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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 16718 GMT-Master II}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex GMT-Master II 16718, all-yellow-gold GMT
|description=The `16718` is the solid yellow-gold GMT-Master II of the `16710` era. It takes the independent GMT-hand system and puts it into a full-gold case before…
|description=The Rolex 16718 is the all-yellow-gold GMT-Master II from the 16710 generation, with caliber 3185, aluminium bezel inserts, and Oyster or Jubilee bracelet options.
|keywords=Rolex, 16718, Gmt-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 16718, GMT-Master II, yellow gold, caliber 3185, serti dial, rootbeer
|type=article
|image=Ref 16718 hero.webp
|image_alt=18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:37Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:09:56Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] › '''16718'''</small>


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|Gmt-Master]] → '''16718'''</small>
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 16718 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 in 18K yellow gold, black dial and bezel, 3/4 angle|Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 in 18K yellow gold, black dial and bezel]]
</div>


[[File:Ref 16718 hero.webp|thumb|right|340px]]
The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold branch of the 16710 generation, alongside the steel [[Reference:16710|16710]] and two-tone [[Reference:16713|16713]]. Sources date the five-digit gold reference to the late 1980s or early 1990s and place its replacement by the 116718LN in 2005. It uses caliber 3185 for most of the run, a 40mm Oyster case, and the independent-hour GMT mechanism. Documented dials include black, brown, white, and gem-set configurations.


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


The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the solid yellow-gold GMT-Master II of the [[Reference:16710|16710]] era. It takes the independent GMT-hand system and puts it into a full-gold case before the ceramic era rewrites the look of the family again. In the current source set, it is also one of the clearest reminders that precious-metal GMTs are not side notes. They are their own collector lane.
The challenge with the [[Reference:16718|16718]] is not whether it exists as a serious reference. It does. The problem is that the current direct market layer is much stronger for black-dial examples than for brown ones, even though collector literature clearly supports both.
<span id="core-facts"></span>
== Core facts ==
== Core facts ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 28: Line 34:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| GMT-Master II
| GMT-Master II (all-yellow-gold variant)
|-
|-
| production
| production
| roughly 1989-2007
| 1989 to approximately 2005. Replaced by the 116718LN at Baselworld 2005 alongside the GMT-Master 50th-anniversary green-dial release. Some listings use 2003 as the end year; the page’s cited catalogue and auction record place the gold reference’s replacement with the 116718LN in 2005
|-
|-
| movement
| total examples
| caliber 3185, with late 3186 noted in the Field Manual
| no published Rolex production figure
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm solid yellow-gold Oyster case
| 40mm 18K yellow-gold Oyster with crown guards, 100m water resistance
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| sapphire with Cyclops
| sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from approximately 2003
|-
| movement
| caliber 3185 across most of the run (Nivarox flat hairspring with Breguet overcoil); rare late-production caliber 3186 with Parachrom blue hairspring on end-of-run examples. The 3186 is documented inconsistently for the 16718 specifically; the bulk of the documented record reads cal 3185 throughout
|-
|-
| water resistance
| GMT mechanic
| 100m
| flyer GMT; independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
|-
| dial generations
| four documented configurations: glossy black, brown sunburst ("rootbeer"), white, champagne / silver serti gem-set with diamond hour markers and ruby accents at 6 / 9. (GMT serti dials use rubies, not the Submariner's sapphires.)
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| black in the direct market examples, with brown branch support in collector literature
| 24-hour aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black or brown ("rootbeer"). Published major-house lots in the source set show standard black or brown aluminium inserts; diamond-set bezels seen on 16718 cases should be treated as separate fitment claims and checked against provenance
|-
|-
| key identity
| bracelet
| solid-gold GMT-Master II with stronger black-branch documentation than the current direct brown layer
| 18K Oyster (sport-leaning, more often paired with black-dial) or 18K Jubilee (more often paired with serti and rootbeer). Bracelet codes: 78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee; both stamped on the largest centre link
|}
|}


