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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 16700 GMT-Master}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master 16700 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex GMT-Master 16700 (1988–1999) — Production & Dial Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=The `16700` is the last GMT-Master, which is exactly why it matters. It keeps the older GMT-Master operating logic while living well into the GMT-Master…
|description=The 16700 was the last original GMT-Master reference, produced about 1988–1999. It uses caliber 3175 with linked hour and 24-hour hands; factory bezel configurations were red-blue Pepsi and black, with a 1997 Real McCoy's Chuck Yeager edition.
|keywords=Rolex, 16700, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 16700, GMT-Master, caller GMT, caliber 3175, Chuck Yeager, Real McCoys
|type=article
|image=Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp
|image_alt=Late Pepsi 16700
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:07Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:09:47Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] › '''16700'''</small>


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] → '''16700'''</small>
<div class="rp-lead">
 
[[File:Ref 16700 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex 16700 GMT-Master|Rolex 16700 GMT-Master]]
[[File:Ref 16700 hero.webp|thumb|right|340px]]
</div>
 


The 16700 was the last reference in the original GMT-Master line. Its linked hour and 24-hour hands are what collectors call a caller GMT. It was produced from about 1988 to 1999 alongside the GMT-Master II 16710. Caliber 3175 is associated with the 16700 and is documented with 31 jewels, a 28,800 vph rate, about 48 hours of reserve, hacking seconds, a quickset date, five-position and temperature adjustment, and COSC certification. A 1997 Real McCoy's edition made 50 watches with Chuck Yeager and Bell X-1 caseback markings.


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


The [[Reference:16700|16700]] is the last GMT-Master, which is exactly why it matters. It keeps the older linked-hand GMT-Master operating logic while running well into the GMT-Master II era, which makes it the cleanest late option for a buyer who wants sapphire crystal and modern case refinement without stepping into the independent-hour-hand mechanics of the GMT-Master II.


At a glance the reference looks simple. In practice it carries the kind of late-run tension that many long Rolex references do. The end date is not perfectly clean, and the lume transition is not told the same way by every source.
==Core facts==


<span id="core-facts"></span>
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
== Core facts ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 30: Line 35:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| GMT-Master
| GMT-Master (final reference of the original GMT-Master line)
|-
|-
| production
| production
| 1988-1998 in the Field Manual, with broader family histories pushing the run through 1999
| about 1988 to 1999; one field guide ends the run in 1998
|-
|-
| movement
| total examples
| caliber 3175
| no published Rolex production figure across any source. Bonhams describes it as "notably fewer units produced than its counterpart [the 16710]"; Sotheby's says "smaller quantities despite its decade-long run"
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm steel Oyster case
| 40mm steel Oyster
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| sapphire with Cyclops
| sapphire with Cyclops over date
|-
|-
| water resistance
| water resistance
| 100m
| 100m
|-
| movement
| caliber 3175, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, about 48-hour reserve. COSC-certified, hacking, quickset date, Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Breguet hairspring, Kif shock
|-
| GMT mechanic
| caller GMT; main hour hand sets in one-hour clicks, 24-hour hand stays linked to the local hour hand. Last GMT-Master with this synchronized layout
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| bidirectional 24-hour aluminum insert in Pepsi or black
| bidirectional 24-hour aluminium insert. Pepsi (red/blue) and all-black are the documented factory configurations. A red/black Coke insert on a 16700 is a service or aftermarket fitting unless its provenance shows otherwise
|-
| bracelet
| Oyster 78360 with 501 / 580 end-links + folding clasp through most of the run; later Oyster 78790 with Oysterlock from late production; Jubilee 62510H with 502B optional
|-
|-
| key identity
| key identity
| last GMT-Master with linked-hand GMT logic
| last GMT-Master with linked-hand caller-GMT logic and a sapphire crystal
|}
|}


<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==
==Where it sits in the line==
The 16700 closes the original GMT-Master line. It follows the [[Reference:16750|16750]] and ran alongside the GMT-Master II [[Reference:16710|16710]] from 1989 to 1999. After the 16700 ended, the catalogue continued with GMT-Master II references. The 16700 combines the linked-hand mechanism with the sapphire crystal used in this generation.


