Reference:16713: Difference between revisions

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16713 rebuild from external research scout. Production 1989-c.2006 (NOT 2003 — that was laser-etched-crystal year); 16713T no-holes case from c.2002. Cal 3185 main + late cal 3186 c.2006. 5 dial configurations: brown sunburst nipple Root Beer / glossy black / champagne serti / slate-silver serti (2000 only) / Sultan silvered gem-set. Bezel: brown-and-cream Rootbeer or all-black ONLY — no factory Coke or Pepsi. Bracelet: Oyster 78363/78793A SEL + Jubilee 62523, all 402B two-tone endlinks. SEL...
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{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 16713 GMT-Master — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|title=Rolex 16713 GMT-Master II — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|description=The `16713` is the two-tone GMT-Master II branch inside the long `16710` era. It carries GMT-Master II movement logic into a steel-and-yellow-gold Rolesor…
|description=The 16713 is the two-tone Rolesor GMT-Master II. 1989 to 2006, caliber 3185 with rare late cal 3186. Brown sunburst Root Beer, black, champagne serti, slate serti, Sultan dials. Black or brown-and-cream "Rootbeer" bezel — no factory Pepsi or Coke.
|keywords=Rolex, 16713, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 16713, GMT-Master II, Root Beer, two-tone, Rolesor, caliber 3185, caliber 3186, Sultan, serti
|image=Ref 16713 hero.webp
|image=Ref 16713 hero.webp
|image_alt=Two-tone Rolesor GMT-Master II
|image_alt=Two-tone Rolesor GMT-Master II
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|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:29Z
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:29Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:47:53Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T11:50:00Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] -> '''16713'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] -> '''16713'''</small>


The [[Reference:16713|16713]] is the two-tone Rolesor branch of the [[Reference:16710|16710]] generation, produced from roughly 1989 through 2007 with steel mid-case, yellow-gold bezel ring and crown, and the GMT-Master II independent-hour movement underneath. Collectors talk about it as the Root Beer reference, and the brown-dial, brown-bezel watch is the one most buyers picture. Rolex also built the 16713 with a black dial and black bezel throughout the run, in roughly comparable numbers. Both configurations are factory standard.
The [[Reference:16713|16713]] is the two-tone Rolesor branch of the [[Reference:16710|16710]] generation: steel mid-case, yellow-gold bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links, with the GMT-Master II independent-hour movement underneath. Production runs 1989 through approximately 2006, with the ceramic 116713LN replacing it at Baselworld 2007. Two factory dial configurations dominate — brown sunburst nipple "Root Beer" and black — alongside two narrow gem-set sub-variants (champagne serti, slate serti for one year only) and the silvered Sultan gem-set example. Two bezel options across the entire run: brown-and-cream Rootbeer or all-black aluminium. No factory Coke, no factory Pepsi.


<span id="core-facts"></span>
<span id="core-facts"></span>
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|-
|-
| reference
| reference
| [[Reference:16713|16713]]
| [[Reference:16713|16713]] (1989–c.2002 lug-hole case); [[Reference:16713|16713T]] (c.2002–2006, no-holes case)
|-
|-
| family
| family
| GMT-Master II
| GMT-Master II (two-tone Rolesor variant)
|-
|-
| production
| production
| roughly 1989-2007
| 1989 to approximately 2006. Replaced by 116713LN ceramic at Baselworld 2007. End-year reading "2003" sometimes surfaces — that date traces to the laser-etched-crystal coronet introduction, not to discontinuation
|-
| movement
| caliber 3185, with late 3186 noted in the Field Manual
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm steel-and-yellow-gold Rolesor Oyster case
| 40mm two-tone Oyster — 904L steel mid-case + 18K yellow-gold bezel ring + crown + centre bracelet links. Lug-hole case to c.2002, no-holes (16713T) case from c.2002 onward
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| sapphire with Cyclops
| sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from c.2003
|-
|-
| water resistance
| water resistance
| 100m
| 100m
|-
| movement
| caliber 3185 across most of the run (Nivarox flat hairspring with Breguet overcoil — NOT Parachrom). Late 16713T from approximately 2006 may carry caliber 3186 with Parachrom blue hairspring
|-
| GMT mechanic
| flyer GMT — independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
|-
| dial generations
| brown sunburst nipple ("Root Beer" / "Tigerauge"); glossy black; champagne serti (rubies + diamonds, across most of production); slate / silver serti (added 2000, lasted approximately one year); Sultan silvered gem-set (8 diamonds + 3 rubies on a 1998 silvered ground)
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| black or brown in the direct branch examples; wider color assumptions remain unresolved
| 24-hour aluminium insert. Two factory configurations: brown-and-cream "Rootbeer" or all-black. Coke and Pepsi do not exist factory on the 16713 — those are 16710 traits
|-
|-
| main dial split
| bracelet
| brown Root Beer and black-dial branches
| Oyster 78363 with 402B two-tone end-links and Jubilee 62523 with 402B end-links through hollow-end-link era; SEL Oyster 78793A from approximately 2000
|-
| lume
| tritium "T<25" through approximately 1998; Luminova "Swiss" 1998–2000 transitional; Super-LumiNova "Swiss made" from approximately 2000 onward
|}
|}


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== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 16713 sits in the [[Reference:16710|16710]] generation, not the linked-hand GMT-Master world that produced the [[Reference:16753|16753]] Root Beer. The brown colourway points back to that earlier two-tone, but the movement is full GMT-Master II with an independent hour hand. Reading the 16713 as a 16753 update is the most common mistake; it is closer to a Rolesor 16710 with a different bezel-and-dial palette.
The 16713 sits in the [[Reference:16710|16710]] generation, not the linked-hand caller-GMT world that produced the [[Reference:16753|16753]] Root Beer it replaced. The brown colourway points back to that earlier two-tone, but the movement is full GMT-Master II with an independent local-hour hand. Reading the 16713 as a 16753 update is the most common mistake — it is closer to a Rolesor 16710 with a different bezel-and-dial palette.
 
The 16753 (1981–1988, caliber 3075, caller GMT) ran on the synchronized hand-set logic of the original GMT-Master line. The 16713 (1989–c.2006, caliber 3185, flyer GMT) inherits the brown-and-gold visual identity but adopts the new GMT-Master II flyer mechanic and the larger sapphire-crystal Oyster case. The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold sister; the 16710 is the steel sister. After 2006/2007 the line moves to the ceramic 116713LN with the Cerachrom bezel, Maxi dial, Super Case, and solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet.


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


Production runs from roughly 1989 to 2007, parallel to the steel 16710. Within that span the reference splits cleanly into two configurations: brown dial with brown bezel insert (Root Beer) and black dial with black bezel insert.
Launch year is uncontested at 1989 — the 16713 entered the catalog as the two-tone partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16753 Rootbeer. The end year is messier across the literature. The "2003" reading sometimes surfaces but does not survive scrutiny — that date traces to the laser-etched-crystal coronet introduction, not to discontinuation. The "2005–2006" reading is supported by editorial coverage (caliber 3185 itself ran 1988–approximately 2005 before the 3186 replaced it; specialist retailers cite "2006 was the last year of production"). The "2007" reading lines up with the Baselworld launch of the 116713LN ceramic successor; carry-over inventory may have shipped into 2007 even if production ended in 2006.


<span id="brown-root-beer-branch"></span>
Working consensus: last 16713 production runs ended in 2006, with the 116713LN catalog-replacing it for 2007. Sotheby's catalog entries top out at 2005 watches; the cal 3186 Parachrom upgrade lands "right around 2006" per the late-production record.
=== Brown Root Beer branch ===


The brown branch is the most direct visual link to the earlier two-tone GMTs. Brown dial, brown aluminum bezel insert, gold-toned hour markers and gold-tipped GMT hand against the steel-and-gold Rolesor case — the palette is the same one the [[Reference:16753|16753]] established.
A discrete intra-production transition: around 2002 Rolex dropped the drilled lug holes and the case stamp shifted to 16713T (T for "no holes"). The full reference range therefore reads 16713 (1989–c.2002) → 16713T (c.2002–2006).
 
<span id="black-branch"></span>
=== Black branch ===
 
The black-on-black 16713 is the workhorse configuration of the reference and the version Rolex featured most often in period catalog imagery. *The Vintage Rolex Field Manual* describes the 16713 primarily as a black-bezel two-tone, while Ross Povey's GMT-Master survey in Revolution and Christina Bohn's Sotheby's Root Beer guide both treat brown and black as parallel production. Documented examples confirm both; bezel claims beyond those two colours need direct evidence.


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


Caliber 3185 powers most of the production run. *The Vintage Rolex Field Manual* lists late 3186 examples for the final years, but the changeover lands close to the end of the reference, so most surviving 16713s are 3185s. A 3186 claim deserves direct movement evidence rather than a date assumption. Both calibers drive the independent hour hand that defines the GMT-Master II, the architectural break from the linked-hand 3075 that ran in the [[Reference:16753|16753]].
Caliber 3185 powers most of the production run. Specifications: 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 — explicitly not the blue Parachrom that arrives later on the cal 3186. The flyer-GMT mechanic with independently adjustable local hour is the same architectural break from the linked-hand 3075 that ran in the 16753.
 