Line 55: Line 67:
== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the solid-gold partner to the [[Reference:16710|16710]] steel GMT-Master II and the [[Reference:16713|16713]] two-tone branch.
[[File:Ref 16718 catalogue-portrait.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=All-yellow-gold GMT-Master II 16718, catalogue-style portrait shot|All-yellow-gold 16718, catalogue-style portrait shot]]
 
Within the five-digit GMT-Master II line the 16718 runs in parallel with the all-steel [[Reference:16710|16710]] and the two-tone [[Reference:16713|16713]] Rootbeer, and from 2005 with the ceramic 116718LN that replaced it. It followed the [[Reference:16758|16758]], built from 1979/80 to 1988 on caliber 3075, whose local hour moved only with the 24-hour hand in the synchronized manner of the original GMT-Master line.
* [[Reference:16758|16758]]: last gold GMT-Master, still on the old side of the family split
* [[Reference:16718|16718]]: gold GMT-Master II with independent GMT-hand logic
* later ceramic gold GMTs: more modern and more overtly luxury-led in feel


The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is therefore the gold watch that fully crosses into GMT-Master II behavior while still keeping the classical five-digit case shape.
The gold case-and-bracelet positioning carries over from the 16758. The flyer mechanic and the 1989-onward sapphire-crystal Oyster case with crown guards are new. The next-generation gold GMT is the 116718LN, from 2005, running caliber 3186 under a Cerachrom ceramic bezel with a Maxi dial, Super Case, and solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet.


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


The broad production frame is stable enough at 1989-2007, but the branch picture is still incomplete.
Production began in 1989. The 16718 entered the catalog as the gold partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16758 it succeeded. The available editorial and auction material places the end of the five-digit all-gold reference around 2005, when the 116718LN was introduced with a Cerachrom bezel and green anniversary dial. A 2003 date appears in some listings but is not used here as a production endpoint.
 
<span id="black-branch"></span>
=== Black branch ===


This is the best-supported direct branch in the package. Both the early and later black examples are already in the corpus, and that makes the black watch the safest baseline for the article.
A case-stamp transition runs c.2002–2003 alongside the steel and two-tone sisters, when the lug holes drop and the laser-etched coronet appears on the sapphire crystal at 6 o'clock. The 16718 follows the same case-revision sequence as the 16710 and 16713, although the gold case stamp is sometimes catalogued without the "T" suffix the steel sister carried.


<span id="brown-branch"></span>
No total-production figure is available in the cited sources.
=== Brown branch ===
 
The brown branch is clearly supported by Revolution, VRFM, and the broader Root Beer family material, but the package still lacks a direct brown [[Reference:16718|16718]] sale page. That means the branch belongs in the article, but with a plain note that the current direct-sale layer is still thinner there.


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


The movement story is straightforward by late-five-digit Rolex standards.
Caliber 3185 powers most of the run, carrying over unchanged from the 16710 and 16713. It is a 31-jewel COSC chronometer beating at 28,800 vph with about a 50-hour reserve, hacking seconds, and a date that advances through the independently adjustable local-hour hand, a Glucydur balance regulated by four Microstella screws, and Kif Elastor shock protection. Its hairspring is flat Nivarox with a Breguet overcoil; the blue Parachrom arrives later, on caliber 3186. The independent local-hour hand is the main functional change from the linked-hand 3075 used in the 16758.
 
* caliber 3185 for most of the run
* late 3186 examples according to the Field Manual
* GMT-Master II independent-hour functionality throughout


This is not a watch that needs to be explained as a transitional mechanical reference. Its complexity is more about branch survival, market scarcity, and how little of the brown side appears in direct sale material.
Late-production examples may carry the upgraded caliber 3186 with its Parachrom blue hairspring and the spring-loaded date mechanism that cured the 3185's GMT-hand creep. Where that changeover falls on the 16718 specifically is documented inconsistently, and the bulk of documented examples read cal 3185 throughout the run. A 3186 in a 16718 case is worth checking against the serial before money changes hands.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
== Dial map ==


[[File:Ref 16718 early-black.webp|thumb|right|280px|Early black 16718]]
Four documented dial branches across the run.
The current package supports two branches, but not equally.


<span id="black-branch-1"></span>
<span id="black-glossy-nipple"></span>
=== Black branch ===
=== Glossy black ===


This is the direct branch. The package has an early black example and a cleaner later black example, which is enough to write the branch confidently.
[[File:Ref 16718 early-black.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Early black 16718|Early black 16718]]
Black is the standard sport configuration: glossy black lacquer carrying nipple markers in earlier production and applied indices with yellow-gold surrounds later. A nipple marker is a precious-metal cone with a tritium plot at its centre. It pairs most often with the all-black aluminium insert. Black and brown dials show different ageing and service histories; condition should be judged from the individual watch.


<span id="brown-branch-1"></span>
<span id="brown-sunburst-rootbeer"></span>
=== Brown branch ===
=== Brown sunburst ("rootbeer") ===


The brown branch is supported in the collector literature, especially Revolution and the Root Beer family material, but it is still under-imaged and under-observed in direct sale terms. That means the article should name it, explain it, and also state that the current package is stronger on black than on brown.
The signature gold-rootbeer configuration is brown sunburst lacquer with applied yellow-gold nipple markers, paired with the brown-and-cream "rootbeer" insert. Brown dials can show surface damage or refinishing. The available sources do not establish a single failure pattern or a regional demand history that applies to every example.


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
The term "Sundust" belongs to a different surface treatment, the one on modern Everose Daytona, Datejust, and Day-Date production. The period GMT dial is called brown sunburst or rootbeer.
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==


[[File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|thumb|right|280px|Black 24-hour bezel close-up]]
<span id="white-dial"></span>
The case is the expected full-gold five-digit Oyster case with sapphire and a 24-hour aluminum insert. The biggest unresolved issue here is not the case or crystal. It is the branch map.
=== White ===


* the Field Manual table leans black-bezel LN
The white dial is a factory configuration on a white ground, with applied indices in yellow-gold surrounds under a yellow-gold coronet, paired with the all-black insert. It appears less often in the cited auction and dealer material than black and brown examples.
* Revolution explicitly says the watch came in black-dial/black-bezel and brown-dial/bronze-bezel forms


That conflict should stay visible. The article should not pretend the package has solved it more cleanly than it really has.
<span id="champagne-silver-serti"></span>
=== Champagne / silver serti ===


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
The serti is a factory gem-set variant on the standard 16718 architecture, a champagne or silvered ground carrying diamond hour markers and triangular rubies at 6 and 9 in place of the nipple markers and luminous plots. The cited 16713 and 16718 examples use diamond markers with triangular ruby accents on champagne or silvered grounds. Serti configurations are often seen on Jubilee bracelets, but bracelet pairing is not a factory rule.
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


[[File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|thumb|right|280px|Gold Oyster bracelet]]
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
The direct black examples in the package both show gold Oyster presentation, and the later one adds stronger box-and-papers support.
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


The surviving-market baseline currently leans Oyster. That is not the same thing as a universal original-delivery rule for the whole reference.
[[File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black 24-hour bezel close-up|Black 24-hour bezel close-up]]


<span id="special-branches"></span>
The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era in 18K yellow gold throughout, mid-case, lugs, bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links all gold. A sapphire crystal with Cyclops covers the date on the usual sapphire-era crown-guard architecture, and from approximately 2003 the laser-etched coronet appears at 6 o'clock. Water resistance is 100m.
== Special branches ==


<span id="black-dial-branch"></span>
The bezel itself is solid 18K yellow gold and the colour comes from the insert, a bidirectional 24-hour aluminium ring in one of two factory finishes, black or brown-and-cream "rootbeer." Pepsi (red and blue) is a steel 16710 option and never reached the gold case.
=== Black-dial branch ===


The strongest direct branch in the current package and the best current path for a first article illustration.
The reviewed major-house material does not establish a factory pavé bezel for the 16718. A diamond-set bezel on an individual watch requires case and provenance review; its presence alone does not establish factory delivery.


