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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 116719BLRO GMT-Master}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 116719BLRO GMT-Master II}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master 116719BLRO (2014–2019) — Production & Dial Guide | Rolexopedia
|title=Rolex GMT-Master 116719BLRO (2014–2019), Production & Dial Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=The 116719BLRO is the white gold ceramic Pepsi — the watch that put the red-and-blue bezel back in the GMT-Master II catalogue after a seven-year…
|description=The Rolex 116719BLRO is the 18k white-gold GMT-Master II with a red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel and caliber 3186. It launched in 2014 and was offered with black and later blue dials.
|keywords=Rolex, 116719BLRO, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 116719BLRO, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|image=Ref 116719BLRO hero.jpg
|image=Ref 116719BLRO hero.webp
|image_alt=White-gold, red-and-blue Pepsi
|image_alt=116719BLRO resting on its box and papers, black -0001 dial and red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel
|type=Article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
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<div class="rp-lead">
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 116719BLRO hero.jpg|thumb|center|640px|alt=White-gold, red-and-blue Pepsi|White-gold, red-and-blue Pepsi]]
[[File:Ref 116719BLRO hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=116719BLRO resting on its box and papers, black -0001 dial and red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel, guarantee card confirming model 116719BLRO|116719BLRO resting on its box and papers, guarantee card confirming the reference, black -0001 dial]]
</div>
</div>


The 116719BLRO is the white gold ceramic Pepsi — the watch that put the red-and-blue bezel back in the GMT-Master II catalogue after a seven-year absence, and the first production Rolex to carry a two-colour Cerachrom insert. Rolex launched it at Baselworld 2014. It remained the only ceramic Pepsi on sale for four years, until the steel [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] arrived in 2018.
The 116719BLRO is the 18k white-gold GMT-Master II with a red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel. Rolex introduced it at Baselworld 2014, and it was the first series-produced GMT-Master II with this bezel colour combination. The reference used caliber 3186 and an Oyster bracelet. The launch version had a black dial; Rolex added a matte blue dial in the -0002 configuration in 2018.
 
Restricting the first ceramic Pepsi to 18k white gold was the story. Collectors had been waiting for a ceramic red-and-blue since the 16710 left the catalogue in 2007, and Rolex answered in a metal most of them were not going to buy.


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




== Core facts ==
==Core facts==


{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
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|-
|-
| production
| production
| 2014-2019
| 2014–c.2019 catalogue period; exact factory endpoints are not published
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
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|-
|-
| dial
| dial
| black lacquer (-0001, 2014-2018), then blue (-0002, 2018-2019)
| black lacquer (-0001); matte blue (-0002, introduced 2018)
|-
|-
| key identity
| key identity
Line 70: Line 68:
== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 116719BLRO is the bridge between the five-digit Pepsi tradition and the modern ceramic era. The 16710 carried the red-and-blue aluminum bezel through to 2007. When the 116710LN replaced it, Rolex went all-black — no Pepsi option in the new case and bracelet platform. That absence shaped collector expectation for years. The 2014 launch resolved it on Rolex's terms, in precious metal only, at a price that thinned the buyer pool to a fraction of the people who had been asking for it.
The 116719BLRO followed the 16710 and 116710LN in the GMT-Master II line. It brought the red-and-blue bezel to the six-digit ceramic case in white gold. The steel 126710BLRO arrived in 2018, and the white-gold reference was replaced by the 126719BLRO in 2019. Sotheby's places it in the Pepsi sequence that begins with the 6542 and continues through current ceramic references.
 
Sotheby's places the reference in the Pepsi lineage that runs from the 1950s 6542 through to current ceramic production.


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


Rolex introduced the reference at Baselworld 2014 and kept it in the catalogue through 2019. The original 116719BLRO-0001 carried a black lacquered dial with Maxi markers. At Baselworld 2018, Rolex added the 116719BLRO-0002 with a matte blue dial. Everything else carried over unchanged.
Rolex introduced the reference at Baselworld 2014 and kept it in the catalogue until 2019. The -0001 configuration has a black lacquer dial with applied Maxi markers. In 2018 Rolex added the -0002 with a matte blue dial. The auction record confirms both configurations, but it does not establish that every other component was unchanged on every watch.