The 16700 is the final GMT-Master rather than the first GMT-Master II, and that distinction is the whole point of the watch. It follows the [[Reference:16750|16750]], runs in parallel with the GMT-Master II references that are already on sale, and keeps the older GMT-Master hand logic instead of adopting the independent-hour system. On a GMT-Master I the local hour hand and the 24-hour hand are linked, so setting one drags the other. That is the behaviour the 16700 preserves. The watch has a loyal following for exactly that reason: it is the late, sapphire-era way to stay on the original side of the family split.
<span id="caller-vs-flyer-gmt"></span>
===Caller vs flyer GMT===
The 16700 is a caller GMT. The 16760 (cal. 3085) and the 16710 (cal. 3185 / 3186) are flyer GMTs. That is the practical distinction between the two movement layouts.


A subset of collectors specifically chases the 16700 over the contemporary [[Reference:16710|16710]]. The reasoning is consistent across forum threads and the Monochrome retrospective. The linked-hand mechanism means the local hour hand jumps in one-hour steps when travellers set the date, which is the original travel logic that the GMT-Master was designed around. The 16710, as a GMT-Master II, trades that for an independent 24-hour hand aimed at tracking a second timezone from a fixed home base. Neither is objectively better. The 16700 is the one that still behaves the way the 1950s patent drawings behave, and for a certain kind of buyer that is the whole purchase.
On a caller GMT the hour and 24-hour hands remain linked. The 3175’s direct quick-set date is separate from GMT hand adjustment, and the second zone is read with the bidirectional 24-hour bezel. On a flyer GMT the 24-hour hand turns independently once per day, while the local hour hand jumps in one-hour increments without disturbing minutes or seconds. The bezel can then be used for a third zone.
 
The linked hands move together when the time is set. That is the operating distinction between the 16700 and the independently adjustable local-hour hand in the 16710.


<span id="production-outline"></span>
<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
==Production outline==
Every published account starts the run in 1988. Most editorial and auction-house coverage ends it in 1999; Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' ends it in 1998. Late examples are catalogued as 1998 or 1999 according to their papers and serial evidence, so the boundary should remain approximate.


The broad production frame is easy enough to state, but the exact finish line is not clean. The Field Manual uses 1988-1998. Monochrome and Sotheby's extend the watch through 1999. The Sotheby's complete GMT-Master guide states plainly that the 16700 was produced for 20 years and that the line was retired in 1999. The Field Manual holds to 1998 in its reference table. Both numbers appear regularly in auction catalogues and dealer pages, and neither side has published a case number or archive extract that settles the question publicly. The safer article line is that the reference belongs to the 1988-1999 transition zone, with the final year dependent on which reference work the buyer trusts. Serial ranges from the late 1990s are consistent with either read, and most late examples in the surviving market are sold simply as "1998" or "1999" with an accompanying papers date.
Rolex has never published an output figure. Bonhams and Sotheby's both describe fewer 16700 examples than 16710 examples, but neither source gives a count. The comparison supports relative scarcity only.


The watch stays steel-only in the current source set and is directly supported in two bezel branches: Pepsi and black.
<span id="movement-notes"></span>
==Movement notes==
Caliber 3175 is the last movement used in the original GMT-Master line and is associated with the 16700 alone. Published specifications and auction catalogues give it 31 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz), about 48 hours of power reserve, hacking seconds, a quickset date, a Breguet hairspring, a Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Kif shock protection, COSC certification, and adjustment to five positions and temperature.


