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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 16710 GMT-Master II}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex GMT-Master II 16710, Pepsi, Coke & Black, 1989–2007 | Rolexopedia
|description=The `16710` is the long neo-vintage GMT-Master II. It takes the thick transitional idea of the `16760`, slims it down, keeps the independently adjustable…
|description=The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 is the five-digit steel reference with caliber 3185, documented late examples with caliber 3186, and factory red-blue, red-black, and black aluminium bezel inserts.
|keywords=Rolex, 16710, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 16710, GMT-Master II, caliber 3185, caliber 3186, stick dial, Pepsi, Coke, SEL bracelet, no-holes case, 16710T
|type=article
|image=Ref 16710 pepsi-bobs.webp
|image_alt=Pepsi 16710 on Oyster bracelet
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:17Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:09:50Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] › '''16710'''</small>


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] → '''16710'''</small>
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 16710 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex 16710 GMT-Master II|Rolex 16710 GMT-Master II]]
</div>


[[File:Ref 16710 hero.webp|thumb|right|340px]]
The 16710 is the five-digit steel GMT-Master II that followed the 16760. It keeps the independently adjustable local-hour hand, uses caliber 3185 for most of its run, and appears with red-blue, red-black, and black aluminium bezel inserts. Late examples can combine a stick-style dial, solid end links, a no-holes case, and, in a smaller documented group, caliber 3186. Those features must be checked on the individual watch rather than inferred from the reference number alone.


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


The [[Reference:16710|16710]] is the long neo-vintage GMT-Master II. It takes the thick transitional idea of the [[Reference:16760|16760]], slims it down, keeps the independently adjustable 24-hour hand, and then stays in production long enough to accumulate its own late-run mythology. Stick dials, late 3186 watches, SEL bracelets, no-holes cases, and the awkward 1998 Luminova dials that still carry T&lt;25 text all belong to the same reference number.
==Core facts==


The range is why the 16710 matters. A normal early 16710 is one watch. A late stick-dial 3186 example with a no-holes case is another. The article has to keep both in view.
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
 
<span id="core-facts"></span>
== Core facts ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 28: Line 34:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| GMT-Master II
| GMT-Master II (five-digit, neo-vintage)
|-
|-
| production
| production
| 1989-2007 in the Field Manual, with a narrative note that pushes discontinuation into 2008
| documented from 1989 through the 2007/08 transition; replaced in the catalogue by the ceramic 116710LN
|-
| movement
| caliber 3185 for most of the run, rare late 3186
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm steel Oyster case, slimmer than [[Reference:16760|16760]]
| 40mm steel Oyster, slimmer than the [[Reference:16760|16760]] it succeeded; 100m water resistance
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| sapphire with Cyclops
| sapphire with Cyclops; later examples have a laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock
|-
| crown
| screw-down 7mm with crown guards
|-
| movement
| caliber 3185 across most of the run; documented late-production examples with caliber 3186 and a blue Parachrom hairspring
|-
| GMT mechanic
| flyer GMT, independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks the home time zone independently
|-
|-
| water resistance
| dial generations
| 100m
| collector groups commonly called T<25, Swiss-only/transitional, and Swiss Made; dates and serial boundaries vary by dial and source. Late stick-style printing is documented
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| Pepsi, Coke, or black
| documented aluminium insert colours include red-blue, red-black, and black; insert codes are collector or catalogue identifiers
|-
| bracelet
| Oyster and Jubilee bracelets are documented; early examples use hollow end links and later examples use solid-end-link Oyster configurations
|-
|-
| key identity
| late-production sub-variant
| long-run neo-vintage GMT-Master II with the widest five-digit steel branch spread
| “16710T” is collector shorthand for later no-holes cases; some late watches also combine stick-style dials, solid-end-link bracelets, and caliber 3186
|}
|}


Line 55: Line 70:
== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 16710 is the reference that normalizes the GMT-Master II after the thick, short-run [[Reference:16760|16760]]. The 16760 established the independent-hour-hand architecture in a deliberately bulky case. The 16710 takes the same movement logic, slims the case, and offers the widest bezel palette of any five-digit GMT. The ceramic references that follow (116710LN and the later six-digit generation) move to a more modern case and bezel language, but no longer feel neo-vintage. The 16710 is what many collectors mean when they say five-digit GMT-Master II.
The 16710 is the slimmer successor to the [[Reference:16760|16760]]. It carries the same flyer-GMT function in a five-digit Oyster case and was offered with several aluminium bezel inserts. The 16713 and 16718 use the same movement family in two-tone and yellow gold.
 
The ceramic 116710LN replaced the five-digit steel reference in the 2007 transition. Later ceramic Pepsi and blue-black references changed the case, bezel, and bracelet system, so their production dates should not be projected backward onto the 16710.