The 3185 carries one famous quirk: the GMT hand creeps slightly when the local hour is jumped — a tell that distinguishes it from the 3186 successor. Caliber 3186 replaced the 3185 around 2005–2006 with a blue Parachrom hairspring (Rolex's first GMT to receive Parachrom) and a spring-loaded date mechanism that fixed the GMT-hand creep. The 16713T late-production examples therefore can carry either caliber — 3185 is the rule, 3186 is the late-2006 exception, and serial-aware verification matters for a high-end purchase.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
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[[File:Ref 16713 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black-dial 16713|Black-dial 16713]]
[[File:Ref 16713 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black-dial 16713|Black-dial 16713]]
Dial variation across the 16713 is narrower than on the steel 16710. The brown-versus-black split is the structural divide; within each, late watches drop the early gilt detail described below.


<span id="brown-root-beer"></span>
Five documented dial configurations across the run.
=== Brown Root Beer ===
 
<span id="brown-sunburst-rootbeer"></span>
=== Brown sunburst nipple — "Root Beer" / "Tigerauge" ===
 
The signature 16713 dial. Brown sunburst lacquer over a metal substrate, with applied yellow-gold nipple markers — precious-metal cones with a central tritium plot. The lacquer carries the same period formulation that produces flaking on the 16753 brown sunburst; "prone to flaking" is the standing condition warning, with damage typically concentrated around the index circumference.
 
The "Tiger's Eye" patina pattern surfaces on aged examples — a striking golden top half and a warm earthy bottom half across the same dial face, confirmed on at least one 2004 production example. Untouched dials show cream-to-warm-beige tritium patina on the index plots; the yellow-gold hands lighten in parallel.
 
Earlier 16713 brown dials carry raised nipple indexes; later production transitions to flat applied batons with yellow-gold surrounds. The transition is observed but not pinned to a hard serial cutoff.
 
<span id="black-glossy"></span>
=== Glossy black ===
 
Standard option throughout production. Glossy black lacquer with applied gold nipple markers (early) or applied yellow-gold-surround indices (later), and yellow-gold coronet. Pairs most often with the all-black 24-hour bezel insert, though black-and-gold "Rootbeer" inserts also surface on the black-dial branch. The black 16713 outsells assumption — Rolex featured it most often in period catalog imagery alongside the brown configuration.
 
<span id="champagne-serti"></span>
=== Champagne serti ===
 
A factory gem-set variant on the standard 16713 architecture. Champagne sunburst dial with diamond hour markers and triangular ruby markers replacing the standard nipple-marker / luminous-plot layout. Available across most of production.


Brown-dial examples carry the Root Beer name unambiguously. The dial is a warm chocolate brown with applied gold-coloured indexes — early watches still nipple, later watches flat baton, per the transitional detail covered below. The bezel insert matches in tone, slightly browner than the gold of the case.
<span id="slate-serti"></span>
=== Slate / silver serti (added 2000, c.1 year only) ===


<span id="black-dial"></span>
A narrow-window sub-variant — a slate (silver) ground replacing the champagne, otherwise the same gem-set architecture. The variant was added in 2000 and ran for approximately one year before being dropped from the catalog.
=== Black dial ===


Black 16713s use the same dial architecture in the more conventional GMT-Master palette: gloss black with white-printed text and applied gold-coloured indexes, paired with a black aluminum bezel insert. The configuration is not a minor variant — it accounts for a substantial share of surviving watches and was sold alongside Root Beer throughout the run.
<span id="sultan-silver-gem-set"></span>
=== Sultan silvered gem-set ===


<span id="transitional-visual-detail"></span>
A documented 1998 silvered-ground gem-set 16713 with eight diamond indices and three triangular ruby markers. The configuration is distinct from the standard slate / silver serti — the Sultan example carries the diamond + ruby array on a tritium-era silvered dial. A documented Sotheby's "Sultan" lot is the canonical reference for the variant.
=== Transitional visual detail ===