<span id="movement-notes"></span>
The 3175 does not have an independently adjustable GMT hand. That feature belongs to the 3085 in the 16760 (1983–1989) and to the 3185 / 3186 in the 16710 (1989–2007). Some auction descriptions use loose GMT terminology, so identify the movement and hand-setting behavior on the watch itself. A 2025 Sotheby’s collector guide describes the 16700 as having an independent flying GMT hand, which conflicts with its own distinction between the 16700 and 16710 and with the cited movement references. The linked-hand description used here follows the 3175 specifications and the 16750/16710 comparison evidence.
== Movement notes ==


Caliber 3175 is the final GMT-Master movement. It keeps the linked local hour and 24-hour hand behavior that defines the GMT-Master I (as opposed to the independent hour hand of the GMT-Master II), adds the quickset date, and carries the late-generation five-digit reliability into a watch that still feels mechanically like an older GMT-Master.
The 3175 supersedes the 3075 used in the 16750 and is the final movement in the linked-hand GMT line. Its documented fitment is tied to the 16700's 1988–1999 run.


One contradiction should stay visible. The Field Manual and Monochrome both treat the 16700 as the last classic linked-hand GMT-Master. Sotheby's 2025 cheat sheet appears to overstate the watch as if it had the independent flying GMT hand associated with GMT-Master II references. The article should stay with the more conservative reading.
Service history is worth checking on watches from the end of the run. Antiquorum Lot 88 recommends an overhaul at the buyer's expense, and Sotheby's Lot 10 records minor corrosion spots on the movement. Those are lot-specific observations, not evidence of a universal service pattern. A watch with a replacement movement should be identified from the movement engraving and service records rather than inferred from the case reference.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
==Dial map==
Glossy black with applied white-gold-surround indices is standard across the run. Documented changes concern the date wheel, the lume compound, and a late dial subset collectors call the stick dial.


[[File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp|thumb|right|280px|Late Pepsi 16700]]
[[File:Ref 16700 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black-bezel 16700|Black-bezel 16700]]
[[File:Ref 16700 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|Black-bezel 16700]]
The current source set supports a simple but real branch split.


<span id="pepsi-branch"></span>
<span id="open-vs-closed-69-date-wheel"></span>
=== Pepsi branch ===
===Open vs closed 6/9 date wheel===
Date discs with open-loop 6 and 9 numerals run to about 1992, closed-style wheels after that; the Field Manual records the cutoff. An open-6/9 wheel on a late-serial 16700 is a reason to look harder at the dial and hands. Service departments swapped date discs during movement work often enough that a disc out of step with the expected production year is one of the easier tells on an otherwise clean watch. Overlap at the boundary is likely, and no public Rolex service record pins the switchover to a month, so an off-year wheel prompts scrutiny without condemning the watch.


The Pepsi side keeps the family's default red-and-blue visual identity alive right to the end of the GMT-Master line.
<span id="lume-transition"></span>
===Tritium to Luminova / Super-LumiNova transition===
Tritium dials, marked "SWISS T<25", run to about 1997. Sources differ on whether Luminova and Super-LumiNova appeared as separate stages: Sotheby's places Luminova in 1997 and Super-LumiNova later, while Monochrome treats the change as a direct move to Super-LumiNova. Some transitional examples are reported with older T<25-marked dial stock, so the dial text and lume need to be assessed together.


<span id="black-branch"></span>
For a late non-tritium 16700, record the dial as post-tritium unless the dial and lume support a narrower assignment. Early-1997 or earlier examples are the clearest tritium group in the cited sources.
=== Black branch ===


The black-bezel side is a real late-run branch with its own look and appeal, not an option-list footnote. The direct late black example in the package makes that clear.
<span id="stick-dial-late-examples"></span>
==="Stick" dial (late examples)===
Sotheby's listings from the late 1990s use "stick" for a dial subset carrying numerals only, with no Roman 6 or 9. Documented examples go back to 1991 Pepsi listings. No cited source maps the variant to a serial range.


<span id="lume-transition"></span>
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
=== Lume transition ===
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
The case is a 40mm steel Oyster rated to 100m, as on the 16750. The visible break with the 16750 is the crystal: sapphire with a Cyclops over the date where the older reference had acrylic.