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


The broad production shape is stable enough. The watch starts in 1989, runs deep into the 2000s, and acquires more internal variation as the reference ages rather than less. The end point is the one real production-note argument worth preserving: the Field Manual’s reference table says 1989-2007, but the same source’s narrative note says Rolex discontinued the 16710 in 2008. Neither version is strong enough to flatten the article into one date. The safer reading is that the watch runs from 1989 into the 2007/2008 transition.
The safest production description is 1989 through the 2007/08 transition. The Field Manual gives 1989–2007 in its reference table, while its narrative treats the changeover as extending into 2008. The 116710LN is the ceramic successor, introduced during the 2007/08 transition. Catalogue overlap and the final delivery date vary by source.
 
The reference accumulated several changes during that period. Earlier examples are commonly seen with lug holes, hollow-end-link bracelets, and tritium-marked dials. Later watches can have a laser-etched coronet, no-holes cases, solid-end-link bracelets, Super-LumiNova dials, and the stick-style printing used on some end-of-run examples. The sources do not support one exact serial-by-serial cutover chart, and a case, dial, bracelet, and movement can be changed during service.
 
A small number of late 16710s are documented with caliber 3186, including watches with 2008 papers. That proves late delivery or assembly examples, but it does not establish a separate production run or make every stick dial a 3186 watch.


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


For most of the run, the movement is caliber 3185. The late-run complication is caliber 3186, which is rare enough to matter and tied to the most collectible late sub-branch. The 3186 added a Parachrom blue hairspring and a revised GMT wheel, and it arrived so late in the 16710’s life that most examples fitted with it come from the final years before the ceramic 116710LN replaced the reference.
Most 16710 examples use caliber 3185, an automatic GMT movement with an independently adjustable local-hour hand, quickset date, stop-seconds, and a 28,800 vph frequency. The late documented group includes caliber 3186, which uses a blue Parachrom hairspring and a revised GMT wheel. Both are part of the same flyer-GMT sequence.
 
The 3186 appeared in the six-digit-era 116718LN in 2005. Finding it in a five-digit 16710 case is therefore a transitional configuration, but movement photographs and serial-linked papers are needed to authenticate it. A stick-style dial is not proof of caliber 3186, and a 3185 movement is documented in late dial configurations.


One internal source warning should stay visible. The Field Manual includes a transitions note that mistakenly names caliber 3135 for the 16710, even though the same book’s main reference table uses 3185/3186. The article follows the stronger 3185/3186 reading and flags the inconsistency only as a source caution.
The Field Manual contains one conflicting 3135 reference in a transition note. The 16710-specific table and the auction record identify 3185/3186; caliber 3135 belongs to date-only Rolex references and is not used here as a 16710 movement.


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


This is where the reference starts to behave like a long-run collector watch rather than a model number.
The dial and bezel should be read together with the case, movement, and papers. Collector terms such as Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 3, Swiss-only, and stick dial are useful labels, but they are not Rolex production names and their date boundaries vary by source.


<span id="standard-branch-map"></span>
<span id="standard-bezel-branches"></span>
=== Standard branch map ===
=== Bezel branches ===


Three insert colours run across the reference: Pepsi (red and blue), Coke (red and black), and all-black.
Auction and reference material document three aluminium insert colours: red-blue (often called Pepsi), red-black (Coke), and black. Insert codes such as 16710B, 16710A, and 16710N are catalogue or collector identifiers, not separate case references. Inserts are replaceable, so the bezel alone cannot establish original delivery.


<span id="lume-sequence"></span>
<span id="lume-sequence"></span>
=== Lume sequence ===
=== Lume and lower dial text ===


The Field Manual gives the cleanest working sequence among surviving examples. Tritium runs to about 1997, Luminova arrives in 1998, and Super-Luminova takes over from 2000.
Early dials carry “SWISS – T<25,” later dials carry “SWISS” or “SWISS MADE,” and transitional examples are reported with combinations that do not fit a simple three-step chart. The lume compound and printed text should be recorded separately. Exact years, serial ranges, and service-dial history require the individual dial and papers.


<span id="t25-luminova-dial"></span>
<span id="t25-luminova-dial"></span>
=== 1998 T&lt;25 Luminova dial ===
=== T<25 with later lume ===
 
Auction and specialist material documents 16710 dials that retain T<25 printing while using a later luminous compound. This is a reported transitional configuration, but the cited sources do not establish its production volume or a universal 1998-only boundary.


