Reference:16700: Difference between revisions

From BezelBase
[checked revision][checked revision]
← Older edit
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Resize hero: 280px -> 250px
 
(10 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master 16700 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex 16700 GMT-Master — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|description=The `16700` is the last GMT-Master, which is exactly why it matters. It keeps the older linked-hand GMT-Master operating logic while running well into the…
|description=The 16700 is the last classic GMT-Master — the final reference with the synchronized "caller" 24-hour hand. 1988 to 1999, caliber 3175 31 jewels, Pepsi and black bezels only, Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's 50-piece special edition.
|keywords=Rolex, 16700, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 16700, GMT-Master, caller GMT, caliber 3175, Chuck Yeager, Real McCoys
|image=Ref 16700 hero.webp
|image=Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp
|image_alt=Last GMT-Master, sapphire
|image_alt=Late Pepsi 16700
|type=article
|type=article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:07Z
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:07Z
|modified_time=2026-04-23T03:26:36Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T07:50:00Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] -> '''16700'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] -> '''16700'''</small>


The [[Reference:16700|16700]] is the last GMT-Master. It keeps the older linked-hand operating logic while running well into the GMT-Master II era, which makes it the cleanest late option for a buyer who wants sapphire crystal and modern case refinement without stepping into the independent-hour mechanics of the GMT-Master II.
The [[Reference:16700|16700]] is the last classic GMT-Master — the final reference with the synchronized "caller" 24-hour hand. Production ran 1988 to 1999 across the dominant editorial reading; the Vintage Rolex Field Manual closes the run at 1998 — minority view. Caliber 3175 is exclusive to this reference: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 48-hour reserve, hacking, quickset, adjusted to 5 positions and temperature, COSC. The 16700 ran in parallel with the GMT-Master II 16710 (1989–2007) for a decade. The Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's 50-piece special edition (1997, caseback engraved "General Chuck Yeager, Bell X-1, October 14th 1947") is the principal collector branch.
 
From across a table the reference looks simple. Up close, the end-of-production year is contested, and the late-run lume transition is told two different ways across the standard reference works.


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


[[File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Late Pepsi 16700|Late Pepsi 16700]]
[[File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Late Pepsi 16700|Late Pepsi 16700]]


== Core facts ==
== Core facts ==
Line 34: Line 31:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| GMT-Master
| GMT-Master (final reference of the original GMT-Master line)
|-
|-
| production
| production
| 1988-1998 in the Field Manual, with broader family histories pushing the run through 1999
| 1988 to 1999 (Sotheby's, Bonhams, Fratello consensus); Vintage Rolex Field Manual reads 1988 to 1998 — minority view
|-
|-
| movement
| total examples
| caliber 3175
| no published Rolex production figure across any source. Bonhams describes it as "notably fewer units produced than its counterpart [the 16710]"; Sotheby's says "smaller quantities despite its decade-long run"
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm steel Oyster case
| 40mm steel Oyster
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| sapphire with Cyclops
| sapphire with Cyclops over date
|-
|-
| water resistance
| water resistance
| 100m
| 100m
|-
| movement
| caliber 3175, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 48-hour reserve. COSC chronometer-rated, hacking, quickset date, Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Breguet hairspring, Kif shock. One-reference-only caliber
|-
| GMT mechanic
| caller GMT — main hour hand sets in one-hour clicks, 24-hour hand stays linked to the local hour hand. Last GMT-Master with this synchronized layout
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| bidirectional 24-hour aluminum insert in Pepsi or black
| bidirectional 24-hour aluminium insert. Pepsi (red/blue) and all-black are the only factory configurations. Coke (red/black) on a 16700 is not factory — aftermarket or service swap
|-
| bracelet
| Oyster 78360 with 501 / 580 end-links + folding clasp through most of the run; later Oyster 78790 with Oysterlock from late production; Jubilee 62510H with 502B optional
|-
|-
| key identity
| key identity
| last GMT-Master with linked-hand GMT logic
| last GMT-Master with linked-hand "caller" GMT logic; only sapphire-crystal example of that classic mechanism
|}
|}