This is the main unresolved dial issue. The Field Manual says tritium to about 1997, then Luminova in 1998. Monochrome says the watch moved from tritium to Super-LumiNova in 1997 and skipped Luminova entirely.
The bezel is a bidirectional 24-hour aluminium insert, catalogued in two colourways: Pepsi (red and blue) and all-black. Pepsi examples are common in the auction record. Coke inserts in red and black do turn up on 16700s, but the configuration was never catalogued for the reference, so those are aftermarket fittings or service swaps. Factory Coke belongs to the 16710 and the 16760.


The gap is real and worth explaining. The Field Manual reads the late 16700 as following the broader Rolex rollout pattern, in which non-radioactive Luminova replaced tritium first and Super-LumiNova took over after roughly a year of overlap. Monochrome treats the 16700 as a watch whose transition happened late enough that it went straight to Super-LumiNova without the intermediate Luminova batch. Collectors who buy late tritium examples (T SWISS T dial foot) rarely have any dispute. The friction sits on the 1997-1998 boundary, where a SWISS or SWISS MADE dial foot may be read as Luminova by one reference and Super-LumiNova by another. The practical collector workaround is to treat the lume on a late non-tritium 16700 as "post-tritium luminescent" and let the dial foot printing and lume colour speak for themselves. Buyers who need certainty tend to look for early-1997 or earlier tritium dials, where both sources agree.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bezel.webp|alt=Pepsi bezel close-up|Pepsi bezel close-up
File:Ref 16700 pepsi-satin.webp|alt=Pepsi 16700 dial and bezel close crop|Pepsi 16700 dial and bezel close crop
File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp|alt=Late Pepsi 16700|Late Pepsi 16700
File:Ref 16700 caseback.webp|alt=16700 caseback with reference-marked protective sticker|16700 caseback with reference-marked protective sticker
</gallery>


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==
==Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes==
Period-correct delivery through most of the production window is the Oyster 78360 on a folding clasp, with 501 end-links early and 580 from mid-run. Bonhams Lot 4, a 1988 watch, carries that bracelet with a signed folding clasp stamped RS11, an unusual code.


[[File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bezel.webp|thumb|right|280px|Pepsi bezel close-up]]
Late production moves to the Oyster 78790A with Oysterlock, documented on late-1990s examples across the published literature. The Jubilee 62510H on 502B end-links was the dressier option.
The case is the familiar 40mm steel Oyster shape of the late five-digit period. Sapphire and a Cyclops lens over the date immediately separate the watch from the acrylic 16750 it replaces. The bezel palette is cleaner than on the later GMT-Master II references: Pepsi and black are both directly supported, and no other insert colour has meaningful source coverage.


The Field Manual adds one smaller detail that still matters. Open 6/9 date wheels, where the numerals on the date disc are drawn with open loops, are said to run until about 1992, with closed-style date wheels following after that. The detail is worth more than it first looks. A late-serial 16700 presenting an open-6/9 date wheel is a signal to examine the dial and hands more carefully, because service departments occasionally swapped date discs during movement work, and a wheel that does not line up with the expected production year is one of the easier authentication tells on an otherwise clean watch. The rule is not airtight. Overlap at the boundary is plausible, and no public Rolex service record nails the switchover to a month. The 1992 line works as a guideline for flagging, not as a verdict.
Antiquorum Lot 88 (Geneva, June 2020) documents a 1996 head on a 93150/501B Oyster bracelet. The 93150 is a service or later replacement reference that became standard on the 16710, so on a 16700 it points to a service-era fitment.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
[[File:Ref 16700 clasp.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Folding clasp stamped X8 with 78790 bracelet reference|Folding clasp stamped X8 with 78790 bracelet reference]]
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


The Field Manual gives the strongest current fitment map. Period options include the Oyster 78360 with 501B or 593 end links, the later Oyster 78790A with solid end links, and the Jubilee 62510H with 502B end links. The direct sale set mainly shows Oyster presentation, not because Jubilee is impossible, but because that is how the best current examples in the package have survived.
<span id="chuck-yeager-real-mccoys-special-edition"></span>
==Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's special edition==
A 50-piece special edition of the 16700 was produced in 1997 by The Real McCoy's, the Japanese vintage-clothing reissue brand. The customized watches carry Chuck Yeager and Bell X-1 dial or caseback markings with an edition number. Three auction-house lots document the run: Bonhams sold No. 14/50, case U443556, as a full set on 24 November 2018; Phillips Hong Kong XI offered No. 21/50, case U453541, on 28 November 2020; and Sotheby's Hong Kong catalogued a circa 1999 example, case A245609, in 2019. The exact engraving layout varies in published lot photographs, so use the watch and papers to verify the number.