<span id="brown-branch-2"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
=== Brown branch ===
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==


Still important. Still real. Still thinner in direct sale coverage than it should be.
[[File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Gold Oyster bracelet|Gold Oyster bracelet]]


<span id="scarcity-angle"></span>
Two factory 18K bracelets fit the 16718. The Oyster 78368 is the three-link, sport-leaning option and turns up most often under black dials. The Jubilee 8386, sometimes with the hidden "Super Jubilee" clasp, is the five-link dress option and pairs most often with serti and rootbeer dials.
=== Scarcity angle ===


Hairspring adds a useful collector-market point here: slow in-period sales may explain why the reference feels scarcer than many buyers expect today. That is not the same thing as production data, but it is useful collector context.
Clasps are 18K Fliplock Oyster or hidden-crown Jubilee. The bracelet codes date the bracelet and not the watch head, so a clasp dating later than the case points to a swap or a service replacement. Both bracelets appear in the surviving record; the cited sources do not establish a complete delivery split by year or dial.


<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 current market layer is still direct-sale heavy, but it already does useful work.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year of watch !! Configuration !! Result
|-
| Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV || 148 || 2021 || rootbeer dial with brown insert, full Rolex service April 2021, engraved-Rolex caseback intact || not publicly listed
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction SEVEN || 956 || 2018 || c.1990 18K yellow gold, early production || not publicly listed
|-
| Sotheby's Watches || || 2020 || yellow-gold automatic dual time || not publicly listed
|-
| EveryWatch aggregate || Rare Watches lot 207 || || 1989 champagne dial || not publicly listed
|-
| EveryWatch / Watches Online: The Geneva Edit || || || c.1989 (catalog "1985" likely typo) || not publicly listed
|}
 
The auction and dealer record is smaller than the steel 16710 record. Results vary with dial, case condition, bracelet, papers, service history, and whether gem-setting or bezel work is original. The listed lots should be read individually; they do not establish a fixed price band or a universal serti premium.
 
== Related references ==
 
* [[Reference:16710|GMT-Master 16710]]: Pepsi, Coke & Black (1989–2007)
* [[Reference:16713|GMT-Master 16713]]: 1989–2007
* [[Reference:16700|GMT-Master 16700]]: 1988–1998
* [[Reference:16760|GMT-Master 16760]]: "Fat Lady", Coke Bezel (1983–1988)
* [[Reference:116718LN|GMT-Master 116718LN]]: 2005–2019
* [[Reference:16750|GMT-Master 16750]]: 1979–1988


* an early black example gives the package one branch anchor near the start of the run
See also the [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
* a later black example gives a cleaner late-run baseline with packaging support
* Hairspring helps explain why the watch may be scarcer in the modern collector market than its reference span suggests


The obvious next improvement is a direct brown-branch sale or auction page. Until that lands, the black branch stays the article’s best-supported market expression.
 
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16718 hero.webp|Whole-watch view
File:Ref 16718 catalogue-portrait.webp|Catalogue portrait
File:Ref 16718 early-black.webp|Black-dial branch
File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|Black aluminium bezel insert
File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|Yellow-gold Oyster bracelet
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition — unknown, Morning Tundra
* [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/articles/a-concise-guide-to-the-rolex-gmt-root-beer A Closer Look at the Rolex Root Beer] — Christina Bohn, Sotheby's
* [https://www.vrfm.io/gold-gmt-masters.html The Vintage Solid Gold Rolex GMT Master] — MORNINGTUNDRA, VRFM.io
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/16718-rolex-gmt-master-ii 16718 Rolex GMT-Master II] — Erik Gustafson, Hairspring
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/used-rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-18k-yellow-gold.html Used Rolex GMT-Master II Ref 16718 18k Yellow Gold] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II ref 16718 Black Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* RolexForums 16718 thread bundle — RolexForums community, RolexForums