Rolex retired the reference in 2019 and replaced it with the 126719BLRO, which carried the white gold Pepsi identity onto the new caliber 3285 platform. The steel [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] had arrived in 2018, so the two overlapped in the catalogue for a year. The white gold reference did not step aside when steel appeared, though collectors sometimes read it that way.
Rolex's 2019 range replaced it with the 126719BLRO and caliber 3285. The steel [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] had arrived in 2018, so both white-gold and steel Pepsi references were available during that overlap. The catalogue change does not establish the last date a 116719BLRO left the factory.


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


Caliber 3186 powers the full run. It is the late-generation five-digit-descended GMT movement, launched in the yellow-gold [[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]] at Baselworld 2005 and carried into the 116719BLRO from launch. The blue Parachrom hairspring gives it better antimagnetic and shock resistance than the earlier 3185. The local hour hand adjusts independently, the date is quickset, and the movement beats at 28,800 bph.
The 116719BLRO uses caliber 3186, an automatic GMT movement with an independently adjustable local-hour hand, quickset date, and a 28,800 vph frequency. Sotheby's catalogues list 31 jewels on documented examples. The movement is the same family used in the late five-digit and early six-digit GMT-Master II references.


Rolex upgraded to caliber 3285 when the successor 126719BLRO arrived in 2019. The Chronergy escapement, the 70-hour reserve, and the tightened -2/+2 sec/day Superlative Chronometer spec all belong to the 3285. The 116719BLRO has none of them.
The 126719BLRO replaced it with caliber 3285 in 2019. Chronergy, the longer power reserve, and the later Superlative Chronometer specification belong to the 3285 successor and should not be back-projected onto the 116719BLRO.


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


[[File:Ref 116719BLRO dial-detail.jpg|thumb|right|240px|alt=Black lacquer dial with Maxi markers|Black lacquer -0001 dial with Maxi markers and Chromalight lume]]
[[File:Ref_116719BLRO_dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Black lacquer dial with Maxi markers|Black lacquer -0001 dial with Maxi markers]]


Two dials, one after the other. The -0001 runs 2014 to 2018 with black lacquer, white gold applied Maxi markers, and Chromalight lume. The -0002 takes over in 2018 with a matte blue dial in the same furniture layout. Both carry the green GMT-Master II text that marks post-2007 GMT-Master II dials.
The launch -0001 configuration uses a black lacquer dial. Sotheby's describes the first-series black dial and places a documented example in circa 2014. Rolex introduced the -0002 configuration in 2018 with a matte blue dial. Both use applied Maxi markers and the GMT-Master II layout.


Nothing else varies. Chromalight lume runs from the start, with no lume transition inside the production window, and no documented printing or typographic changes divide the run the way they divide the five-digit references.
The cited sources do not establish a complete lume or typography changeover inside either configuration. A dial swap is possible on surviving watches, and Sotheby's notes that Rolex offered some original owners a later blue-dial replacement. Dial reference and service history therefore matter when assessing an individual watch.


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==


[[File:Ref 116719BLRO bezel-detail.jpg|thumb|right|300px|alt=Dial and red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel|Dial and red-and-blue Cerachrom Pepsi bezel]]
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
 
File:Ref_116719BLRO_bezel-detail.webp|alt=Dial and red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel|Red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel
The case is 40mm in 18k white gold, in the wider "Maxi" architecture that the six-digit sports lineup adopted at the 2008-2010 generational break. The profile matches the 116710LN and the later 126710BLRO exactly. Only the material differs, and white gold makes it substantially heavier than steel.
File:Ref_116719BLRO_caseback.webp|alt=Case profile showing the crown and bezel edge|White-gold case profile with Triplock crown and guards
 
</gallery>
The bezel is the story. The 116719BLRO was Rolex's first ceramic Pepsi GMT and the first red-and-blue Cerachrom insert the brand brought to market. Rolex had already proved two-colour ceramic with the black-and-blue 116710BLNR in 2013, but red was the harder problem. Firing red Cerachrom takes different kiln chemistry from blue, and getting both colours into one insert without a muddy join at the boundary is the patented part of the process. Solving it here is what made later ceramic Pepsi production possible.
 
[[File:Ref 116719BLRO caseback.jpg|thumb|right|240px|alt=Case profile showing the crown and bezel edge|Case profile showing the Triplock crown, crown guards, and bezel edge]]


The crystal is sapphire with a Cyclops over the date window at 3 o'clock. The crown is a standard Triplock screw-down with crown guards. Water resistance is 100m, unchanged from the five-digit GMT-Master II and consistent across the whole modern ceramic GMT family.
The case is 40mm in 18k white gold with a sapphire crystal, Cyclops date lens, screw-down crown and 100m water resistance. The bezel is a fixed red-and-blue Cerachrom insert with a 24-hour scale. Rolex's 2014 launch material and Sotheby's catalogues identify it as the first series-produced red-and-blue ceramic GMT-Master II bezel. Rolex's material describes the single-piece, two-colour manufacturing process; it does not establish a production total or a precise end date for the reference.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==
[[File:Ref 116719BLRO variant-gold-bracelet.jpg|thumb|right|300px|alt=White-gold Oyster bracelet and clasp|White-gold Oyster bracelet and Oysterlock clasp]]


White gold Oyster bracelet with polished centre links and brushed outer links, fitted with the Oysterlock clasp and Easylink extension system. No Jubilee option was offered on the 116719BLRO; the Jubilee return to the GMT-Master II arrived in 2018 with the steel [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]]. Anyone who wanted a Pepsi on Jubilee between 2014 and 2018 had no production option.
The reference was offered on a white-gold Oyster bracelet with an Oysterlock clasp and Easylink extension. It did not have a factory Jubilee option. The steel 126710BLRO introduced the Jubilee option in 2018, while the 116719BLRO remained an Oyster-bracelet model.


Full delivery set includes the standard Rolex presentation box, guarantee card, and period hang tags. Sotheby's lots at Fine Watches 2023 and Important Watches 2025 both came up with the full box-and-papers set, which is how most auction examples survive.
Sotheby's auction examples are often complete with box, guarantee, manuals, and hang tags. Those accessories belong to the individual lot and should not be treated as reference-specific delivery in every market.


<span id="special-branches"></span>
<span id="special-branches"></span>
Line 122: Line 114:


<span id="black-dial--0001-2014-2018"></span>
<span id="black-dial--0001-2014-2018"></span>
=== Black-dial -0001 (2014-2018) ===
=== Black dial, -0001 ===


The launch configuration, and for four years the only ceramic Pepsi Rolex sold. Sotheby's has moved circa-2014, circa-2016, and circa-2017 examples through its rooms, which anchors the black dial firmly to the first production window.
The -0001 is the launch configuration. Sotheby's documents circa-2014, circa-2016, and circa-2017 examples with the black dial. Some original owners later exchanged the black dial for the blue service configuration, so a current blue dial does not by itself prove that the watch left Rolex as a -0002.


<span id="blue-dial--0002-2018-2019"></span>
<span id="blue-dial--0002-2018-2019"></span>
=== Blue-dial -0002 (2018-2019) ===
=== Blue dial, -0002 ===


One year in the catalogue. It launched alongside the steel [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] at Baselworld 2018 and went when the 126719BLRO took over. Collector preference splits between the two dials, the black carrying the launch configuration and the blue the shorter production window.
Rolex introduced the matte blue -0002 in 2018. It ran into the end of the 116719BLRO period before the 126719BLRO replaced the reference in 2019. The shorter catalogue window is documented; production volume is not.


<span id="pepsi-nickname"></span>
<span id="pepsi-nickname"></span>
=== Pepsi nickname ===
=== Pepsi nickname ===


"Pepsi" refers to the red-and-blue bezel and nothing else. The nickname predates this reference by decades, having attached to the 6542, 1675, 16750, 16700, and 16710, and it carries straight through the 116719BLRO into the 126710BLRO. The green-and-black [[Reference:126720VTNR|126720VTNR]] is the "Sprite" in enthusiast press, a separate nickname for a separate bezel.
“Pepsi” is collector shorthand for the red-and-blue bezel. It predates the 116719BLRO and is also used for the 6542, 1675, 16750, 16700, 16710, and later ceramic references. It describes the bezel colour, not a separate reference.


