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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|300px]]
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.
[[File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|thumb|right|300px]]
[[File:Ref 16718 early-black.webp|thumb|right|300px]]
[[File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|thumb|right|300px]]


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.
<span id="core-facts"></span>
 
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 30: 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
|-
|-
| water resistance
| movement
| 100m
| 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
| 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 57: 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
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.
* [[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.


<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.
 
<span id="brown-branch"></span>
=== Brown branch ===


The brown branch is directly supported by Revolution, VRFM, and the broader Root Beer family material. The current corpus does not yet hold a dedicated brown [[Reference:16718|16718]] sale page, so the configuration is documented in collector literature but under-represented in direct-sale evidence.
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.


What the collector literature actually says is worth pulling forward. Revolution’s two-part GMT-Master II survey treats the brown-dial solid-gold configuration as a period-correct retail option alongside the black version, with bronze-tinted bezel inserts that read warmer than a plain brown. VRFM’s gold GMT-Masters piece places the brown solid-gold watch inside the same Root Beer continuity that runs from the 1675/8, through the [[Reference:16758|16758]], into the [[Reference:16718|16718]]. Sotheby’s Root Beer guide does the same. None of these sources include a [[Reference:16718|16718]]-specific hammer price chart. They treat the brown branch as genuinely produced and genuinely rare. The honest line for buyers is that a brown [[Reference:16718|16718]] with period-correct dial, bezel, and hands is documented in the collector record, even when direct sale examples are sparse, and any offered today deserves archive papers and dial-feet photography rather than trust by catalogue claim.
No total-production figure is available in the cited sources.


<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-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.
* 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.


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


The current package supports two branches, but not equally.
Four documented dial branches across the run.


<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 ==


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.
<span id="white-dial"></span>
=== 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 ===


One dial detail worth expanding. Gold GMT-Master II dials use applied hour markers set inside fine gold surrounds, and the surrounds themselves evolved across the run. Early [[Reference:16718|16718]] dials carry the narrower surround style inherited from the [[Reference:16758|16758]], with a more pronounced bevel around each lume plot and a warmer gilt coronet that matches the case colour. Later dials widen the surround slightly and move toward a flatter, more uniform baton geometry. The change is gradual and no clean service-parts catalogue line has been published, but side-by-side images in the Revolution and Sotheby’s Root Beer materials show the two styles clearly enough. A buyer examining a specific [[Reference:16718|16718]] should match the surround style, the coronet tone, and the dial foot printing against the serial range before accepting a late-period attribution, because later service dials occasionally appear on earlier cases.
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.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


The direct black examples in the package both show gold Oyster presentation, and the later one adds stronger box-and-papers support.
[[File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black 24-hour bezel close-up|Black 24-hour bezel close-up]]


The surviving-market baseline currently leans Oyster. That is not the same thing as a universal original-delivery rule for the whole reference.
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.


Late-production [[Reference:16718|16718]] examples (roughly 2000 onward) are the ones most likely to surface today with a full set. Typical content for a well-kept late gold watch includes the outer card sleeve, the green-and-gold inner presentation box, the punched warranty card with a matching five-digit serial, the product booklets in the appropriate language, the hang tag with its red Rolex seal, and the anchor-crown chronometer swing tag. Earlier [[Reference:16718|16718]] examples more often arrive with card and booklets but without the outer sleeve or the hang tag, simply because owners discarded the outer layer sooner. Full-set late examples command a market premium that auction catalogues consistently name, though the Sotheby’s guide does not publish reference-specific numbers. Buyers chasing strict originality tend to prioritise the punched warranty card over the outer packaging, because the card ties directly to the watch and can be cross-checked against dealer stamps and country of delivery.
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.


<span id="special-branches"></span>
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.
== Special branches ==


<span id="black-dial-branch"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
=== Black-dial branch ===
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==


The strongest direct branch in the current package and the best current path for a first article illustration.
[[File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Gold Oyster bracelet|Gold Oyster bracelet]]


<span id="brown-branch-2"></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.
=== Brown branch ===


Revolution, VRFM, and the Sotheby’s Root Beer guide all treat the brown solid-gold [[Reference:16718|16718]] as a period-correct retail configuration with a bronze-tinted bezel insert. Direct sale examples are sparse in auction catalogues but documented in dealer inventory. A Grand Caliber certified pre-owned 1993 watch, sold with Rolex CPO papers, lists the brown Root Beer dial alongside the yellow gold case and caliber 3185 movement, which is the cleanest recent direct-sale anchor for the brown branch.
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="scarcity-angle"></span>
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
=== Scarcity angle ===
== Historical market and auction record ==
 
{| 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
|}


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.
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.


The broader pattern is consistent with what auction cataloguers report for late-run precious-metal sports Rolexes. Gold GMT-Master II watches sold slowly at retail through the 1990s and early 2000s, and many examples spent their first decade worn only lightly by their original owners before entering the secondary market. The result is twofold. First, unpolished gold [[Reference:16718|16718]] examples with sharp lugs and crisp bezel-fitment gaps are easier to find than an equivalent [[Reference:16710|16710]], because there was less wrist time to wear them down. Second, the total installed base is smaller than the production span suggests, which is why clean examples can disappear from dealer inventories quickly despite a nominally 18-year run. Production numbers have never been published by Rolex, so the scarcity claim remains a market observation rather than an archival fact.
== Related references ==


<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
* [[Reference:16710|GMT-Master 16710]]: Pepsi, Coke & Black (1989–2007)
== Historical market and auction record ==
* [[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


The current market layer is still direct-sale heavy, but the branch coverage is now broader.
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]].


* an early black example gives the package one branch anchor near the start of the run
* a later black example gives a cleaner late-run baseline with packaging support
* a Tourneau certified pre-owned 1994 black-dial [[Reference:16718|16718]] on yellow gold Oyster, caliber 3185, priced at $40,000, anchors the mid-1990s black branch with current retail context
* a Craft and Tailored 1988 solid-gold example on Horween leather shows a later gilt-era survivor with a blue insert, which is unusual enough that the claimed configuration should be treated as a data point rather than a normal production branch
* a Grand Caliber 1993 brown Root Beer example with Rolex CPO papers closes the longstanding gap for a direct brown-branch sale anchor
* Hairspring’s finds piece frames the watch in the context of gold sports Rolex sales softening through the 1980s and 1990s, which is the broader market reason clean examples are harder to find than the 18-year production span would suggest


The main gap has shifted: the article now has direct black and brown-branch anchors, and a named retail price point from a large CPO dealer. A Phillips, Sotheby’s, or Christie’s hammered auction result would still strengthen the record, because every current anchor is a retail or CPO listing rather than an auction sale.
<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://newsroom.rolex.com/watches/oyster-collection/gmt-master-ii Rolex, GMT-Master II newsroom — Cerachrom and model chronology]
* [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://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.vrfm.io/gold-gmt-masters.html The Vintage Solid Gold Rolex GMT Master] — MORNINGTUNDRA, VRFM.io
* [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://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/16718-rolex-gmt-master-ii 16718 Rolex GMT-Master II] — Erik Gustafson, Hairspring
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/gmt-master/16718 Rolex GMT-Master 16718 reference page] (Watchbase)
* [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.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://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II ref 16718 Black Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [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)
* RolexForums 16718 thread bundle — RolexForums community, RolexForums
* [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]]
[[Category:GMT-Master]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]

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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