Line 61: Line 67:
== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 16700 is the final GMT-Master rather than the first GMT-Master II. It follows the [[Reference:16750|16750]], runs in parallel with GMT-Master II references already on sale, and keeps the older GMT-Master hand logic instead of adopting the independent-hour system. On a GMT-Master I the local hour hand and the 24-hour hand are linked, so setting one drags the other. The 16700 preserves that behaviour to the end of the line. It is the late, sapphire-era way to stay on the original side of the family split.
The 16700 closes the original GMT-Master line — single hour hand mechanism, fixed 24-hour hand, one number. It follows the [[Reference:16750|16750]] and runs in parallel with the GMT-Master II [[Reference:16710|16710]] for a decade (1989 to 1999). After 1999 only the GMT-Master II line continues, eventually through the 116710LN and the current 126710 series. The 16700 is therefore both the final classic GMT and the only sapphire-crystal example of the classic synchronized-hand mechanism — that pairing anchors the reference's identity for the modern collector.
 
<span id="caller-vs-flyer-gmt"></span>
=== Caller vs flyer GMT ===
 
The 16700 is a caller GMT. The 16760 (cal. 3085) and 16710 (cal. 3185 / 3186) are flyer GMTs. The terminology splits the GMT-Master family cleanly:
 
* Caller GMT — main hour hand sets in one-hour clicks via the crown; 24-hour hand stays locked to the local hour hand and follows it. The second time zone is read by rotating the bidirectional 24-hour bezel. The 16700's "phone-callable" home base means rotating the bezel to a home-offset reading and glancing at the 24-hour hand for the time at home.
* Flyer GMT — 24-hour hand rotates once per 24 hours independent of the local hour hand. The local hour hand jumps in one-hour increments without disturbing the minutes or seconds. The wearer sets the local hour hand on arrival; the 24-hour hand keeps tracking home; a third zone reads off the bezel.


A specific subset of collectors chases the 16700 over the contemporary [[Reference:16710|16710]], and the reasoning is concrete. The linked-hand mechanism means the local hour hand jumps in one-hour steps when the date is advanced, which is the original travel logic the GMT-Master was designed around in the 1950s. The 16710, as a GMT-Master II, trades that for an independent 24-hour hand aimed at tracking a second timezone from a fixed home base. For a collector who wants the original GMT-Master operating feel with sapphire crystal and a quickset date, the 16700 is the only watch in the catalogue that delivers it.
A specific subset of collectors chases the 16700 over the contemporary 16710 for the original travel logic. The linked-hand mechanism means the local hour hand jumps in one-hour steps when the date is advanced — the original GMT-Master operating feel from the 1950s preserved in a sapphire-crystal modern case.


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


Production began in 1988. The exit year is contested. The Field Manual closes the reference at 1998; Monochrome and Sotheby's extend it through 1999, with Sotheby's 2025 [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-master-the-complete-collectors-guide complete GMT-Master guide] stating plainly that the 16700 was produced for 20 years and retired in 1999. Neither side has published a case number or archive extract that settles the matter. Serial ranges from the late 1990s fit either reading, and late examples in the market circulate as "1998" or "1999" depending on papers dates rather than any agreed cutoff.
Production began in 1988 — unanimous across the published literature. The end year is contested: most editorial and auction-house sources converge on 1999, while the Vintage Rolex Field Manual closes the run at 1998 — minority view. Late examples in the market circulate as "1998" or "1999" depending on papers dates rather than any agreed cutoff.


The documented material is steel-only, and the reference branches in two bezel directions: Pepsi and black.
Total production output is not published. Bonhams reads the 16700 as "notably fewer units produced than its counterpart [the 16710]"; Sotheby's says "smaller quantities despite its decade-long run". The 16700 is directionally rarer than the 16710, with no number to attach.


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


Caliber 3175 is the final GMT-Master movement. It keeps the linked local hour and 24-hour hand behaviour that defines the GMT-Master I line, adds the quickset date, and carries late-generation five-digit reliability into a watch that still feels mechanically like an older GMT-Master.
Caliber 3175 is the final GMT-Master movement — a one-reference caliber exclusive to the 16700. Specifications converge across the published literature and major-house lot catalogues: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 48-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, quickset date, Breguet hairspring, Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Kif shock protection, COSC chronometer-rated, adjusted to 5 positions and temperature.
 
The 3175 is the last fixed-GMT movement that did not have an independently adjustable GMT hand. The independently set GMT hour hand belongs to the 3085 (16760, 1983–1989) and the 3185 / 3186 (16710, 1989–2019) — not the 3175. Sotheby's collector guide line about an "independently adjustable flying GMT hand" on the 16700 is a published error rather than an interpretive contradiction; the 16700 caliber 3175 is unambiguously a caller GMT in every primary, secondary, and auction-house source surveyed.
 
The lineage: 3175 supersedes the 3075 used in the 16750 and is the terminal "linked-hand" GMT caliber. Production span of the movement itself: 1988 to 1999, used exclusively in the 16700.


The Field Manual and Monochrome both treat the 16700 as the last classic linked-hand GMT-Master, which is the reading the watch's mechanics support. Sotheby's 2025 cheat sheet appears to overstate the 3175 as if it had the independent flying GMT hand of a GMT-Master II, which it does not.
A small open question on service-replacement patterns: Antiquorum Lot 88 explicitly recommends "an overhaul at buyer's expense," and Sotheby's Lot 10 notes "very minute corrosion spots" on the movement — together suggesting service intervention is common on late-1990s examples, but no surveyed source quantifies the rate at which Rolex service swapped a 3175 for a 3185 during overhaul. The 3175 is a one-reference caliber — movement parts were not shared with the parallel 16710, so a service swap would be a deliberate movement replacement rather than an incidental parts substitution.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
Line 83: Line 101:


[[File:Ref 16700 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black-bezel 16700|Black-bezel 16700]]
[[File:Ref 16700 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black-bezel 16700|Black-bezel 16700]]
The dial side carries two bezel branches and one open lume question.


<span id="pepsi-branch"></span>
Glossy black with applied white-gold-surround indices is standard across the run. Two evolutions on the dial side and one factory-controversy.
=== Pepsi branch ===
 
<span id="open-vs-closed-69-date-wheel"></span>
=== Open vs closed 6/9 date wheel ===


The Pepsi side keeps the family's default red-and-blue visual identity alive to the end of the GMT-Master line, which for many buyers is the whole reason to pick a 16700 over a contemporary GMT-Master II.
Open 6/9 date wheels — numerals on the date disc drawn with open loops — run through approximately 1992. Closed-style wheels after. The Field Manual records the cutoff. A late-serial 16700 presenting an open-6/9 wheel is a prompt to examine the dial and hands more carefully — service departments occasionally swapped date discs during movement work, and a disc that does not line up with the expected production year is one of the easier tells on an otherwise clean watch. Overlap at the boundary is plausible and no public Rolex service record pins the switchover to a month, so 1992 reads as a flag rather than a verdict.


<span id="black-branch"></span>
<span id="lume-transition"></span>
=== Black branch ===
=== Tritium to Luminova / Super-LumiNova transition ===


The black-bezel side is a genuine late-run branch with its own look and following. Late black 16700s turn up with full papers sets and read quieter and more dressy on the wrist than the Pepsi.
The lume transition runs from tritium ("SWISS T<25") to approximately 1997, then post-tritium luminescent compound thereafter. Two readings of the post-tritium compound surface in the literature: Sotheby's, and WatchBase read 1997 as the Luminova start, with Super-LumiNova following on later examples; Monochrome skips the Luminova step and has the watch move straight from tritium to Super-LumiNova in 1997. Both readings are in print from credible sources; neither has been overturned. Some Luminova examples carried over T<25-marked dial stock during the changeover.


<span id="lume-transition"></span>
For a late non-tritium 16700, the defensible collector position is "post-tritium luminescent" with a close look at the dial foot and lume colour. Buyers who want the question closed usually restrict themselves to early-1997 or earlier tritium dials, where both references agree.
=== Lume transition ===


This is the main unresolved dial issue. The Field Manual reads the late 16700 as tritium to about 1997, Luminova for 1998, then Super-LumiNova. Monochrome skips the Luminova step and has the watch move straight from tritium to Super-LumiNova in 1997. Both readings are in print from sources the article otherwise leans on, and neither has been overturned.
<span id="stick-dial-late-examples"></span>
=== "Stick" dial (late examples) ===


Early and mid-run 16700s carry tritium dials and are uncontroversial: the T SWISS T foot resolves the question on sight. The friction sits on 1997 and 1998 examples with a SWISS or SWISS MADE foot, which one source reads as Luminova and the other as Super-LumiNova. For a late non-tritium 16700, the defensible collector position is "post-tritium luminescent" and a close look at the dial foot and lume colour. Buyers who want the question closed usually restrict themselves to early-1997 or earlier tritium dials, where both references agree.
A "stick" dial subset is mentioned in late-1990s Sotheby's listings — numerals only, no Roman numeral 6 or 9. Documented examples appear in 1991 Pepsi listings; the variant has not been mapped to a strict serial range.


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


[[File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bezel.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Pepsi bezel close-up|Pepsi bezel close-up]]
[[File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bezel.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Pepsi bezel close-up|Pepsi bezel close-up]]
The case is the familiar 40mm steel Oyster of the late five-digit period. Sapphire and a Cyclops lens over the date separate the 16700 immediately from the acrylic [[Reference:16750|16750]] it replaces. Pepsi and black are the only insert colours the source set supports.


The Field Manual records one authentication detail worth tracking. Open 6/9 date wheels, where the numerals on the date disc are drawn with open loops, run until about 1992, with closed-style wheels after. A late-serial 16700 presenting an open-6/9 wheel is a prompt to examine the dial and hands more carefully, since service departments occasionally swapped date discs during movement work, and a disc that does not line up with the expected production year is one of the easier tells on an otherwise clean watch. Overlap at the boundary is plausible and no public Rolex service record nails the switchover to a month, so 1992 reads as a flag rather than a verdict.
The case is the familiar 40mm steel Oyster of the late five-digit period. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops over the date separates the 16700 immediately from the acrylic 16750 it replaces. The 100m water-resistance rating is unchanged from the 16750. The 16700 is the only sapphire-crystal example of the original synchronized-hand GMT-Master mechanism — that combination is the reference's mechanical identity.
 
The bezel is bidirectional 24-hour aluminium insert in two factory configurations: Pepsi (red/blue) and all-black. Pepsi dominates the surviving population. Coke (red/black) is not a standard 16700 option — Bob's Ultimate Guide explicitly says the Coke "appears on some examples but was not a standard option" and these are aftermarket or service swaps. The factory Coke is a 16710 / 16760 trait; do not promote Coke as a 16700 branch.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


The Field Manual gives the strongest current fitment map. Period options include the Oyster 78360 with 501B or 593 end links, the later Oyster 78790A with solid end links, and the Jubilee 62510H with 502B end links. Surviving sale records skew heavily toward Oyster presentation, though Jubilee is period-correct and was offered on the reference.
Period-correct delivery is the Oyster 78360 with 501 (early) or 580 (mid-run) end-links and a folding clasp through most of the production window. Bonhams Lot 4 (1988) carries a 78360 Oyster with signed folding clasp stamped RS11 (the RS11 clasp code is unusual; most published examples use 580 / 501).
 
Later production transitions to the Oyster 78790A with Oysterlock, documented on late-1990s examples across the published literature. The Jubilee 62510H with 502B end-links was the optional dressy fitment.
 
Antiquorum Lot 88 (Geneva June 2020) documents a 1996 head with a 93150/501B Oyster bracelet. The 93150 is a service or later replacement reference — it became standard on the 16710 — so the bracelet on that lot is service-era rather than original delivery. Period-correct mapping for the article: Oyster 78360 with 501 / 580 end-links throughout the early-to-mid run, Oyster 78790 from late production; 93150 fittings are service-era.
 
<span id="chuck-yeager-real-mccoys-special-edition"></span>
== Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's special edition ==
 
A 50-piece special edition of the 16700 was produced in 1997 by The Real McCoy's (the Japanese vintage-clothing reissue brand) with caseback engraving "General Chuck Yeager, Bell X-1, October 14th 1947, [n]/50, The Real McCoy's." The reference commemorates Yeager's October 1947 supersonic flight in the Bell X-1. Three independent auction-house lots document the branch:
 
* Bonhams Lot 969 (24 November 2018) — No. 14/50, case U443556, full set, incl. premium.
* Phillips Hong Kong XI Lot 862 (28 November 2020) — No. 21/50, case U453541, est. HK$ 120,000–250,000.
* Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches 2019 Lot 2023 — c.1999, case A245609, est. HK$ 160,000–320,000.


