Reference:gmt-master
The first watch Rolex ever built for airline pilots, and one of its most copied designs. 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.
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 opens the modern chapter of the line. Rolex launched the solid yellow-gold 116718LN at Baselworld 2005 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the GMT-Master and brought Cerachrom to the GMT platform with that release. Rolesor followed in 2006 with the 116713LN, steel in 2007 with the 116710LN. The two-colour ceramic patent arrived with the 2013 116710BLNR Batman and was extended to red-and-blue on the 2014 white-gold 116719BLRO. All five references were retired at the 2019 Baselworld transition to the slimmer 126710 case.
The case across the family is the Super Case generation Rolex rolled out from 2005, wider at the lugs and heavier at the crown guards than the 16710 it replaced. Caliber 3186 powers every documented 5-digit ceramic example in the current corpus, carrying the blue Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock protection, and the revised GMT wheel that cleaned up the independent-hour-hand mechanism.
| 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 generation. Rolex launched the steel Pepsi 126710BLRO, the Rolesor Everose 126711CHNR, and the solid-Everose 126715CHNR at Baselworld 2018, then added the Batman 126710BLNR on Jubilee in 2019, the left-handed 126720VTNR in 2022, the yellow-gold GRNR pair in 2023, and the steel 126710GRNR in 2024. Caliber 3285 runs across every reference, with the Chronergy escapement and a 70-hour power reserve. The Jubilee bracelet returned to the GMT-Master II Professional line for the first time since the 1675 era.
The case moved to a narrower geometry than the Super Case that came before it, roughly 11.9–12.5mm thick depending on case material. Fratello puts the 126710BLNR at 12.5mm against the thicker 116710BLNR. Rolex dropped the steel 126710BLRO and the white-gold 126719BLRO from the catalogue at Watches & Wonders 2026 per Robb Report's discontinuation coverage.
| 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
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 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 16753, 16758, 16713, and the brown side of the 16718. The red-and-black Coke bezel arrives with the first GMT-Master II, the 16760, and stays associated mainly with that reference and the early 16710. Gold and two-tone GMT-Masters have been part of the family from the earliest production onward.
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 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.
The modern ceramic era now has its own two family hubs. The 5-digit Cerachrom references from 2005–2019 are covered in the 5-digit ceramic family, which walks through the two-colour ceramic patent story and the 116718LN / 116713LN / 116710LN / 116710BLNR / 116719BLRO rollout. The current 6-digit generation from 2018 onward is covered in the 6-digit family, which runs across the caliber 3285 platform, the Jubilee return, the 126710BLRO Pepsi lifecycle through to its 2026 discontinuation, the Rootbeer pair, the GRNR family, and the left-handed Destro.
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, Chevalier Edition — unknown, Morning Tundra