Packaging is decent for a first pass. The late black example in particular gives the article box-and-papers support instead of leaving the section at pure abstraction.
Antiquorum catalogued a 16710 Real McCoy's in its Monaco sale of 16 July 2017. That watch belongs to the same limited-edition programme but is not a 16700.


<span id="special-branches"></span>
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Special branches ==
==Historical market and auction record==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Variant / config !! Hammer
|-
| Bonhams || 25956/4 || 2020 || R-serial || 1988 Pepsi, 78360 / RS11 clasp || GBP 10,687.50 incl. premium
|-
| Antiquorum Geneva || 329-88 || 2020 || T254282 || 1996 Pepsi delivered Dec 1996, full set with original Beyer receipt || CHF 11,875
|-
| Sotheby's Geneva Important Watches || 10 || 2019 || T848499 || c.1996 Pepsi, cal. 3175, with extra black bezel || est. CHF 6,000–8,000
|-
| Sotheby's Fine Watches Online || 417 || 2024 || W752611 || c.1995 Pepsi, faded bezel, tritium dial || est. EUR 8,000–12,000
|-
| Bonhams || 25232/969 || 2018 || U443556 || 1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 14/50, full set || HK$ 106,250 incl. premium
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong XI || 862 || 2020 || U453541 || c.1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 21/50 || est. HK$ 120,000–250,000
|-
| Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches || 2023 || 2019 || A245609 || c.1999 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's || est. HK$ 160,000–320,000
|}


<span id="pepsi"></span>
Auction results vary with the bezel, dial and lume, condition, paperwork and bracelet originality. The documented Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's lots are a separate limited-edition group; their estimates and results should not be used as a guide to standard 16700 examples.
=== Pepsi ===


The Pepsi 16700 is the last classic Pepsi GMT-Master, and one of the cleanest visual arguments for why some collectors stay with the 16700 rather than moving into GMT-Master II references.
==Related references==
* [[Reference:16710|GMT-Master 16710]], Pepsi, Coke, and black (1989–2007)
* [[Reference:16713|GMT-Master 16713]], 1989–2007
* [[Reference:16718|GMT-Master 16718]], 1989–2007
* [[Reference:16760|GMT-Master 16760]], "Fat Lady", Coke bezel (1983–1988)
* [[Reference:16750|GMT-Master 16750]], 1979–1988
* [[Reference:16753|GMT-Master 16753]], 1979–1988


<span id="black-bezel"></span>
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]].
=== Black bezel ===
 
The black-bezel 16700 is a real late branch rather than a side-option footnote.
 