Late black examples turn up with full presentation sets more often than the Pepsi equivalents in the current record, which gives the branch unusually strong box-and-papers coverage for a late five-digit GMT.
Antiquorum also catalogued a 16710 Real McCoy in the Monaco 16 July 2017 sale — a cross-reference for the LE program but not a 16700 lot.


<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 16700 trades as a usable late-vintage GMT-Master, not an auction trophy. The Pepsi side carries the classic family look and commands the stronger general-market premium; the black bezel attracts a narrower collector audience that values the quieter late-run alternative. Neither side has produced a headline auction lot on the scale of earlier GMT-Master references, which fits a watch still within living dealer memory and close to service-stock supply.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Variant / config !! Hammer
|-
| Bonhams || 25956/4 || 2020 || R-serial || 1988 Pepsi, 78360 / RS11 clasp || GBP 10,687.50 incl. premium
|-
| Antiquorum Geneva || 329-88 || 2020 || T254282 || 1996 Pepsi delivered Dec 1996, full set with original Beyer receipt || CHF 11,875
|-
| Sotheby's Geneva Important Watches || 10 || 2019 || T848499 || c.1996 Pepsi, cal. 3175, with extra black bezel || est. CHF 6,000–8,000
|-
| Sotheby's Fine Watches Online || 417 || 2024 || W752611 || c.1995 Pepsi, faded bezel, tritium dial || est. EUR 8,000–12,000
|-
| Bonhams || 25232/969 || 2018 || U443556 || 1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 14/50, full set || HK$ 106,250 incl. premium
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong XI || 862 || 2020 || U453541 || c.1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 21/50 || est. HK$ 120,000–250,000
|-
| Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches || 2023 || 2019 || A245609 || c.1999 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's || est. HK$ 160,000–320,000
|}
 
The 16700 trades as a usable late-vintage GMT-Master, not an auction trophy. Pepsi side carries the classic family look and commands the stronger general-market premium; the black bezel attracts a narrower collector audience that values the quieter late-run alternative. Standard examples cluster GBP 8,000–15,000 / CHF 8,000–15,000 across the major houses depending on dial generation, lume status, and paperwork. The Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's special edition sits in its own tier above the standard market — the three documented lots all clear well above HK$ 100,000.


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [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-pepsi-the-key-references The Rolex GMT Pepsi: The Key References] (Sotheby's)
* [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.fratellowatches.com/wrist-game-or-crying-shame-rolex-gmt-master-16700/ Wrist Game or Crying Shame: Rolex GMT-Master 16700] (Fratello)
* [https://langedykvintagewatches.com/articles/rolex-gmt-master-16700/ Rolex GMT-Master 16700 vs 16710] (Vintage)
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-3175/ Rolex Caliber 3175 reference guide] (Millenary Watches)
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/gmt-16700-the-solution-before-smart-phones GMT 16700: Solution Before Smart Phones] (Bands)
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/thewatchclub/2023/10/03/rolex-gmt-master-16700-vs-gmt-master-ii-16710/ Rolex GMT-Master 16700 vs GMT-Master II 16710]
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/5-things-to-know-about-the-gmt-master-16700/ 5 Things to Know About the GMT-Master 16700]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/gmt-master/16700-0001 Rolex GMT-Master 16700-0001]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/vintage-week-gmt-master-ref-16700.html Vintage Week: GMT-Master Ref. 16700 Ultimate Guide]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ref-16700-pepsi.html Rolex GMT-Master Ref 16700 Pepsi]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ref-16700-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master Ref 16700 Black Glossy Dial]
* [https://bulangandsons.com/products/rolex-gmt-master-16700-tritium-dial-with-box-and-booklets-w2094 Rolex GMT-Master 16700 1990 tritium dial with box and booklets]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-gmtmaster-reference-16700-w-black-insert Rolex GMT-Master Reference 16700 with Black Insert] (Wind Vintage)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25956/lot/4/ Rolex GMT-Master Reference 16700 — Bonhams Lot 4] (Bonhams, 2020)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16700-gmt-master-lot-329-88 Rolex Ref. 16700 GMT-Master — Antiquorum Lot 88] (Antiquorum, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-ge1901/lot.10.html Rolex 16700 Pepsi — Sotheby's Geneva Important Watches Lot 10] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/fine-watches-2/gmt-master-pepsi-reference-16700-montre-bracelet GMT-Master Pepsi Reference 16700 — Sotheby's Fine Watches Online Lot 417] (Sotheby's, 2024)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25232/lot/969/ Chuck Yeager 14/50 16700 — Bonhams Lot 969] (Bonhams, 2018)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080220/862 Chuck Yeager 21/50 16700 — Phillips Hong Kong XI Lot 862] (Phillips, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-hk0892/lot.2023.html Chuck Yeager 16700 — Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches Lot 2023] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [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://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.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ref-16700-pepsi.html Rolex GMT-Master Ref 16700 Pepsi] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ref-16700-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master ref 16700 Black Glossy Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* WatchProSite 16700 thread bundle — WatchProSite community, WatchProSite