Two early-production details place the 16713 as a transitional reference within the GMT-Master II line. *The Vintage Rolex Field Manual* identifies it as the last GMT branch to carry raised nipple indexes and the first to use a gilt coronet, both holdovers from the older two-tone vocabulary the 16753 closed out. Together those two cues make the early watches read warmer and more vintage-adjacent than the rest of the 16710-era family. Later production drops the nipples for flat applied batons and pulls the dial closer to the standard 16710 look.
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era in two-tone Rolesor: 904L steel mid-case with 18K yellow-gold bezel surround, crown, and centre bracelet links. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops lens over the date — the sapphire crystal is the quickest way to confirm a 16713 against an earlier two-tone GMT.
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==


The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era in two-tone Rolesor: 904L-grade steel mid-case with yellow-gold bezel surround, crown, and centre bracelet links. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops lens over the date — sapphire and Cyclops are the quickest way to confirm a 16713 against an earlier two-tone GMT.
Two case-stamp generations across the run. The 16713 stamp covers 1989 through approximately 2002 with drilled lug holes that allowed spring bars to be pushed out from outside. The 16713T stamp covers approximately 2002 through 2006 with the no-holes case and (from approximately 2003) the laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock on the sapphire crystal.


Bezel inserts come in brown for the Root Beer configuration and black for the standard configuration. Coke or Pepsi readings of the 16713 turn up occasionally in dealer copy and forum threads but lack documentation in the published reference literature; treat them as unconfirmed pending direct evidence.
The bezel is a 24-hour bidirectional aluminium insert in two factory configurations only: brown-and-cream "Rootbeer" and all-black. There is no factory Coke (red and black) or Pepsi (red and blue) on the 16713 — those exist on the steel 16710 only. Any 16713 with a Coke or Pepsi insert is a non-original swap.


<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 ==


[[File:Ref 16713 black-jubilee.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black 16713 on Jubilee|Black 16713 on Jubilee]]
[[File:Ref 16713 black-jubilee.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black 16713 on Jubilee|Black 16713 on Jubilee]]
Both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets appear on surviving 16713s, and the surviving market does not split the bracelet choice cleanly along the brown-versus-black line: Root Beer watches turn up on Oyster, black watches turn up on Jubilee, and both also appear in the opposite pairing. Bracelet codes for the period are 78363 (Jubilee) and 78753 (Oyster) in two-tone, both with 503B end links. Born-with documentation across the reference is not deep enough to publish a delivery chart; treat bracelet presentation as a per-example question.


<span id="special-branches"></span>
Two factory bracelet options confirmed across the run, both with two-tone steel + yellow gold construction and 402B two-tone end-links:
== Special branches ==


[[File:Ref 16713 root-beer-auction.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Sotheby's Root Beer 16713|Sotheby's Root Beer 16713]]
* '''Oyster 78363''' — three-link, hollow centre-link configuration. The 78793A SEL Oyster replaces the 78363 from approximately 2000 onward as the solid-end-link rollout reaches the two-tone GMT line.
<span id="root-beer-branch"></span>
* '''Jubilee 62523''' — five-link, flat-profile two-tone Jubilee.
=== Root Beer branch ===
 
Surviving market presentation does not split bracelet choice cleanly along the brown-versus-black line. Root Beer watches turn up on Oyster, black watches turn up on Jubilee, and both pairings appear in the opposite configuration. Born-with documentation is not deep enough to publish a delivery chart; bracelet presentation reads as a per-example question.
 
Late-production 16713 carries the short two-tone Oysterlock folding clasp. Clasp date codes follow the standard letter-quarter / number-year format and date the bracelet, never the watch head.


The brown 16713 carries the Root Beer name within the GMT-Master II generation. It is the configuration the nickname names, and the one most secondary buyers shop the reference for.
<span id="lume-transitions"></span>
== Lume transitions ==


<span id="black-branch-1"></span>
Three documented lume eras inside the 16713 production window:
=== Black branch ===


The black 16713 outsells assumption. A buyer searching the reference number expecting Root Beer brown finds black watches as often as brown, and reading the reference as Root Beer-only misrepresents what Rolex actually built.
* '''Tritium "T<25"''' through approximately 1998. Cream-to-mustard ageing on the index plots; matching tritium on the yellow-gold hour, minute, and GMT hands.
* '''Luminova "Swiss" only''' across approximately 1998–2000 — narrow transitional window. Some 1998 examples carry Luminova plots under "T<25" tritium-era dial-text printing as Rolex used remaining dial stock during the changeover; treat as factory transitional output rather than service replacement.
* '''Super-LumiNova "Swiss made"''' from approximately 2000 onward — the dominant late-run configuration. Plots stay bright and white; cream-toned aged examples in this window are typically the result of UV exposure rather than tritium decay.