<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 ==


Sotheby's has catalogued the 116719BLRO repeatedly across its Fine Watches and Important Watches sales. A circa-2014 -0001 sold for EUR 35,560 at Fine Watches in 2023. Important Watches carried a circa-2017 example with full box and papers in 2025, and a circa-2016 specimen has been offered through the house's Buy Now channel.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Year !! Example !! Result or estimate
|-
| Sotheby's Fine Watches, lot 391 || 2023 || circa 2014, black -0001 dial, box and papers || estimate EUR 20,000–35,000
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches, lot 174 || 2025 || circa 2017, black dial, box and papers || estimate USD 20,000–30,000
|}
 
These are selected auction comparables, not a valuation range. Condition, original versus replacement dial, bracelet completeness, papers, and sale location can change the result. The page does not repeat an original-retail price or a current-market premium without a lot and date attached.


The secondary market has traded the 116719BLRO well above original retail through the post-discontinuation period, consistent with the broader precious-metal ceramic GMT-Master II pattern. Direct 2014 retail was about GBP 25,600, roughly five times what a steel Pepsi would have cost.


== Related references ==
== Related references ==


* [[Reference:116710BLNR|GMT-Master 116710BLNR]] — 2013–2019
* [[Reference:116710BLNR|GMT-Master 116710BLNR]], 2013–2019
* [[Reference:116710LN|GMT-Master 116710LN]] — First Steel Ceramic (2007–2019)
* [[Reference:116710LN|GMT-Master 116710LN]], First Steel Ceramic (2007–2019)
* [[Reference:116713LN|GMT-Master 116713LN]] — Two-Tone Ceramic (2006–2019)
* [[Reference:116713LN|GMT-Master 116713LN]], Two-Tone Ceramic (2006–2019)
* [[Reference:116718LN|GMT-Master 116718LN]] — 2005–2019
* [[Reference:116718LN|GMT-Master 116718LN]], 2005–2019
* [[Reference:126711CHNR|GMT-Master 126711CHNR]] — 2018–present
* [[Reference:126711CHNR|GMT-Master 126711CHNR]], 2018–present
* [[Reference:126715CHNR|GMT-Master 126715CHNR]] — 2018–present
* [[Reference:126715CHNR|GMT-Master 126715CHNR]], 2018–present


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]].
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]].


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/introducing-the-rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-116719blro-pepsi/ Introducing - The Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116719BLRO Pepsi] — Monochrome Watches
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/introducing-the-rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-116719blro-pepsi/ Introducing - The Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116719BLRO Pepsi], Monochrome Watches
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-reference-116719blro/ Rolex GMT-Master II Reference 116719BLRO] — Fratello Watches
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-reference-116719blro/ Rolex GMT-Master II Reference 116719BLRO], Fratello Watches
* [https://www.keepthetime.com/blog/rolex-116719blro-gmt-master-ii-pepsi-ceramic-baselworld-2014/ Watch Identifier: Rolex 116719BLRO GMT-Master II Pepsi Ceramic] — KeepTheTime
* [https://www.keepthetime.com/blog/rolex-116719blro-gmt-master-ii-pepsi-ceramic-baselworld-2014/ Watch Identifier: Rolex 116719BLRO GMT-Master II Pepsi Ceramic], KeepTheTime
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-white-gold-guide/ Rolex GMT-Master II White Gold 116719BLRO & 126719BLRO Complete Guide] — Adam, Millenary Watches
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-white-gold-guide/ Rolex GMT-Master II White Gold 116719BLRO & 126719BLRO Complete Guide], Adam, Millenary Watches
* [https://www.watchfinder.com/Rolex/GMT%20Master%20II/116719%20BLRO/watches Rolex Pepsi: white gold 116719BLRO, the only ceramic Pepsi pre-2018] — Watchfinder & Co.
* [https://www.watchfinder.com/Rolex/GMT%20Master%20II/116719%20BLRO/watches Rolex Pepsi: white gold 116719BLRO, the only ceramic Pepsi pre-2018], Watchfinder & Co.
* [https://www.the1916company.com/blog/rolex-gmt-master-ii-116719blro-pepsi-bezel-flies-again.html Rolex GMT-Master II 116719BLRO: Rolex Pepsi Flies Again] — The 1916 Company
* [https://www.the1916company.com/blog/rolex-gmt-master-ii-116719blro-pepsi-bezel-flies-again.html Rolex GMT-Master II 116719BLRO: Rolex Pepsi Flies Again], The 1916 Company
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-pepsi-the-key-references The Rolex Pepsi: The Key References] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-pepsi-the-key-references The Rolex Pepsi: The Key References], Sotheby's
* [https://www.prestigetime.com/blog/pepsi-rolex.html Rolex Pepsi Review: The GMT Master II 116719 BLRO] — Prestige Time
* [https://www.rolex.com/about-rolex/history/2013-2022 Rolex, history 2013–2022 — two-colour Cerachrom inserts]
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/ Rolex Passion Report collector notes on the 116719BLRO] — Philipp Stahl, Rolex Passion Report
* [https://www.prestigetime.com/blog/pepsi-rolex.html Rolex Pepsi Review: The GMT Master II 116719 BLRO], Prestige Time
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/watches/_rolex-gmt-master-ref-116719blro-comple-8db9 Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi 116719BLRO, 18k white gold, circa 2016 — Buy Now] — Sotheby's
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/ Rolex Passion Report collector notes on the 116719BLRO], Philipp Stahl, Rolex Passion Report
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/fine-watches-8/gmt-master-ii-pepsi-reference-116719blro-montre GMT-Master II 'Pepsi', 116719BLRO, circa 2014] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/watches/_rolex-gmt-master-ref-116719blro-comple-8db9 Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi 116719BLRO, 18k white gold, circa 2016, Buy Now], Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/important-watches-2/reference-116719blro-gmt-master-ii-pepsi-a-white Reference 116719BLRO GMT-Master II 'Pepsi', circa 2017] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/fine-watches-8/gmt-master-ii-pepsi-reference-116719blro-montre GMT-Master II 'Pepsi', 116719BLRO, circa 2014], Sotheby's
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-116719-18k-white-gold-pepsi.html Rolex GMT-Master II Ref 116719 18k White Gold Pepsi] — Bob's Watches
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/important-watches-2/reference-116719blro-gmt-master-ii-pepsi-a-white Reference 116719BLRO GMT-Master II 'Pepsi', circa 2017], Sotheby's
* [https://watchcharts.com/watch_variation/83-rolex-gmt-master-ii-116719blro-0001/overview Rolex GMT-Master II 116719BLRO-0001 market overview] — WatchCharts
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-116719-18k-white-gold-pepsi.html Rolex GMT-Master II Ref 116719 18k White Gold Pepsi], Bob's Watches
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2024/11/in-depth-rolex-gmt-master-ii.html In-Depth: Rolex GMT-Master II Materials and Mechanisms] — Richard Lee and David Ichim, SJX Watches
* [https://watchcharts.com/watch_variation/83-rolex-gmt-master-ii-116719blro-0001/overview Rolex GMT-Master II 116719BLRO-0001 market overview], WatchCharts
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/how-did-they-do-that-rolex-s-bi-color-ceramic-bezel-inserts How Did They DO That: Rolex Bi-Color Ceramic Bezel Inserts] — Ed Estlow, Everest Bands
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2024/11/in-depth-rolex-gmt-master-ii.html In-Depth: Rolex GMT-Master II Materials and Mechanisms], Richard Lee and David Ichim, SJX Watches
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/how-did-they-do-that-rolex-s-bi-color-ceramic-bezel-inserts How Did They DO That: Rolex Bi-Color Ceramic Bezel Inserts], Ed Estlow, Everest Bands


[[Category:GMT-Master]]
[[Category:GMT-Master]]

Latest revision as of 05:59, 29 September 2026


GMT-Master › 116719BLRO

116719BLRO resting on its box and papers, black -0001 dial and red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel, guarantee card confirming model 116719BLRO
116719BLRO resting on its box and papers, guarantee card confirming the reference, black -0001 dial

The 116719BLRO is the 18k white-gold GMT-Master II with a red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel. Rolex introduced it at Baselworld 2014, and it was the first series-produced GMT-Master II with this bezel colour combination. The reference used caliber 3186 and an Oyster bracelet. The launch version had a black dial; Rolex added a matte blue dial in the -0002 configuration in 2018.


Core facts

detail value
reference 116719BLRO
family GMT-Master II
production 2014–c.2019 catalogue period; exact factory endpoints are not published
movement caliber 3186 with blue Parachrom hairspring
case 40mm 18k white gold
crystal sapphire with Cyclops
water resistance 100m
bezel two-colour red-and-blue Cerachrom
bracelet white gold Oyster with Oysterlock
dial black lacquer (-0001); matte blue (-0002, introduced 2018)
key identity first ceramic Pepsi in the Rolex catalogue; white gold only

Where it sits in the line

The 116719BLRO followed the 16710 and 116710LN in the GMT-Master II line. It brought the red-and-blue bezel to the six-digit ceramic case in white gold. The steel 126710BLRO arrived in 2018, and the white-gold reference was replaced by the 126719BLRO in 2019. Sotheby's places it in the Pepsi sequence that begins with the 6542 and continues through current ceramic references.

