Reference:gmt-master
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.
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
- In-Depth: The History of the Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II — unknown, Monochrome
- The Rolex GMT-Master: A Complete Collector's Guide — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
- A Closer Look at the Rolex Root Beer — Christina Bohn, Sotheby's
- An Early Retrospective – Rolex GMT-Master II Lunette Noire Ceramic — Evan Yeung, Monochrome Watches
- Baselworld 2019 – Updated Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 126710BLNR on Jubilee — Monochrome Watches
- Yellow Gold and Rolesor Back On The Rolex GMT-Master II With Grey & Black Ceramic Bezel — Monochrome
- Fasten Your Seatbelts: Rolex GMT-Master History and Overview of All Major References — Fratello Watches
- The Rolex Pepsi: The Key References — Sotheby's
- Rolex Caliber 3186 vs. Caliber 3285 — Bob's Watches
- With the Rolex Pepsi Now Gone, the Market Is Smelling Blood — Robb Report, 2026
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra