic Pepsi; white gold only

Ceramic GMT-Master II 6-digit (2018–present)

The current ceramic generation starts in 2018 with the steel Pepsi 126710BLRO and caliber 3285. Jubilee returned, the case slimmed down from the Super Case, and the line then expanded into Root Beer, Batman, Destro, and GRNR branches. This is the modern 70-hour GMT-Master II platform, and both the steel Pepsi and the white-gold Pepsi left the catalogue in 2026.

Reference Production Movement Case Branches Key distinction
126710BLRO 2018–2026 3285 40mm SS Jubilee -0001, Oyster -0002 (2021) First steel ceramic Pepsi; Jubilee return
126711CHNR 2018–present 3285 40mm Rolesor Everose Single CHNR configuration First two-colour Cerachrom after BLNR/BLRO; "Cough Syrup"
126715CHNR 2018–present 3285 40mm solid Everose Black dial -0001, Tiger Iron -0002 (2025) Solid-Everose Rootbeer halo
126710BLNR 2019–present 3285 40mm SS Jubilee Batgirl, Oyster Batman (2021) Batman on cal. 3285; first Jubilee Batman
126720VTNR 2022–present 3285 40mm SS Oyster -0001, Jubilee -0002 First modern left-crown Rolex sports watch; Sprite/Destro
126713GRNR 2023–present 3285 40mm Rolesor YG Single GRNR configuration on Jubilee Return of yellow Rolesor; first precious-metal Jubilee GMT
126718GRNR 2023–present 3285 40mm solid YG Black dial, Tiger Iron dial (2025) Return of solid yellow gold to the line
126710GRNR 2024–present 3285 40mm SS Oyster -0001, Jubilee -0002 Bruce Wayne/Ghost; steel conclusion of the GRNR family

Movement progression

Caliber Frequency Hacking / quick-set Used in Notes
1036 / 1065 / 1066 18,000 vph no / no 6542 Earliest GMT-specific movements; picture still unresolved
1565 18,000 vph no / no 1675 (early) First stable 1675 caliber
1575 19,800 vph hacking from ~1971 1675 (late) Long-run 1675 caliber; sometimes signed 1570
3075 28,800 vph yes / yes 16750, 16753, 16758 Five-digit quick-set upgrade; still linked-hand GMT
3085 28,800 vph yes / yes 16760 First independently adjustable local hour hand
3175 28,800 vph yes / yes 16700 Last linked-hand GMT-Master caliber
3185 28,800 vph yes / yes 16710, 16713, 16718 Long neo-vintage GMT-Master II movement
3186 28,800 vph yes / yes late 16710, 16713, 16718; all 5-digit ceramic (116710LN, 116710BLNR, 116713LN, 116718LN, 116719BLRO) Parachrom hairspring, revised GMT wheel; standard across the ceramic era
3285 28,800 vph yes / yes All 6-digit ceramic references (126710BLNR, 126710BLRO, 126710GRNR, 126711CHNR, 126713GRNR, 126715CHNR, 126718GRNR, 126720VTNR) Chronergy escapement, 70-hour reserve, Superlative -2/+2 sec/day

Color and metal logic

Color branches matter almost as much as reference numbers here. Pepsi starts with the steel 6542 and stays the default GMT look. Root Beer starts with the two-tone 1675/3 and gold 1675/8, then carries forward through later gold and two-tone references. Coke belongs mainly to the GMT-Master II era from the 16760 onward. Gold and two-tone watches are part of the main line from early on, not side branches.

Collecting context

The GMT-Master market rewards different habits than the Submariner market. Submariner collecting tracks case shape, military use, and dial text. GMT collecting tracks bezel color, travel mythology, and branch identity in equal measure.

A few cautions carry across the whole family. Original delivery is not the same thing as period-correct fitment, and a clasp code dates the bracelet rather than the watch head. Service inserts are common on the earliest watches, where the original bakelite rarely survived. The nickname language is useful but loose: Pepsi, Coke, Root Beer, and black each cover more variation than the shorthand suggests.


The modern ceramic era splits cleanly into two family hubs. The 5-digit ceramic family covers the 2005–2019 Super Case watches. The 6-digit family covers the 2018-onward caliber 3285 generation.

Sources

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