[[Category:Gmt-Master]]
* [https://newsroom.rolex.com/watches/oyster-collection/gmt-master-ii Rolex, GMT-Master II newsroom — Cerachrom and model chronology]
[[Category:Working Draft]]
* [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://watchbase.com/rolex/gmt-master/16718 Rolex GMT-Master 16718 reference page] (Watchbase)
* [https://www.chrono24.com/magazine/golden-boy-with-retro-flair-the-new-rolex-yellow-gold-gmt-master-ii-p_114312/ Golden Boy with Retro Flair: The New Rolex Yellow Gold GMT-Master II] (Chrono24 Magazine)
* [https://watchesoff5th.com/blogs/news/closer-look-at-the-discontinued-rolex-gmt-master-ii-in-yellow-gold Closer Look at the Discontinued Rolex GMT-Master II in Yellow Gold] (Watches Off 5th)
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/thewatchclub/2024/01/02/rolex-gmt-master-ii-yellow-gold-and-rolesor-yellow-gold-editions/ Rolex GMT-Master II Yellow Gold and Rolesor Yellow Gold Editions]
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/the-history-and-evolution-of-the-rolex-gmt-master-ii/ The History and Evolution of the Rolex GMT-Master II]
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/watch-talk-what-are-rolex-serti-dials/ What Are Rolex Serti Dials?]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/5-unforgettable-examples-serti-dial.html 5 Unforgettable Examples of Serti Dials]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-steel-yellow-gold-two-tone-rolesor-126713grnr-hands-on-review-price/ Rolex GMT-Master II 126713GRNR hands-on review] (Monochrome)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080221/148 Rolex 16718 rootbeer; Phillips Geneva XIV lot 148] (Phillips, 2021)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080218/956 Rolex 16718 c.1990; Phillips Hong Kong SEVEN lot 956] (Phillips, 2018)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-a-yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16718; Sotheby's Watches] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/16718/watch-9016154 1989 16718 champagne dial Rare Watches lot 207] (EveryWatch)
* [https://watch.the1916company.com/videos/rolex-gmt-master-ii-jubilee-16718-review Rolex GMT-Master II Jubilee 16718 review]
* [https://www.bernardwatch.com/Rolex/GMT-Master-II/RLX5804 Rolex 16718 champagne Serti dial] (Bernard Watch)
* [https://thekeystone.com/products/rolex-yellow-gold-gmt-master-diamond-ruby-watch-ref-16718 Rolex Yellow Gold GMT-Master Diamond Ruby Ref. 16718] (The Keystone)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-16718-jubilee-18k-yellow-gold.html Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Jubilee 18K Yellow Gold]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/pre-owned-rolex-gmt-master-ii-16718-serti-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Serti Dial]
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/watches/rolex-gmt-master-rootbeer-18k-yellow-gold-vintage-mens-watch-16718-32175/ Rolex GMT-Master Rootbeer 18K Yellow Gold 16718]
* [https://www.jaztime.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-yellow-gold-black-dial-oyster-bracelet-116718ln 116718LN Yellow Gold Black Dial] (Jaztime)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual''; Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
 
[[Category:GMT-Master]]

Latest revision as of 05:29, 29 September 2026


GMT-Master › 16718

Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 in 18K yellow gold, black dial and bezel, 3/4 angle
Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 in 18K yellow gold, black dial and bezel

The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold branch of the 16710 generation, alongside the steel 16710 and two-tone 16713. Sources date the five-digit gold reference to the late 1980s or early 1990s and place its replacement by the 116718LN in 2005. It uses caliber 3185 for most of the run, a 40mm Oyster case, and the independent-hour GMT mechanism. Documented dials include black, brown, white, and gem-set configurations.

Core facts

detail value
reference 16718
family GMT-Master II (all-yellow-gold variant)
production 1989 to approximately 2005. Replaced by the 116718LN at Baselworld 2005 alongside the GMT-Master 50th-anniversary green-dial release. Some listings use 2003 as the end year; the page’s cited catalogue and auction record place the gold reference’s replacement with the 116718LN in 2005
total examples no published Rolex production figure
case 40mm 18K yellow-gold Oyster with crown guards, 100m water resistance
crystal sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from approximately 2003
movement caliber 3185 across most of the run (Nivarox flat hairspring with Breguet overcoil); rare late-production caliber 3186 with Parachrom blue hairspring on end-of-run examples. The 3186 is documented inconsistently for the 16718 specifically; the bulk of the documented record reads cal 3185 throughout
GMT mechanic flyer GMT; independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
dial generations four documented configurations: glossy black, brown sunburst ("rootbeer"), white, champagne / silver serti gem-set with diamond hour markers and ruby accents at 6 / 9. (GMT serti dials use rubies, not the Submariner's sapphires.)
bezel 24-hour aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black or brown ("rootbeer"). Published major-house lots in the source set show standard black or brown aluminium inserts; diamond-set bezels seen on 16718 cases should be treated as separate fitment claims and checked against provenance
bracelet 18K Oyster (sport-leaning, more often paired with black-dial) or 18K Jubilee (more often paired with serti and rootbeer). Bracelet codes: 78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee; both stamped on the largest centre link

Where it sits in the line

All-yellow-gold GMT-Master II 16718, catalogue-style portrait shot
All-yellow-gold 16718, catalogue-style portrait shot

Within the five-digit GMT-Master II line the 16718 runs in parallel with the all-steel 16710 and the two-tone 16713 Rootbeer, and from 2005 with the ceramic 116718LN that replaced it. It followed the 16758, built from 1979/80 to 1988 on caliber 3075, whose local hour moved only with the 24-hour hand in the synchronized manner of the original GMT-Master line.

The gold case-and-bracelet positioning carries over from the 16758. The flyer mechanic and the 1989-onward sapphire-crystal Oyster case with crown guards are new. The next-generation gold GMT is the 116718LN, from 2005, running caliber 3186 under a Cerachrom ceramic bezel with a Maxi dial, Super Case, and solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet.

Production outline

Production began in 1989. The 16718 entered the catalog as the gold partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16758 it succeeded. The available editorial and auction material places the end of the five-digit all-gold reference around 2005, when the 116718LN was introduced with a Cerachrom bezel and green anniversary dial. A 2003 date appears in some listings but is not used here as a production endpoint.

A case-stamp transition runs c.2002–2003 alongside the steel and two-tone sisters, when the lug holes drop and the laser-etched coronet appears on the sapphire crystal at 6 o'clock. The 16718 follows the same case-revision sequence as the 16710 and 16713, although the gold case stamp is sometimes catalogued without the "T" suffix the steel sister carried.

No total-production figure is available in the cited sources.

Movement notes

Caliber 3185 powers most of the run, carrying over unchanged from the 16710 and 16713. It is a 31-jewel COSC chronometer beating at 28,800 vph with about a 50-hour reserve, hacking seconds, and a date that advances through the independently adjustable local-hour hand, a Glucydur balance regulated by four Microstella screws, and Kif Elastor shock protection. Its hairspring is flat Nivarox with a Breguet overcoil; the blue Parachrom arrives later, on caliber 3186. The independent local-hour hand is the main functional change from the linked-hand 3075 used in the 16758.

Late-production examples may carry the upgraded caliber 3186 with its Parachrom blue hairspring and the spring-loaded date mechanism that cured the 3185's GMT-hand creep. Where that changeover falls on the 16718 specifically is documented inconsistently, and the bulk of documented examples read cal 3185 throughout the run. A 3186 in a 16718 case is worth checking against the serial before money changes hands.

Dial map

Four documented dial branches across the run.