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==


The current market layer is modest but usable. One late Pepsi example anchors the final Pepsi side of the line. One late black example anchors the black-bezel side and gives stronger packaging detail. This is enough for a first article pass, but a true auction-house 16700 lot would still make the market section much better.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16700 hero.webp|Rolex GMT-Master 16700
File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bezel.webp|Pepsi bezel insert
File:Ref 16700 pepsi-satin.webp|Pepsi dial and bezel
File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp|Late Pepsi 16700
File:Ref 16700 black-branch.webp|Black-bezel 16700
File:Ref 16700 caseback.webp|16700 caseback
File:Ref 16700 clasp.webp|16700 bracelet clasp
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition — unknown, Morning Tundra
* [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] — unknown, Monochrome
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-pepsi-the-key-references The Rolex GMT Pepsi: The Key References] (Sotheby's)
* [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-gmt-master-ref-16700-pepsi.html Rolex GMT-Master Ref 16700 Pepsi] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/wrist-game-or-crying-shame-rolex-gmt-master-16700/ Wrist Game or Crying Shame: Rolex GMT-Master 16700] (Fratello)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ref-16700-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master ref 16700 Black Glossy Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://langedykvintagewatches.com/articles/rolex-gmt-master-16700/ Rolex GMT-Master 16700 vs 16710] (Vintage)
* WatchProSite 16700 thread bundle — WatchProSite community, WatchProSite
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-3175/ Rolex Caliber 3175 reference guide] (Millenary Watches)
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/gmt-16700-the-solution-before-smart-phones GMT 16700: Solution Before Smart Phones] (Bands)
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/thewatchclub/2023/10/03/rolex-gmt-master-16700-vs-gmt-master-ii-16710/ Rolex GMT-Master 16700 vs GMT-Master II 16710]
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/5-things-to-know-about-the-gmt-master-16700/ 5 Things to Know About the GMT-Master 16700]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/gmt-master/16700-0001 Rolex GMT-Master 16700-0001]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/vintage-week-gmt-master-ref-16700.html Vintage Week: GMT-Master Ref. 16700 Ultimate Guide]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ref-16700-pepsi.html Rolex GMT-Master Ref 16700 Pepsi]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ref-16700-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master Ref 16700 Black Glossy Dial]
* [https://bulangandsons.com/products/rolex-gmt-master-16700-tritium-dial-with-box-and-booklets-w2094 Rolex GMT-Master 16700 1990 tritium dial with box and booklets]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-gmtmaster-reference-16700-w-black-insert Rolex GMT-Master Reference 16700 with Black Insert] (Wind Vintage)
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-gmtmaster-reference-16700-full-set-new-old-stock Rolex GMT-Master Reference 16700 Full Set New Old Stock] (Wind Vintage)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25956/lot/4/ Rolex GMT-Master Reference 16700 — Bonhams Lot 4] (Bonhams, 2020)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16700-gmt-master-lot-329-88 Rolex Ref. 16700 GMT-Master — Antiquorum Lot 88] (Antiquorum, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-ge1901/lot.10.html Rolex 16700 Pepsi — Sotheby's Geneva Important Watches Lot 10] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/fine-watches-2/gmt-master-pepsi-reference-16700-montre-bracelet GMT-Master Pepsi Reference 16700 — Sotheby's Fine Watches Online Lot 417] (Sotheby's, 2024)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25232/lot/969/ Chuck Yeager 14/50 16700 — Bonhams Lot 969] (Bonhams, 2018)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080220/862 Chuck Yeager 21/50 16700 — Phillips Hong Kong XI Lot 862] (Phillips, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-hk0892/lot.2023.html Chuck Yeager 16700 — Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches Lot 2023] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra


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

Latest revision as of 08:02, 29 September 2026


GMT-Master › 16700

Rolex 16700 GMT-Master
Rolex 16700 GMT-Master

The 16700 was the last reference in the original GMT-Master line. Its linked hour and 24-hour hands are what collectors call a caller GMT. It was produced from about 1988 to 1999 alongside the GMT-Master II 16710. Caliber 3175 is associated with the 16700 and is documented with 31 jewels, a 28,800 vph rate, about 48 hours of reserve, hacking seconds, a quickset date, five-position and temperature adjustment, and COSC certification. A 1997 Real McCoy's edition made 50 watches with Chuck Yeager and Bell X-1 caseback markings.