<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 ==


Auction-house presence for the 16713 is thin compared to the steel 16710, with most documented sales coming through Sotheby's retail and the secondary dealer market rather than catalogued evening-sale lots. The retail record is consistent enough to confirm the two-configuration, two-bracelet picture above without needing major auction backing.
[[File:Ref 16713 root-beer-auction.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Sotheby's Root Beer 16713|Sotheby's Root Beer 16713]]
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year of watch !! Configuration !! Result
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong || 8011 || 2022 || c.2004 brown sunburst Tiger's Eye Root Beer, cal 3185 31j || HK$ 100,800
|-
| Sotheby's Watches Online London || 7 || 2019 || 1998 silvered Sultan gem-set (8 diamonds + 3 rubies), 78793A SEL Oyster — final tritium-era example || est. GBP 4,000–6,000
|-
| Sotheby's Watches Weekly NY || 459 || 2020 || c.1995 black, two-tone Jubilee folding clasp, case W153973, mvt 7,688,897 || est. USD 4,000–6,000
|-
| Sotheby's Watches Online || 8 || 2019 || c.1990 black, Jubilee 62523, cal 3185 31j || est. USD 3,000–5,000
|-
| Sotheby's retail || — || ongoing || 1991–1992 brown Root Beer, deployant clasp, original box || immediate sale
|-
| Sotheby's retail || — || ongoing || 1991–1992 black configuration || immediate sale
|}
 
The 16713 trades primarily on the dealer market rather than at major auction. Sotheby's gates results behind login and Christie's surfaces nothing for the reference in the public catalog. Phillips's 2022 Hong Kong result is the cleanest public sale datapoint. Antiquorum had no specific 16713 hits in their public catalog as of this pass. Standard configurations cluster USD 6,000–12,000 across the dealer market depending on dial-state originality, paperwork, and case condition; Sultan and slate-serti gem-set examples sit above the standard market. The Tiger's Eye patina pattern carries a meaningful premium when documented on an unrestored brown sunburst.
 
<span id="successor-116713ln"></span>
== 116713LN ceramic successor ==
 
Replaced 2007 (Baselworld) with the Cerachrom-bezel two-tone 116713LN. Order of the six-digit ceramic GMT generation: 116710LN steel (2005) → 116718LN all-gold (2005) → 116713LN two-tone (2007). Five upgrades relative to the 16713: Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert (no aluminium), Maxi dial (larger applied markers, fatter hands), Super Case (thicker lugs and crown guards), solid centre-link Oyster bracelet with redesigned machined Oysterlock clasp, and caliber 3186 carried over from late 16713T production.
 
Bezel options on the 116713LN: black-only at launch. The two-tone GMT-Master II never received a Pepsi or Coke ceramic bezel — aluminium Rootbeer ended with the 16713.


== 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)
* [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 Concise Guide to the Rolex GMT Root Beer] — Christina Bohn (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-16713/ #TBT Rolex GMT Master 16713] (Fratello)
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-3185/ Rolex Caliber 3185 reference guide] (Millenary Watches)
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-3186/ Rolex Caliber 3186 reference guide] (Millenary Watches)
* [https://calibercorner.com/rolex-caliber-3185/ Rolex Caliber 3185] (Caliber Corner)
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/thewatchclub/2022/01/04/rolex-gmt-master-from-nipple-dials-to-serti-stones/ Rolex GMT-Master: From Nipple Dials to Serti Stones] (SwissWatchExpo)
* [https://www.luxurybazaar.com/grey-market/rolex-16713/ Rolex 16713 GMT-Master II Collector's Guide] (Luxury Bazaar)
* [https://www.bezelmarketplace.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii/116713-0001 Rolex GMT-Master II 116713LN-0001 reference] (Bezel)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/buying-guide/two-tone-gmt-master-ii-buying-guide.html Two-Tone GMT-Master II Buying Guide] (Bob's Watches)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/rolex-root-beer-ultimate-buying-guide.html Rolex Root Beer Ultimate Buying Guide] (Bob's Watches)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080222/8011 Rolex GMT-Master II 16713 Tiger's Eye Root Beer — Phillips Hong Kong lot 8011] (Phillips, 2022)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/watches-online-london-7/rolex-gmt-master-ii-sultan-ref-16713-yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master II Sultan Ref. 16713 — Sotheby's Watches Online lot 7] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-weekly-3/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16713-yellow-gold-and Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16713 — Sotheby's Watches Weekly NY lot 459] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/watches-online/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16713-yellow-gold-and-stainless Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16713 c.1990 — Sotheby's Watches Online lot 8] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_rolex-gmt-master-ii-root-beer-reference-16713-494b GMT-Master II Root Beer Reference 16713 1991–1992 — Sotheby's retail] (Sotheby's)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_gmt-master-ii-reference-16713-1b9c GMT-Master II Reference 16713 1991–1992 black — Sotheby's retail] (Sotheby's)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-16713-root-beer-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master 16713 Root Beer Dial] (Bob's Watches)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16713-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16713 Black Dial] (Bob's Watches)
* [https://watch-collector.co.uk/rolex-bracelet-end-link-codes/ Rolex Bracelet End Link Codes] (The Watch-Collector Leeds)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [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://revolutionwatch.com/masterstroke-the-gmt-master-part-ii/ Master Stroke — The Rolex GMT-Master: Part II] — Ross Povey, Revolution
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_rolex-gmt-master-ii-root-beer-reference-16713-494b GMT-Master II 'Root Beer' (Reference 16713). A 40mm yellow gold stainless steel automatic wristwatch with date and dual time. 1991-1992] — unknown, Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_gmt-master-ii-reference-16713-1b9c GMT-Master II (Reference 16713). A 40mm yellow gold stainless steel automatic wristwatch with date and dual time. 1991-1992] — unknown, Sotheby's
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-16713-root-beer-dial.html Rolex GMT Master 16713 Root Beer Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16713-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16713 Black Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* WatchUSeek 16713 thread bundle — WatchUSeek community, WatchUSeek


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

Revision as of 16:06, 29 April 2026


GMT-Master -> 16713

The 16713 is the two-tone Rolesor branch of the 16710 generation: steel mid-case, yellow-gold bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links, with the GMT-Master II independent-hour movement underneath. Production runs 1989 through approximately 2006, with the ceramic 116713LN replacing it at Baselworld 2007. Two factory dial configurations dominate — brown sunburst nipple "Root Beer" and black — alongside two narrow gem-set sub-variants (champagne serti, slate serti for one year only) and the silvered Sultan gem-set example. Two bezel options across the entire run: brown-and-cream Rootbeer or all-black aluminium. No factory Coke, no factory Pepsi.

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Two-tone Rolesor GMT-Master II

Core facts

detail value
reference 16713 (1989–c.2002 lug-hole case); 16713T (c.2002–2006, no-holes case)
family GMT-Master II (two-tone Rolesor variant)
production 1989 to approximately 2006. Replaced by 116713LN ceramic at Baselworld 2007. End-year reading "2003" sometimes surfaces — that date traces to the laser-etched-crystal coronet introduction, not to discontinuation
case 40mm two-tone Oyster — 904L steel mid-case + 18K yellow-gold bezel ring + crown + centre bracelet links. Lug-hole case to c.2002, no-holes (16713T) case from c.2002 onward
crystal sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from c.2003
water resistance 100m
movement caliber 3185 across most of the run (Nivarox flat hairspring with Breguet overcoil — NOT Parachrom). Late 16713T from approximately 2006 may carry caliber 3186 with Parachrom blue hairspring
GMT mechanic flyer GMT — independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
dial generations brown sunburst nipple ("Root Beer" / "Tigerauge"); glossy black; champagne serti (rubies + diamonds, across most of production); slate / silver serti (added 2000, lasted approximately one year); Sultan silvered gem-set (8 diamonds + 3 rubies on a 1998 silvered ground)
bezel 24-hour aluminium insert. Two factory configurations: brown-and-cream "Rootbeer" or all-black. Coke and Pepsi do not exist factory on the 16713 — those are 16710 traits
bracelet Oyster 78363 with 402B two-tone end-links and Jubilee 62523 with 402B end-links through hollow-end-link era; SEL Oyster 78793A from approximately 2000
lume tritium "T<25" through approximately 1998; Luminova "Swiss" 1998–2000 transitional; Super-LumiNova "Swiss made" from approximately 2000 onward

Where it sits in the line

The 16713 sits in the 16710 generation, not the linked-hand caller-GMT world that produced the 16753 Root Beer it replaced. The brown colourway points back to that earlier two-tone, but the movement is full GMT-Master II with an independent local-hour hand. Reading the 16713 as a 16753 update is the most common mistake — it is closer to a Rolesor 16710 with a different bezel-and-dial palette.