Glossy black

Early black 16718
Early black 16718

Black is the standard sport configuration: glossy black lacquer carrying nipple markers in earlier production and applied indices with yellow-gold surrounds later. A nipple marker is a precious-metal cone with a tritium plot at its centre. It pairs most often with the all-black aluminium insert. Black and brown dials show different ageing and service histories; condition should be judged from the individual watch.

Brown sunburst ("rootbeer")

The signature gold-rootbeer configuration is brown sunburst lacquer with applied yellow-gold nipple markers, paired with the brown-and-cream "rootbeer" insert. Brown dials can show surface damage or refinishing. The available sources do not establish a single failure pattern or a regional demand history that applies to every example.

The term "Sundust" belongs to a different surface treatment, the one on modern Everose Daytona, Datejust, and Day-Date production. The period GMT dial is called brown sunburst or rootbeer.

White

The white dial is a factory configuration on a white ground, with applied indices in yellow-gold surrounds under a yellow-gold coronet, paired with the all-black insert. It appears less often in the cited auction and dealer material than black and brown examples.

Champagne / silver serti

The serti is a factory gem-set variant on the standard 16718 architecture, a champagne or silvered ground carrying diamond hour markers and triangular rubies at 6 and 9 in place of the nipple markers and luminous plots. The cited 16713 and 16718 examples use diamond markers with triangular ruby accents on champagne or silvered grounds. Serti configurations are often seen on Jubilee bracelets, but bracelet pairing is not a factory rule.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Black 24-hour bezel close-up
Black 24-hour bezel close-up

The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era in 18K yellow gold throughout, mid-case, lugs, bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links all gold. A sapphire crystal with Cyclops covers the date on the usual sapphire-era crown-guard architecture, and from approximately 2003 the laser-etched coronet appears at 6 o'clock. Water resistance is 100m.

The bezel itself is solid 18K yellow gold and the colour comes from the insert, a bidirectional 24-hour aluminium ring in one of two factory finishes, black or brown-and-cream "rootbeer." Pepsi (red and blue) is a steel 16710 option and never reached the gold case.

The reviewed major-house material does not establish a factory pavé bezel for the 16718. A diamond-set bezel on an individual watch requires case and provenance review; its presence alone does not establish factory delivery.

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

Gold Oyster bracelet
Gold Oyster bracelet

Two factory 18K bracelets fit the 16718. The Oyster 78368 is the three-link, sport-leaning option and turns up most often under black dials. The Jubilee 8386, sometimes with the hidden "Super Jubilee" clasp, is the five-link dress option and pairs most often with serti and rootbeer dials.

Clasps are 18K Fliplock Oyster or hidden-crown Jubilee. The bracelet codes date the bracelet and not the watch head, so a clasp dating later than the case points to a swap or a service replacement. Both bracelets appear in the surviving record; the cited sources do not establish a complete delivery split by year or dial.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Lot Year of watch Configuration Result
Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV 148 2021 rootbeer dial with brown insert, full Rolex service April 2021, engraved-Rolex caseback intact not publicly listed
Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction SEVEN 956 2018 c.1990 18K yellow gold, early production not publicly listed
Sotheby's Watches 2020 yellow-gold automatic dual time not publicly listed
EveryWatch aggregate Rare Watches lot 207 1989 champagne dial not publicly listed
EveryWatch / Watches Online: The Geneva Edit c.1989 (catalog "1985" likely typo) not publicly listed

The auction and dealer record is smaller than the steel 16710 record. Results vary with dial, case condition, bracelet, papers, service history, and whether gem-setting or bezel work is original. The listed lots should be read individually; they do not establish a fixed price band or a universal serti premium.

Related references

See also the GMT-Master family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.


  • Whole-watch view
    Whole-watch view
  • Catalogue portrait
    Catalogue portrait
  • Black-dial branch
    Black-dial branch
  • Black aluminium bezel insert
    Black aluminium bezel insert
  • Yellow-gold Oyster bracelet
    Yellow-gold Oyster bracelet

Sources

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