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

Latest revision as of 04:21, 30 April 2026


GMT-Master -> 16700

The 16700 is the last classic GMT-Master — the final reference with the synchronized "caller" 24-hour hand. Production ran 1988 to 1999 across the dominant editorial reading; the Vintage Rolex Field Manual closes the run at 1998 — minority view. Caliber 3175 is exclusive to this reference: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 48-hour reserve, hacking, quickset, adjusted to 5 positions and temperature, COSC. The 16700 ran in parallel with the GMT-Master II 16710 (1989–2007) for a decade. The Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's 50-piece special edition (1997, caseback engraved "General Chuck Yeager, Bell X-1, October 14th 1947") is the principal collector branch.

Late Pepsi 16700
Late Pepsi 16700

Core facts

detail value
reference 16700
family GMT-Master (final reference of the original GMT-Master line)
production 1988 to 1999 (Sotheby's, Bonhams, Fratello consensus); Vintage Rolex Field Manual reads 1988 to 1998 — minority view
total examples no published Rolex production figure across any source. Bonhams describes it as "notably fewer units produced than its counterpart [the 16710]"; Sotheby's says "smaller quantities despite its decade-long run"
case 40mm steel Oyster
crystal sapphire with Cyclops over date
water resistance 100m
movement caliber 3175, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 48-hour reserve. COSC chronometer-rated, hacking, quickset date, Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Breguet hairspring, Kif shock. One-reference-only caliber
GMT mechanic caller GMT — main hour hand sets in one-hour clicks, 24-hour hand stays linked to the local hour hand. Last GMT-Master with this synchronized layout
bezel bidirectional 24-hour aluminium insert. Pepsi (red/blue) and all-black are the only factory configurations. Coke (red/black) on a 16700 is not factory — aftermarket or service swap
bracelet Oyster 78360 with 501 / 580 end-links + folding clasp through most of the run; later Oyster 78790 with Oysterlock from late production; Jubilee 62510H with 502B optional
key identity last GMT-Master with linked-hand "caller" GMT logic; only sapphire-crystal example of that classic mechanism

Where it sits in the line

The 16700 closes the original GMT-Master line — single hour hand mechanism, fixed 24-hour hand, one number. It follows the 16750 and runs in parallel with the GMT-Master II 16710 for a decade (1989 to 1999). After 1999 only the GMT-Master II line continues, eventually through the 116710LN and the current 126710 series. The 16700 is therefore both the final classic GMT and the only sapphire-crystal example of the classic synchronized-hand mechanism — that pairing anchors the reference's identity for the modern collector.

Caller vs flyer GMT

The 16700 is a caller GMT. The 16760 (cal. 3085) and 16710 (cal. 3185 / 3186) are flyer GMTs. The terminology splits the GMT-Master family cleanly:

  • Caller GMT — main hour hand sets in one-hour clicks via the crown; 24-hour hand stays locked to the local hour hand and follows it. The second time zone is read by rotating the bidirectional 24-hour bezel. The 16700's "phone-callable" home base means rotating the bezel to a home-offset reading and glancing at the 24-hour hand for the time at home.
  • Flyer GMT — 24-hour hand rotates once per 24 hours independent of the local hour hand. The local hour hand jumps in one-hour increments without disturbing the minutes or seconds. The wearer sets the local hour hand on arrival; the 24-hour hand keeps tracking home; a third zone reads off the bezel.