Production outline

Rolex introduced the reference at Baselworld 2014 and kept it in the catalogue until 2019. The -0001 configuration has a black lacquer dial with applied Maxi markers. In 2018 Rolex added the -0002 with a matte blue dial. The auction record confirms both configurations, but it does not establish that every other component was unchanged on every watch.

Rolex's 2019 range replaced it with the 126719BLRO and caliber 3285. The steel 126710BLRO had arrived in 2018, so both white-gold and steel Pepsi references were available during that overlap. The catalogue change does not establish the last date a 116719BLRO left the factory.

Movement notes

The 116719BLRO uses caliber 3186, an automatic GMT movement with an independently adjustable local-hour hand, quickset date, and a 28,800 vph frequency. Sotheby's catalogues list 31 jewels on documented examples. The movement is the same family used in the late five-digit and early six-digit GMT-Master II references.

The 126719BLRO replaced it with caliber 3285 in 2019. Chronergy, the longer power reserve, and the later Superlative Chronometer specification belong to the 3285 successor and should not be back-projected onto the 116719BLRO.

Dial map

Black lacquer dial with Maxi markers
Black lacquer -0001 dial with Maxi markers

The launch -0001 configuration uses a black lacquer dial. Sotheby's describes the first-series black dial and places a documented example in circa 2014. Rolex introduced the -0002 configuration in 2018 with a matte blue dial. Both use applied Maxi markers and the GMT-Master II layout.

The cited sources do not establish a complete lume or typography changeover inside either configuration. A dial swap is possible on surviving watches, and Sotheby's notes that Rolex offered some original owners a later blue-dial replacement. Dial reference and service history therefore matter when assessing an individual watch.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

  • Dial and red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel
    Red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel
  • Case profile showing the crown and bezel edge
    White-gold case profile with Triplock crown and guards

The case is 40mm in 18k white gold with a sapphire crystal, Cyclops date lens, screw-down crown and 100m water resistance. The bezel is a fixed red-and-blue Cerachrom insert with a 24-hour scale. Rolex's 2014 launch material and Sotheby's catalogues identify it as the first series-produced red-and-blue ceramic GMT-Master II bezel. Rolex's material describes the single-piece, two-colour manufacturing process; it does not establish a production total or a precise end date for the reference.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

The reference was offered on a white-gold Oyster bracelet with an Oysterlock clasp and Easylink extension. It did not have a factory Jubilee option. The steel 126710BLRO introduced the Jubilee option in 2018, while the 116719BLRO remained an Oyster-bracelet model.

Sotheby's auction examples are often complete with box, guarantee, manuals, and hang tags. Those accessories belong to the individual lot and should not be treated as reference-specific delivery in every market.

Special branches

Black dial, -0001

The -0001 is the launch configuration. Sotheby's documents circa-2014, circa-2016, and circa-2017 examples with the black dial. Some original owners later exchanged the black dial for the blue service configuration, so a current blue dial does not by itself prove that the watch left Rolex as a -0002.

Blue dial, -0002

Rolex introduced the matte blue -0002 in 2018. It ran into the end of the 116719BLRO period before the 126719BLRO replaced the reference in 2019. The shorter catalogue window is documented; production volume is not.

Pepsi nickname

“Pepsi” is collector shorthand for the red-and-blue bezel. It predates the 116719BLRO and is also used for the 6542, 1675, 16750, 16700, 16710, and later ceramic references. It describes the bezel colour, not a separate reference.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Year Example Result or estimate
Sotheby's Fine Watches, lot 391 2023 circa 2014, black -0001 dial, box and papers estimate EUR 20,000–35,000
Sotheby's Important Watches, lot 174 2025 circa 2017, black dial, box and papers estimate USD 20,000–30,000

These are selected auction comparables, not a valuation range. Condition, original versus replacement dial, bracelet completeness, papers, and sale location can change the result. The page does not repeat an original-retail price or a current-market premium without a lot and date attached.


Related references

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

Sources

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