The awkward dial of the late 16710 is the short 1998 run that carries Luminova paint under T&lt;25 text. Rolex switched lume material from tritium to Luminova through 1998, and the Field Manual’s sequence puts full Luminova on new dials that year, with Super-Luminova taking over from 2000. The T&lt;25 designation is a tritium marker. It flags dial radioactivity below 25 millicuries, and on a pure tritium watch it appears alongside the word SWISS at the bottom of the dial. Any dial printed with that line should, by convention, carry tritium lume.
<span id="stick-dial"></span>
=== Stick-style printing ===


The problem is that a small number of genuine factory dials made in 1998 used Luminova paint but kept the older T&lt;25 printing. The result is a dial with no radioactive lume in it that still advertises tritium. These watches look inconsistent to anyone checking authenticity by dial text alone, because the dial text says tritium and the lume plots behave like Luminova: no aging to warm cream, no loss of initial glow over decades, just a steady pale colour that reads fresher than it should on a 1998 watch. Collectors who only know the cleaner version of the transition read these dials as re-lumed aftermarket work or as outright fake. The Field Manual treats the T&lt;25 Luminova dial as a real factory transitional output, and that is how the article treats it as well. The misread risk is the reason the detail deserves named coverage.
Late examples can have straighter, narrower dial lettering commonly called stick printing. It appears with more than one bezel colour and with both calibers 3185 and 3186 in the cited record. A stick dial is therefore a dial configuration, not a movement code or a guaranteed serial-date marker.


<span id="stick-dial-and-3186"></span>
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
=== Stick dial and 3186 ===
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


The late 16710 divides on two linked details: the dial text and the movement inside. Stick dial refers to the block-serif printing style used on the final years of production, most commonly from 2005 onward on D-serial watches and continuing through the later Z and M serial examples. The earlier dials use a slightly rounder font; the stick dials use a flatter, straighter font that collectors learned to spot. Visually the change is subtle. Collector-wise it became a shorthand for late production. The Field Manual treats the stick dial as a real and dateable transition, not a service-dial artefact.
The 16710 has a 40mm steel Oyster case, sapphire crystal with a Cyclops date lens, screw-down crown with crown guards, and 100m water resistance. Later examples may have a laser-etched coronet in the crystal and no external lug holes. Those are individual-case features and should be checked against the case and papers.


Caliber 3186 is the late-run movement upgrade that runs alongside the stick dial. Where 3185 powered the reference through most of its life, Rolex introduced the 3186 toward the end of 16710 production, adding the Parachrom blue hairspring that had first appeared elsewhere in the catalogue. The 3186 is rare inside 16710 production precisely because it arrived so late. Most 16710 watches built with it are from the final years before the ceramic 116710LN replaced the reference. A stick-dial 16710 running on 3186 is the latest, most upgraded version of the platform before it was discontinued. That combination is what makes late stick-dial 3186 examples a distinct collector sub-branch rather than a production-date footnote.
The aluminium bezel insert is bidirectional and carries the 24-hour scale. A replacement insert can change the colour without changing the watch head. No-holes cases and solid-end-link bracelets are useful dating clues, but neither proves a complete original configuration by itself.


The package does not yet include a direct late 3186 sale example, so the article names the branch and explains it without claiming direct market coverage.
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
The reference appears on Oyster and Jubilee bracelets. Earlier Oyster examples commonly use hollow end links; later examples can use solid-end-link configurations. Jubilee fitment and end-link codes should be checked against period catalogues and the individual clasp.
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==


[[File:Ref 16710 coke-bezel.webp|thumb|right|280px|Coke bezel close-up]]
A clasp code dates the bracelet component, not the watch head. Box, papers, and guarantee cards are delivery evidence for the individual watch and can be missing, replaced, or associated with later service work.
The case is the simplest way to explain the reference. It shares the 40mm footprint of the 16760 but is slimmer, less blocky, and more versatile in wear. The bezel palette is one of the reference’s strengths. Pepsi carries the default steel GMT identity, Coke is the clearest direct link back to the 16760, and black is the most understated branch in the run. The package is strong enough to support all three directly, which is one of the reasons the 16710 is easier to turn into an article than many neighboring references.
 
<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==


Late-run case and bracelet details matter too, and they matter together rather than as three separate items.
<span id="pepsi-branch"></span>
=== Pepsi insert ===


Solid end links (SEL) arrive on the 16710 in 2000. The previous Oyster bracelet used hollow folded end links, which had a lighter feel and a visible seam when viewed from the side. The SEL version uses a solid block of steel at the point where the bracelet meets the case, closing that seam and giving the wrist end of the watch a heavier, more modern presentation. Collectors treat the SEL transition as a clean before-and-after: a hollow-end-link 16710 sits visually in its earlier decade, and an SEL watch sits visually in the bracelet era that carried Rolex through the 2000s.
“Pepsi” describes the red-blue insert. A factory-delivered insert, a later replacement, and a bezel fitted to a different 16710 case can look alike, so the insert must be checked with the rest of the watch.