A specific subset of collectors chases the 16700 over the contemporary 16710 for the original travel logic. The linked-hand mechanism means the local hour hand jumps in one-hour steps when the date is advanced — the original GMT-Master operating feel from the 1950s preserved in a sapphire-crystal modern case.

Production outline

Production began in 1988 — unanimous across the published literature. The end year is contested: most editorial and auction-house sources converge on 1999, while the Vintage Rolex Field Manual closes the run at 1998 — minority view. Late examples in the market circulate as "1998" or "1999" depending on papers dates rather than any agreed cutoff.

Total production output is not published. Bonhams reads the 16700 as "notably fewer units produced than its counterpart [the 16710]"; Sotheby's says "smaller quantities despite its decade-long run". The 16700 is directionally rarer than the 16710, with no number to attach.

Movement notes

Caliber 3175 is the final GMT-Master movement — a one-reference caliber exclusive to the 16700. Specifications converge across the published literature and major-house lot catalogues: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 48-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, quickset date, Breguet hairspring, Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Kif shock protection, COSC chronometer-rated, adjusted to 5 positions and temperature.

The 3175 is the last fixed-GMT movement that did not have an independently adjustable GMT hand. The independently set GMT hour hand belongs to the 3085 (16760, 1983–1989) and the 3185 / 3186 (16710, 1989–2019) — not the 3175. Sotheby's collector guide line about an "independently adjustable flying GMT hand" on the 16700 is a published error rather than an interpretive contradiction; the 16700 caliber 3175 is unambiguously a caller GMT in every primary, secondary, and auction-house source surveyed.

The lineage: 3175 supersedes the 3075 used in the 16750 and is the terminal "linked-hand" GMT caliber. Production span of the movement itself: 1988 to 1999, used exclusively in the 16700.

A small open question on service-replacement patterns: Antiquorum Lot 88 explicitly recommends "an overhaul at buyer's expense," and Sotheby's Lot 10 notes "very minute corrosion spots" on the movement — together suggesting service intervention is common on late-1990s examples, but no surveyed source quantifies the rate at which Rolex service swapped a 3175 for a 3185 during overhaul. The 3175 is a one-reference caliber — movement parts were not shared with the parallel 16710, so a service swap would be a deliberate movement replacement rather than an incidental parts substitution.

Dial map

Black-bezel 16700
Black-bezel 16700

Glossy black with applied white-gold-surround indices is standard across the run. Two evolutions on the dial side and one factory-controversy.

Open vs closed 6/9 date wheel

Open 6/9 date wheels — numerals on the date disc drawn with open loops — run through approximately 1992. Closed-style wheels after. The Field Manual records the cutoff. A late-serial 16700 presenting an open-6/9 wheel is a prompt to examine the dial and hands more carefully — service departments occasionally swapped date discs during movement work, and a disc that does not line up with the expected production year is one of the easier tells on an otherwise clean watch. Overlap at the boundary is plausible and no public Rolex service record pins the switchover to a month, so 1992 reads as a flag rather than a verdict.

Tritium to Luminova / Super-LumiNova transition

The lume transition runs from tritium ("SWISS T<25") to approximately 1997, then post-tritium luminescent compound thereafter. Two readings of the post-tritium compound surface in the literature: Sotheby's, and WatchBase read 1997 as the Luminova start, with Super-LumiNova following on later examples; Monochrome skips the Luminova step and has the watch move straight from tritium to Super-LumiNova in 1997. Both readings are in print from credible sources; neither has been overturned. Some Luminova examples carried over T<25-marked dial stock during the changeover.

For a late non-tritium 16700, the defensible collector position is "post-tritium luminescent" with a close look at the dial foot and lume colour. Buyers who want the question closed usually restrict themselves to early-1997 or earlier tritium dials, where both references agree.