The 16753 (1981–1988, caliber 3075, caller GMT) ran on the synchronized hand-set logic of the original GMT-Master line. The 16713 (1989–c.2006, caliber 3185, flyer GMT) inherits the brown-and-gold visual identity but adopts the new GMT-Master II flyer mechanic and the larger sapphire-crystal Oyster case. The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold sister; the 16710 is the steel sister. After 2006/2007 the line moves to the ceramic 116713LN with the Cerachrom bezel, Maxi dial, Super Case, and solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet.

Production outline

Launch year is uncontested at 1989 — the 16713 entered the catalog as the two-tone partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16753 Rootbeer. The end year is messier across the literature. The "2003" reading sometimes surfaces but does not survive scrutiny — that date traces to the laser-etched-crystal coronet introduction, not to discontinuation. The "2005–2006" reading is supported by editorial coverage (caliber 3185 itself ran 1988–approximately 2005 before the 3186 replaced it; specialist retailers cite "2006 was the last year of production"). The "2007" reading lines up with the Baselworld launch of the 116713LN ceramic successor; carry-over inventory may have shipped into 2007 even if production ended in 2006.

Working consensus: last 16713 production runs ended in 2006, with the 116713LN catalog-replacing it for 2007. Sotheby's catalog entries top out at 2005 watches; the cal 3186 Parachrom upgrade lands "right around 2006" per the late-production record.

A discrete intra-production transition: around 2002 Rolex dropped the drilled lug holes and the case stamp shifted to 16713T (T for "no holes"). The full reference range therefore reads 16713 (1989–c.2002) → 16713T (c.2002–2006).

Movement notes

Caliber 3185 powers most of the production run. Specifications: 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 — explicitly not the blue Parachrom that arrives later on the cal 3186. The flyer-GMT mechanic with independently adjustable local hour is the same architectural break from the linked-hand 3075 that ran in the 16753.

The 3185 carries one famous quirk: the GMT hand creeps slightly when the local hour is jumped — a tell that distinguishes it from the 3186 successor. Caliber 3186 replaced the 3185 around 2005–2006 with a blue Parachrom hairspring (Rolex's first GMT to receive Parachrom) and a spring-loaded date mechanism that fixed the GMT-hand creep. The 16713T late-production examples therefore can carry either caliber — 3185 is the rule, 3186 is the late-2006 exception, and serial-aware verification matters for a high-end purchase.

Dial map

Black-dial 16713
Black-dial 16713

Five documented dial configurations across the run.

Brown sunburst nipple — "Root Beer" / "Tigerauge"

The signature 16713 dial. Brown sunburst lacquer over a metal substrate, with applied yellow-gold nipple markers — precious-metal cones with a central tritium plot. The lacquer carries the same period formulation that produces flaking on the 16753 brown sunburst; "prone to flaking" is the standing condition warning, with damage typically concentrated around the index circumference.

The "Tiger's Eye" patina pattern surfaces on aged examples — a striking golden top half and a warm earthy bottom half across the same dial face, confirmed on at least one 2004 production example. Untouched dials show cream-to-warm-beige tritium patina on the index plots; the yellow-gold hands lighten in parallel.

Earlier 16713 brown dials carry raised nipple indexes; later production transitions to flat applied batons with yellow-gold surrounds. The transition is observed but not pinned to a hard serial cutoff.

Glossy black

Standard option throughout production. Glossy black lacquer with applied gold nipple markers (early) or applied yellow-gold-surround indices (later), and yellow-gold coronet. Pairs most often with the all-black 24-hour bezel insert, though black-and-gold "Rootbeer" inserts also surface on the black-dial branch. The black 16713 outsells assumption — Rolex featured it most often in period catalog imagery alongside the brown configuration.

Champagne serti

A factory gem-set variant on the standard 16713 architecture. Champagne sunburst dial with diamond hour markers and triangular ruby markers replacing the standard nipple-marker / luminous-plot layout. Available across most of production.

Slate / silver serti (added 2000, c.1 year only)

A narrow-window sub-variant — a slate (silver) ground replacing the champagne, otherwise the same gem-set architecture. The variant was added in 2000 and ran for approximately one year before being dropped from the catalog.

Sultan silvered gem-set

A documented 1998 silvered-ground gem-set 16713 with eight diamond indices and three triangular ruby markers. The configuration is distinct from the standard slate / silver serti — the Sultan example carries the diamond + ruby array on a tritium-era silvered dial. A documented Sotheby's "Sultan" lot is the canonical reference for the variant.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era in two-tone Rolesor: 904L steel mid-case with 18K yellow-gold bezel surround, crown, and centre bracelet links. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops lens over the date — the sapphire crystal is the quickest way to confirm a 16713 against an earlier two-tone GMT.