Core facts

detail value
reference 16700
family GMT-Master (final reference of the original GMT-Master line)
production about 1988 to 1999; one field guide ends the run in 1998
total examples no published Rolex production figure across any source. Bonhams describes it as "notably fewer units produced than its counterpart [the 16710]"; Sotheby's says "smaller quantities despite its decade-long run"
case 40mm steel Oyster
crystal sapphire with Cyclops over date
water resistance 100m
movement caliber 3175, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, about 48-hour reserve. COSC-certified, hacking, quickset date, Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Breguet hairspring, Kif shock
GMT mechanic caller GMT; main hour hand sets in one-hour clicks, 24-hour hand stays linked to the local hour hand. Last GMT-Master with this synchronized layout
bezel bidirectional 24-hour aluminium insert. Pepsi (red/blue) and all-black are the documented factory configurations. A red/black Coke insert on a 16700 is a service or aftermarket fitting unless its provenance shows otherwise
bracelet Oyster 78360 with 501 / 580 end-links + folding clasp through most of the run; later Oyster 78790 with Oysterlock from late production; Jubilee 62510H with 502B optional
key identity last GMT-Master with linked-hand caller-GMT logic and a sapphire crystal

Where it sits in the line

The 16700 closes the original GMT-Master line. It follows the 16750 and ran alongside the GMT-Master II 16710 from 1989 to 1999. After the 16700 ended, the catalogue continued with GMT-Master II references. The 16700 combines the linked-hand mechanism with the sapphire crystal used in this generation.

Caller vs flyer GMT

The 16700 is a caller GMT. The 16760 (cal. 3085) and the 16710 (cal. 3185 / 3186) are flyer GMTs. That is the practical distinction between the two movement layouts.

On a caller GMT the hour and 24-hour hands remain linked. The 3175’s direct quick-set date is separate from GMT hand adjustment, and the second zone is read with the bidirectional 24-hour bezel. On a flyer GMT the 24-hour hand turns independently once per day, while the local hour hand jumps in one-hour increments without disturbing minutes or seconds. The bezel can then be used for a third zone.

The linked hands move together when the time is set. That is the operating distinction between the 16700 and the independently adjustable local-hour hand in the 16710.

Production outline

Every published account starts the run in 1988. Most editorial and auction-house coverage ends it in 1999; Colin A. White's The Vintage Rolex Field Manual ends it in 1998. Late examples are catalogued as 1998 or 1999 according to their papers and serial evidence, so the boundary should remain approximate.

Rolex has never published an output figure. Bonhams and Sotheby's both describe fewer 16700 examples than 16710 examples, but neither source gives a count. The comparison supports relative scarcity only.

Movement notes

Caliber 3175 is the last movement used in the original GMT-Master line and is associated with the 16700 alone. Published specifications and auction catalogues give it 31 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz), about 48 hours of power reserve, hacking seconds, a quickset date, a Breguet hairspring, a Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Kif shock protection, COSC certification, and adjustment to five positions and temperature.

The 3175 does not have an independently adjustable GMT hand. That feature belongs to the 3085 in the 16760 (1983–1989) and to the 3185 / 3186 in the 16710 (1989–2007). Some auction descriptions use loose GMT terminology, so identify the movement and hand-setting behavior on the watch itself. A 2025 Sotheby’s collector guide describes the 16700 as having an independent flying GMT hand, which conflicts with its own distinction between the 16700 and 16710 and with the cited movement references. The linked-hand description used here follows the 3175 specifications and the 16750/16710 comparison evidence.

The 3175 supersedes the 3075 used in the 16750 and is the final movement in the linked-hand GMT line. Its documented fitment is tied to the 16700's 1988–1999 run.

Service history is worth checking on watches from the end of the run. Antiquorum Lot 88 recommends an overhaul at the buyer's expense, and Sotheby's Lot 10 records minor corrosion spots on the movement. Those are lot-specific observations, not evidence of a universal service pattern. A watch with a replacement movement should be identified from the movement engraving and service records rather than inferred from the case reference.

Dial map

Glossy black with applied white-gold-surround indices is standard across the run. Documented changes concern the date wheel, the lume compound, and a late dial subset collectors call the stick dial.

Black-bezel 16700
Black-bezel 16700

Open vs closed 6/9 date wheel

Date discs with open-loop 6 and 9 numerals run to about 1992, closed-style wheels after that; the Field Manual records the cutoff. An open-6/9 wheel on a late-serial 16700 is a reason to look harder at the dial and hands. Service departments swapped date discs during movement work often enough that a disc out of step with the expected production year is one of the easier tells on an otherwise clean watch. Overlap at the boundary is likely, and no public Rolex service record pins the switchover to a month, so an off-year wheel prompts scrutiny without condemning the watch.