The laser-etched crown appears on the crystal in 2003. It is a tiny engraved coronet etched into the sapphire at the six-o’clock position, used by Rolex to mark authentic crystals and to complicate counterfeiting. On the 16710 it is one of the fastest ways to separate a pre-2003 watch from a later one without cracking the case open, and dealers regularly call it out in listings.
<span id="coke-branch"></span>
=== Coke insert ===


No-holes cases close the sequence in 2007. Earlier 16710 cases had through-drilled lug holes that allowed spring bars to be pushed out from the outside with a simple tool. Rolex filled the external holes in the last year of production, changing the side profile of the case and matching the no-holes convention already used on the other modernized sports models. A late 16710 can therefore be identified on the side view alone, with the lug exterior showing no hole at all.
“Coke” describes the red-black insert. It is a documented 16710 configuration, but the insert is replaceable and does not date the case by itself. Aluminium Coke did not continue into the ceramic 116710LN generation.


Those three changes stack. An SEL bracelet, a laser-etched crown, and a no-holes case all on the same watch mark it as a true final-generation 16710, not just a newer production year. When they land on a stick-dial 3186 example, the watch becomes the most upgraded version of the reference that Rolex ever shipped.
<span id="black-bezel-branch"></span>
=== Black insert ===


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
The black insert is the third documented aluminium colour. A caseback reference alone does not prove that the current insert was original delivery.
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


The Field Manual again gives the strongest broad fitment map. Period options include the Oyster 78360 with 501 or 501B end links, the later Oyster 78790A with solid end links, and the Jubilee 62510H with 502B(T) end links. Surviving market examples lean heavily Oyster, but that should not be mistaken for the full delivery story. The article can support Oyster as the best-covered surviving presentation while still leaving room for Jubilee fitment in the broader reference history.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16710 pepsi-bobs.webp|alt=Pepsi 16710|Pepsi 16710
File:Ref 16710 coke.webp|alt=Coke 16710|Coke 16710
File:Ref 16710 black-branch.webp|alt=Black-bezel 16710|Black-bezel 16710
</gallery>


<span id="special-branches"></span>
<span id="late-stick-dial-3186-branch"></span>
== Special branches ==
=== Late stick dial and caliber 3186 ===


[[File:Ref 16710 pepsi-bobs.webp|thumb|right|280px|Pepsi 16710]]
Some late watches combine stick-style printing, a later case and bracelet configuration, and caliber 3186. Other stick-dial watches retain caliber 3185. The combination is worth documenting, but it should not be treated as the default end-of-run specification.
[[File:Ref 16710 coke.webp|thumb|right|280px|Coke 16710]]
[[File:Ref 16710 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|Black-bezel 16710]]
<span id="pepsi"></span>
=== Pepsi ===


The Pepsi branch carries the family’s red-and-blue identity directly into the neo-vintage era.
<span id="albino-modification"></span>
=== “Albino” and retailer collaborations ===


<span id="coke"></span>
“Albino” is a collector term for modified or aftermarket configurations and is not a Rolex production reference. The Real McCoy's / Chuck Yeager watch is a separate period retail collaboration. Antiquorum records its P-series 16710 base, retailer history, caseback engraving, and provenance; those details belong to that individual watch.
=== Coke ===


The Coke branch is the clearest visual bridge to the 16760 and one of the best-supported direct branch examples among surviving examples.
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span><span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==


<span id="black-bezel"></span>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
=== Black bezel ===
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Configuration !! Notes
|-
| Phillips Perpetual editorial || NOS 16710B || ca. 2020s || Pepsi NOS, cal 3186, "error" stick dial, transitional final-spec configuration || editorial feature, not an auction result
|-
| Sotheby's London Important Watches ||, || 2020 || c.2004 Pepsi 16710 || est. GBP 6,000–9,000
|-
| Sotheby's London Important Watches ||, || 2020 || c.1991 Pepsi 16710, A-serial || est. GBP 7,000–10,000
|-
| Sotheby's London Important Watches ||, || 2020 || c.1993 16710 with Concorde test pilot Brian Trubshaw provenance || est. GBP 12,000–18,000
|-
| Sotheby's Watches Weekly Geneva ||, || 2020 || c.1997 Coke 16710 ||
|-
| Sotheby's Watches Weekly London ||, || 2020 || c.2007 stick dial 16710 ||
|-
| Sotheby's || L19070/9 || 2019 || c.2006 stick dial 16710 ||
|-
| Sotheby's ||, ||, || c.1990 Pepsi 16710 ||
|-
| Antiquorum || 292/363 || 2015 || Tiffany & Co. retailer-stamped 16710, R-series; catalogue date "1987" predates the reference launch and bezel descriptions are mixed || est. HKD 55,000–85,000; sold HKD 150,000
|-
| Antiquorum || 235/294 || 2010 || Real McCoy's / Chuck Yeager co-branded 16710, P-series, retailed 2001, period retail collaboration || sold CHF 16,200, Geneva 8 May 2010
|-
| Antiquorum Monaco || 358/157 ||, || 16710T no-lug-hole sub-variant ||
|-
| Christie's Falling Time online || 192/60546 ||, || 16710T Pepsi ||
|}


The black-bezel branch keeps the watch most restrained, and in some ways it best shows how wearable the 16710 stayed through the entire long run.
These are selected auction records, not a complete market census or valuation guide. Results depend on condition, original versus replacement parts, bracelet, papers, and provenance. The Tiffany and Real McCoy's examples also have catalogue or retail-history questions that should be assessed lot by lot.


<span id="late-stick-dial-3186"></span>
[[File:Ref 16710 papers.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Rolex guarantee papers for the Brian Trubshaw 16710, dated 21 October 1994|Guarantee papers, dated 21 October 1994]]
=== Late stick-dial 3186 ===
Sotheby's gives detailed provenance for the Brian Trubshaw example, including a punched Rolex guarantee dated 21 October 1994, document holder, booklets, calendar, framed GMT-Master II advert, hangtags, and presentation case. The catalogue states that the papers show the watch was issued to Trubshaw by Rolex at its headquarters in 1993; that attribution remains lot-specific.


The late stick-dial 3186 is the most specialized branch of the 16710. The dial text uses the block-serif stick font that Rolex adopted toward the end of the run, and the movement is the Parachrom-hairspring 3186 rather than the 3185 that powered most of the reference’s life. Field Manual dating places the stick dial on D-serial production from 2005 and continuing through later Z and M serials, which overlaps with the 3186 window before the 116710LN replacement. A full-stack late example typically carries the stick dial, the 3186 caliber, SEL bracelet, laser-etched crown, and in the final year a no-holes case. The package is not visually complete on this branch yet, and a direct sale example would meaningfully strengthen the article.
== Related references ==


<span id="albino-gmt-master-ii"></span>
* [[Reference:16713|GMT-Master 16713]], 1989–2007
=== Albino GMT-Master II ===
* [[Reference:16718|GMT-Master 16718]], 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 so-called Albino GMT-Master II is not a Rolex production watch. It is a community modification built on a 16710 base, most often documented in enthusiast and accessory-maker coverage such as the Everest Bands write-up that treats the watch as a neo-vintage custom. The modification swaps the bezel insert and sometimes the hands for a stripped-back, single-colour look that the builder community nicknames albino. Any watch marketed under that name is an aftermarket build on a 16710 donor case, not a factory variant.
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]].


<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==


The market layer is dealer-led but already broad enough to show the reference’s internal spread. An early Coke example gives the start-of-run control point. A mid-late black example gives the quieter late-run branch. A generic Pepsi branch listing gives direct imagery, even if it is weaker on exact dating. The package would still improve with a direct late 3186 or stick-dial sale example, but the current layer is enough for a first article pass.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16710 hero.webp|Whole-watch view
File:Ref 16710 pepsi-dial.webp|Pepsi dial detail
File:Ref 16710 pepsi-bobs.webp|Pepsi branch
File:Ref 16710 coke.webp|Coke branch
File:Ref 16710 black-branch.webp|Black bezel branch
File:Ref 16710 crown.webp|Crown and case detail
File:Ref 16710 caseback.webp|Caseback and end links
File:Ref 16710 papers.webp|Guarantee papers and provenance
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition — unknown, Morning Tundra
 