Two case-stamp generations across the run. The 16713 stamp covers 1989 through approximately 2002 with drilled lug holes that allowed spring bars to be pushed out from outside. The 16713T stamp covers approximately 2002 through 2006 with the no-holes case and (from approximately 2003) the laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock on the sapphire crystal.

The bezel is a 24-hour bidirectional aluminium insert in two factory configurations only: brown-and-cream "Rootbeer" and all-black. There is no factory Coke (red and black) or Pepsi (red and blue) on the 16713 — those exist on the steel 16710 only. Any 16713 with a Coke or Pepsi insert is a non-original swap.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Black 16713 on Jubilee
Black 16713 on Jubilee

Two factory bracelet options confirmed across the run, both with two-tone steel + yellow gold construction and 402B two-tone end-links:

  • Oyster 78363 — three-link, hollow centre-link configuration. The 78793A SEL Oyster replaces the 78363 from approximately 2000 onward as the solid-end-link rollout reaches the two-tone GMT line.
  • Jubilee 62523 — five-link, flat-profile two-tone Jubilee.

Surviving market presentation does not split bracelet choice cleanly along the brown-versus-black line. Root Beer watches turn up on Oyster, black watches turn up on Jubilee, and both pairings appear in the opposite configuration. Born-with documentation is not deep enough to publish a delivery chart; bracelet presentation reads as a per-example question.

Late-production 16713 carries the short two-tone Oysterlock folding clasp. Clasp date codes follow the standard letter-quarter / number-year format and date the bracelet, never the watch head.

Lume transitions

Three documented lume eras inside the 16713 production window:

  • Tritium "T<25" through approximately 1998. Cream-to-mustard ageing on the index plots; matching tritium on the yellow-gold hour, minute, and GMT hands.
  • Luminova "Swiss" only across approximately 1998–2000 — narrow transitional window. Some 1998 examples carry Luminova plots under "T<25" tritium-era dial-text printing as Rolex used remaining dial stock during the changeover; treat as factory transitional output rather than service replacement.
  • Super-LumiNova "Swiss made" from approximately 2000 onward — the dominant late-run configuration. Plots stay bright and white; cream-toned aged examples in this window are typically the result of UV exposure rather than tritium decay.

Historical market and auction record

Sotheby's Root Beer 16713
Sotheby's Root Beer 16713
Sale Lot Year of watch Configuration Result
Phillips Hong Kong 8011 2022 c.2004 brown sunburst Tiger's Eye Root Beer, cal 3185 31j HK$ 100,800
Sotheby's Watches Online London 7 2019 1998 silvered Sultan gem-set (8 diamonds + 3 rubies), 78793A SEL Oyster — final tritium-era example est. GBP 4,000–6,000
Sotheby's Watches Weekly NY 459 2020 c.1995 black, two-tone Jubilee folding clasp, case W153973, mvt 7,688,897 est. USD 4,000–6,000
Sotheby's Watches Online 8 2019 c.1990 black, Jubilee 62523, cal 3185 31j est. USD 3,000–5,000
Sotheby's retail — ongoing 1991–1992 brown Root Beer, deployant clasp, original box immediate sale
Sotheby's retail — ongoing 1991–1992 black configuration immediate sale

The 16713 trades primarily on the dealer market rather than at major auction. Sotheby's gates results behind login and Christie's surfaces nothing for the reference in the public catalog. Phillips's 2022 Hong Kong result is the cleanest public sale datapoint. Antiquorum had no specific 16713 hits in their public catalog as of this pass. Standard configurations cluster USD 6,000–12,000 across the dealer market depending on dial-state originality, paperwork, and case condition; Sultan and slate-serti gem-set examples sit above the standard market. The Tiger's Eye patina pattern carries a meaningful premium when documented on an unrestored brown sunburst.

116713LN ceramic successor

Replaced 2007 (Baselworld) with the Cerachrom-bezel two-tone 116713LN. Order of the six-digit ceramic GMT generation: 116710LN steel (2005) → 116718LN all-gold (2005) → 116713LN two-tone (2007). Five upgrades relative to the 16713: Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert (no aluminium), Maxi dial (larger applied markers, fatter hands), Super Case (thicker lugs and crown guards), solid centre-link Oyster bracelet with redesigned machined Oysterlock clasp, and caliber 3186 carried over from late 16713T production.

Bezel options on the 116713LN: black-only at launch. The two-tone GMT-Master II never received a Pepsi or Coke ceramic bezel — aluminium Rootbeer ended with the 16713.

Sources

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