"Stick" dial (late examples)

A "stick" dial subset is mentioned in late-1990s Sotheby's listings — numerals only, no Roman numeral 6 or 9. Documented examples appear in 1991 Pepsi listings; the variant has not been mapped to a strict serial range.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Pepsi bezel close-up
Pepsi bezel close-up

The case is the familiar 40mm steel Oyster of the late five-digit period. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops over the date separates the 16700 immediately from the acrylic 16750 it replaces. The 100m water-resistance rating is unchanged from the 16750. The 16700 is the only sapphire-crystal example of the original synchronized-hand GMT-Master mechanism — that combination is the reference's mechanical identity.

The bezel is bidirectional 24-hour aluminium insert in two factory configurations: Pepsi (red/blue) and all-black. Pepsi dominates the surviving population. Coke (red/black) is not a standard 16700 option — Bob's Ultimate Guide explicitly says the Coke "appears on some examples but was not a standard option" and these are aftermarket or service swaps. The factory Coke is a 16710 / 16760 trait; do not promote Coke as a 16700 branch.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Period-correct delivery is the Oyster 78360 with 501 (early) or 580 (mid-run) end-links and a folding clasp through most of the production window. Bonhams Lot 4 (1988) carries a 78360 Oyster with signed folding clasp stamped RS11 (the RS11 clasp code is unusual; most published examples use 580 / 501).

Later production transitions to the Oyster 78790A with Oysterlock, documented on late-1990s examples across the published literature. The Jubilee 62510H with 502B end-links was the optional dressy fitment.

Antiquorum Lot 88 (Geneva June 2020) documents a 1996 head with a 93150/501B Oyster bracelet. The 93150 is a service or later replacement reference — it became standard on the 16710 — so the bracelet on that lot is service-era rather than original delivery. Period-correct mapping for the article: Oyster 78360 with 501 / 580 end-links throughout the early-to-mid run, Oyster 78790 from late production; 93150 fittings are service-era.

Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's special edition

A 50-piece special edition of the 16700 was produced in 1997 by The Real McCoy's (the Japanese vintage-clothing reissue brand) with caseback engraving "General Chuck Yeager, Bell X-1, October 14th 1947, [n]/50, The Real McCoy's." The reference commemorates Yeager's October 1947 supersonic flight in the Bell X-1. Three independent auction-house lots document the branch:

  • Bonhams Lot 969 (24 November 2018) — No. 14/50, case U443556, full set, incl. premium.
  • Phillips Hong Kong XI Lot 862 (28 November 2020) — No. 21/50, case U453541, est. HK$ 120,000–250,000.
  • Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches 2019 Lot 2023 — c.1999, case A245609, est. HK$ 160,000–320,000.

Antiquorum also catalogued a 16710 Real McCoy in the Monaco 16 July 2017 sale — a cross-reference for the LE program but not a 16700 lot.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Lot Year Serial Variant / config Hammer
Bonhams 25956/4 2020 R-serial 1988 Pepsi, 78360 / RS11 clasp GBP 10,687.50 incl. premium
Antiquorum Geneva 329-88 2020 T254282 1996 Pepsi delivered Dec 1996, full set with original Beyer receipt CHF 11,875
Sotheby's Geneva Important Watches 10 2019 T848499 c.1996 Pepsi, cal. 3175, with extra black bezel est. CHF 6,000–8,000
Sotheby's Fine Watches Online 417 2024 W752611 c.1995 Pepsi, faded bezel, tritium dial est. EUR 8,000–12,000
Bonhams 25232/969 2018 U443556 1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 14/50, full set HK$ 106,250 incl. premium
Phillips Hong Kong XI 862 2020 U453541 c.1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 21/50 est. HK$ 120,000–250,000
Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches 2023 2019 A245609 c.1999 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's est. HK$ 160,000–320,000

The 16700 trades as a usable late-vintage GMT-Master, not an auction trophy. Pepsi side carries the classic family look and commands the stronger general-market premium; the black bezel attracts a narrower collector audience that values the quieter late-run alternative. Standard examples cluster GBP 8,000–15,000 / CHF 8,000–15,000 across the major houses depending on dial generation, lume status, and paperwork. The Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's special edition sits in its own tier above the standard market — the three documented lots all clear well above HK$ 100,000.

Sources

Retrieved from "https://bezelbase.org/index.php?title=Reference:16700&oldid=4445"