* [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] — unknown, Monochrome
* [https://newsroom.rolex.com/watches/oyster-collection/gmt-master-ii Rolex, GMT-Master II newsroom — Cerachrom chronology]
* [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://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.bobswatches.com/rolex-16710-gmt-master-ii-pepsi.html Rolex 16710 GMT-Master II Pepsi] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-master-the-complete-collectors-guide The Rolex GMT-Master: A Complete Collector's Guide], Stephen Pulvirent (Sotheby's)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16710-red-and-black-coke.html Rolex GMT-Master II Ref 16710 Red & Black Coke] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/135679290/perpetual-picks-rolex-gmt-master-ii-3186-calibre Perpetual Picks: Rare Transitional Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16710 with cal 3186], Logan Baker (Phillips)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16710-stainless-steel-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II Ref 16710 Stainless Steel Black Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://millenarywatches.com/gmt-master-ii-16710/ Rolex GMT-Master II 16710: A Complete Guide] (Millenary Watches)
* RolexForums 16710 thread bundle — RolexForums community, RolexForums
* [https://www.luxurybazaar.com/grey-market/rolex-16710/ Rolex 16710 GMT-Master II Collector's Guide: All the Variants] (Luxury Bazaar)
* [https://www.pomelowatches.com/in-focus/2020/5/18/the-rolex-gmt-master-ii-16710 The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710] (Pomelo Watches)
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-16710/ TBT Rolex GMT-Master II 16710], Ross Povey (Fratello)
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/why-i-bought-a-five-digit-rolex-gmt-master-ii-again/ Why I Bought A Five-Digit Rolex GMT-Master II Again] (Fratello)
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/masterstroke-the-gmt-master-part-ii/ Master Stroke: The Rolex GMT-Master Part II] (Revolution)
* [https://www.watchprosite.com/rolex/identifying-future-classic-rolex-from-the-1990-2018-era--part-4-rolex-16710-gmt-master-ii--the-stick-dial-/732.1229496.10113536/ Identifying Future-Classic Rolex: 16710 Stick Dial] (Watchprosite)
* [https://www.watchprozine.com/rolex/identifying-future-classic-rolex-from-the-1990-2018-era-part-3-the-swiss-only-effect-with-four-examples/10060111/732/ Identifying Future-Classic Rolex: The Swiss-only Effect] (Watchprozine)
* [https://www.minus4plus6.com/paracromblu16710.php Rolex Movements & Parachrom, GMT 16710's & 14060M], Philipp Stahl (Minus4Plus6)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-4/rolex-gmt-master-ii-pepsi-ref-16710-stainless GMT-Master II Pepsi Ref. 16710 c.2004, Sotheby's Important Watches] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-4/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16710-stainless-steel-dual GMT-Master II Ref. 16710 c.1991, Sotheby's Important Watches] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-4/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16710-stainless-steel-dual-2 GMT-Master II Ref. 16710 c.1993 ex-Brian Trubshaw, Sotheby's Important Watches] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-weekly-geneva-3/rolex-coke-gmt-master-ii-ref-16710-stainless-steel Coke GMT-Master II Ref. 16710 c.1997, Sotheby's Watches Weekly Geneva] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-weekly-london-19/reference-16710-gmt-master-ii-stick-dial-stainless Reference 16710 GMT-Master II Stick Dial c.2007, Sotheby's] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/watches-l19070/lot.9.html Reference 16710 GMT-Master II Stick Dial c.2006, Sotheby's L19070] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16710-lot-292-363 Rolex Ref. 16710 Tiffany & Co. retailer-stamped, Antiquorum lot 292/363] (Antiquorum)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-235-294 Rolex Ref. 16710 Real McCoy's / Chuck Yeager, Antiquorum lot 235/294] (Antiquorum, Geneva, 8 May 2010)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16710-t-2180-oyster-perpetual-date-gmt-master-ii-superlative-chronometer-officially-certified-lot-358-157 Rolex Ref. 16710T Monaco, Antiquorum lot 358/157] (Antiquorum)
* [https://onlineonly.christies.com.cn/s/christies-watches-online-falling-time/rolex-gmt-master-ii-pepsi-ref-16710-t-192/60546 Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi Ref. 16710T, Christie's Falling Time] (Christie's)
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-stick-dial-gmtmaster-ii-reference-16710-full-set-w-rsc-papers Rolex Stick Dial GMT-Master II Reference 16710 Full Set with RSC Papers] (Wind Vintage)
* [https://hqmilton.com/products/2005-rolex-gmt-16710-d-serial-with-stick-dial-1 2005 Rolex GMT 16710 D-serial with Stick Dial] (HQ Milton)
* [https://www.belmontwatches.com/products/rolex-gmt-master-ii-16710-coke-error-stick-dial Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 Coke "Error Stick Dial"] (Belmont Watches)
* [https://www.bernardwatch.com/Rolex/GMT-Master/RLX9001 Rolex GMT-Master II 16710B with cal 3186] (Bernard Watch)
* [https://bulangandsons.com/products/rolex-gmt-master-2-16710-swiss-only-dial-faded-coke-bezel-w1800 Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 Swiss-only Faded Coke]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=300560 16710 SEL bracelet endlink reference (lug holes vs no lug holes)] (RolexForums)
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=406572 16710 stick dial dating thread] (RolexForums)
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=386488 16710 Z serial GMT Master II 3186 stick dial] (RolexForums)
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=756595 16710 Born a Pepsi BLRO Definitive Guide] (RolexForums)
* [https://rolexforums.com/showthread.php?p=9369029 Earliest Known 16710 GMT Master II Stick Dials] (RolexForums)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'', Colin A. White, Morning Tundra


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

Latest revision as of 05:30, 29 September 2026


GMT-Master › 16710

Rolex 16710 GMT-Master II
Rolex 16710 GMT-Master II

The 16710 is the five-digit steel GMT-Master II that followed the 16760. It keeps the independently adjustable local-hour hand, uses caliber 3185 for most of its run, and appears with red-blue, red-black, and black aluminium bezel inserts. Late examples can combine a stick-style dial, solid end links, a no-holes case, and, in a smaller documented group, caliber 3186. Those features must be checked on the individual watch rather than inferred from the reference number alone.

Core facts

detail value
reference 16710
family GMT-Master II (five-digit, neo-vintage)
production documented from 1989 through the 2007/08 transition; replaced in the catalogue by the ceramic 116710LN
case 40mm steel Oyster, slimmer than the 16760 it succeeded; 100m water resistance
crystal sapphire with Cyclops; later examples have a laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock
crown screw-down 7mm with crown guards
movement caliber 3185 across most of the run; documented late-production examples with caliber 3186 and a blue Parachrom hairspring
GMT mechanic flyer GMT, independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks the home time zone independently
dial generations collector groups commonly called T<25, Swiss-only/transitional, and Swiss Made; dates and serial boundaries vary by dial and source. Late stick-style printing is documented
bezel documented aluminium insert colours include red-blue, red-black, and black; insert codes are collector or catalogue identifiers
bracelet Oyster and Jubilee bracelets are documented; early examples use hollow end links and later examples use solid-end-link Oyster configurations
late-production sub-variant “16710T” is collector shorthand for later no-holes cases; some late watches also combine stick-style dials, solid-end-link bracelets, and caliber 3186

Where it sits in the line

The 16710 is the slimmer successor to the 16760. It carries the same flyer-GMT function in a five-digit Oyster case and was offered with several aluminium bezel inserts. The 16713 and 16718 use the same movement family in two-tone and yellow gold.

The ceramic 116710LN replaced the five-digit steel reference in the 2007 transition. Later ceramic Pepsi and blue-black references changed the case, bezel, and bracelet system, so their production dates should not be projected backward onto the 16710.

Production outline

The safest production description is 1989 through the 2007/08 transition. The Field Manual gives 1989–2007 in its reference table, while its narrative treats the changeover as extending into 2008. The 116710LN is the ceramic successor, introduced during the 2007/08 transition. Catalogue overlap and the final delivery date vary by source.

The reference accumulated several changes during that period. Earlier examples are commonly seen with lug holes, hollow-end-link bracelets, and tritium-marked dials. Later watches can have a laser-etched coronet, no-holes cases, solid-end-link bracelets, Super-LumiNova dials, and the stick-style printing used on some end-of-run examples. The sources do not support one exact serial-by-serial cutover chart, and a case, dial, bracelet, and movement can be changed during service.

A small number of late 16710s are documented with caliber 3186, including watches with 2008 papers. That proves late delivery or assembly examples, but it does not establish a separate production run or make every stick dial a 3186 watch.

Movement notes

Most 16710 examples use caliber 3185, an automatic GMT movement with an independently adjustable local-hour hand, quickset date, stop-seconds, and a 28,800 vph frequency. The late documented group includes caliber 3186, which uses a blue Parachrom hairspring and a revised GMT wheel. Both are part of the same flyer-GMT sequence.

The 3186 appeared in the six-digit-era 116718LN in 2005. Finding it in a five-digit 16710 case is therefore a transitional configuration, but movement photographs and serial-linked papers are needed to authenticate it. A stick-style dial is not proof of caliber 3186, and a 3185 movement is documented in late dial configurations.

The Field Manual contains one conflicting 3135 reference in a transition note. The 16710-specific table and the auction record identify 3185/3186; caliber 3135 belongs to date-only Rolex references and is not used here as a 16710 movement.

Dial map

The dial and bezel should be read together with the case, movement, and papers. Collector terms such as Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 3, Swiss-only, and stick dial are useful labels, but they are not Rolex production names and their date boundaries vary by source.

Bezel branches

Auction and reference material document three aluminium insert colours: red-blue (often called Pepsi), red-black (Coke), and black. Insert codes such as 16710B, 16710A, and 16710N are catalogue or collector identifiers, not separate case references. Inserts are replaceable, so the bezel alone cannot establish original delivery.

Lume and lower dial text

Early dials carry “SWISS – T<25,” later dials carry “SWISS” or “SWISS MADE,” and transitional examples are reported with combinations that do not fit a simple three-step chart. The lume compound and printed text should be recorded separately. Exact years, serial ranges, and service-dial history require the individual dial and papers.

T<25 with later lume

Auction and specialist material documents 16710 dials that retain T<25 printing while using a later luminous compound. This is a reported transitional configuration, but the cited sources do not establish its production volume or a universal 1998-only boundary.

Stick-style printing

Late examples can have straighter, narrower dial lettering commonly called stick printing. It appears with more than one bezel colour and with both calibers 3185 and 3186 in the cited record. A stick dial is therefore a dial configuration, not a movement code or a guaranteed serial-date marker.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The 16710 has a 40mm steel Oyster case, sapphire crystal with a Cyclops date lens, screw-down crown with crown guards, and 100m water resistance. Later examples may have a laser-etched coronet in the crystal and no external lug holes. Those are individual-case features and should be checked against the case and papers.

The aluminium bezel insert is bidirectional and carries the 24-hour scale. A replacement insert can change the colour without changing the watch head. No-holes cases and solid-end-link bracelets are useful dating clues, but neither proves a complete original configuration by itself.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

The reference appears on Oyster and Jubilee bracelets. Earlier Oyster examples commonly use hollow end links; later examples can use solid-end-link configurations. Jubilee fitment and end-link codes should be checked against period catalogues and the individual clasp.

A clasp code dates the bracelet component, not the watch head. Box, papers, and guarantee cards are delivery evidence for the individual watch and can be missing, replaced, or associated with later service work.

Special branches

Pepsi insert

“Pepsi” describes the red-blue insert. A factory-delivered insert, a later replacement, and a bezel fitted to a different 16710 case can look alike, so the insert must be checked with the rest of the watch.

Coke insert

“Coke” describes the red-black insert. It is a documented 16710 configuration, but the insert is replaceable and does not date the case by itself. Aluminium Coke did not continue into the ceramic 116710LN generation.

Black insert

The black insert is the third documented aluminium colour. A caseback reference alone does not prove that the current insert was original delivery.

  • Pepsi 16710
    Pepsi 16710
  • Coke 16710
    Coke 16710
  • Black-bezel 16710
    Black-bezel 16710

Late stick dial and caliber 3186

Some late watches combine stick-style printing, a later case and bracelet configuration, and caliber 3186. Other stick-dial watches retain caliber 3185. The combination is worth documenting, but it should not be treated as the default end-of-run specification.

“Albino” and retailer collaborations

“Albino” is a collector term for modified or aftermarket configurations and is not a Rolex production reference. The Real McCoy's / Chuck Yeager watch is a separate period retail collaboration. Antiquorum records its P-series 16710 base, retailer history, caseback engraving, and provenance; those details belong to that individual watch.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Lot Year Configuration Notes
Phillips Perpetual editorial NOS 16710B ca. 2020s Pepsi NOS, cal 3186, "error" stick dial, transitional final-spec configuration editorial feature, not an auction result
Sotheby's London Important Watches , 2020 c.2004 Pepsi 16710 est. GBP 6,000–9,000
Sotheby's London Important Watches , 2020 c.1991 Pepsi 16710, A-serial est. GBP 7,000–10,000
Sotheby's London Important Watches , 2020 c.1993 16710 with Concorde test pilot Brian Trubshaw provenance est. GBP 12,000–18,000
Sotheby's Watches Weekly Geneva , 2020 c.1997 Coke 16710
Sotheby's Watches Weekly London , 2020 c.2007 stick dial 16710
Sotheby's L19070/9 2019 c.2006 stick dial 16710
Sotheby's , , c.1990 Pepsi 16710
Antiquorum 292/363 2015 Tiffany & Co. retailer-stamped 16710, R-series; catalogue date "1987" predates the reference launch and bezel descriptions are mixed est. HKD 55,000–85,000; sold HKD 150,000
Antiquorum 235/294 2010 Real McCoy's / Chuck Yeager co-branded 16710, P-series, retailed 2001, period retail collaboration sold CHF 16,200, Geneva 8 May 2010
Antiquorum Monaco 358/157 , 16710T no-lug-hole sub-variant
Christie's Falling Time online 192/60546 , 16710T Pepsi

These are selected auction records, not a complete market census or valuation guide. Results depend on condition, original versus replacement parts, bracelet, papers, and provenance. The Tiffany and Real McCoy's examples also have catalogue or retail-history questions that should be assessed lot by lot.

Rolex guarantee papers for the Brian Trubshaw 16710, dated 21 October 1994
Guarantee papers, dated 21 October 1994

Sotheby's gives detailed provenance for the Brian Trubshaw example, including a punched Rolex guarantee dated 21 October 1994, document holder, booklets, calendar, framed GMT-Master II advert, hangtags, and presentation case. The catalogue states that the papers show the watch was issued to Trubshaw by Rolex at its headquarters in 1993; that attribution remains lot-specific.

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
  • Pepsi dial detail
    Pepsi dial detail
  • Pepsi branch
    Pepsi branch
  • Coke branch
    Coke branch
  • Black bezel branch
    Black bezel branch
  • Crown and case detail
    Crown and case detail
  • Caseback and end links
    Caseback and end links
  • Guarantee papers and provenance
    Guarantee papers and provenance

Sources

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