Tritium to Luminova / Super-LumiNova transition

Tritium dials, marked "SWISS T<25", run to about 1997. Sources differ on whether Luminova and Super-LumiNova appeared as separate stages: Sotheby's places Luminova in 1997 and Super-LumiNova later, while Monochrome treats the change as a direct move to Super-LumiNova. Some transitional examples are reported with older T<25-marked dial stock, so the dial text and lume need to be assessed together.

For a late non-tritium 16700, record the dial as post-tritium unless the dial and lume support a narrower assignment. Early-1997 or earlier examples are the clearest tritium group in the cited sources.

"Stick" dial (late examples)

Sotheby's listings from the late 1990s use "stick" for a dial subset carrying numerals only, with no Roman 6 or 9. Documented examples go back to 1991 Pepsi listings. No cited source maps the variant to a serial range.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The case is a 40mm steel Oyster rated to 100m, as on the 16750. The visible break with the 16750 is the crystal: sapphire with a Cyclops over the date where the older reference had acrylic.

The bezel is a bidirectional 24-hour aluminium insert, catalogued in two colourways: Pepsi (red and blue) and all-black. Pepsi examples are common in the auction record. Coke inserts in red and black do turn up on 16700s, but the configuration was never catalogued for the reference, so those are aftermarket fittings or service swaps. Factory Coke belongs to the 16710 and the 16760.

  • Pepsi bezel close-up
    Pepsi bezel close-up
  • Pepsi 16700 dial and bezel close crop
    Pepsi 16700 dial and bezel close crop
  • Late Pepsi 16700
    Late Pepsi 16700
  • 16700 caseback with reference-marked protective sticker
    16700 caseback with reference-marked protective sticker

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Period-correct delivery through most of the production window is the Oyster 78360 on a folding clasp, with 501 end-links early and 580 from mid-run. Bonhams Lot 4, a 1988 watch, carries that bracelet with a signed folding clasp stamped RS11, an unusual code.

Late production moves to the Oyster 78790A with Oysterlock, documented on late-1990s examples across the published literature. The Jubilee 62510H on 502B end-links was the dressier option.

Antiquorum Lot 88 (Geneva, June 2020) documents a 1996 head on a 93150/501B Oyster bracelet. The 93150 is a service or later replacement reference that became standard on the 16710, so on a 16700 it points to a service-era fitment.

Folding clasp stamped X8 with 78790 bracelet reference
Folding clasp stamped X8 with 78790 bracelet reference

Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's special edition

A 50-piece special edition of the 16700 was produced in 1997 by The Real McCoy's, the Japanese vintage-clothing reissue brand. The customized watches carry Chuck Yeager and Bell X-1 dial or caseback markings with an edition number. Three auction-house lots document the run: Bonhams sold No. 14/50, case U443556, as a full set on 24 November 2018; Phillips Hong Kong XI offered No. 21/50, case U453541, on 28 November 2020; and Sotheby's Hong Kong catalogued a circa 1999 example, case A245609, in 2019. The exact engraving layout varies in published lot photographs, so use the watch and papers to verify the number.

Antiquorum catalogued a 16710 Real McCoy's in its Monaco sale of 16 July 2017. That watch belongs to the same limited-edition programme but is not a 16700.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Lot Year Serial Variant / config Hammer
Bonhams 25956/4 2020 R-serial 1988 Pepsi, 78360 / RS11 clasp GBP 10,687.50 incl. premium
Antiquorum Geneva 329-88 2020 T254282 1996 Pepsi delivered Dec 1996, full set with original Beyer receipt CHF 11,875
Sotheby's Geneva Important Watches 10 2019 T848499 c.1996 Pepsi, cal. 3175, with extra black bezel est. CHF 6,000–8,000
Sotheby's Fine Watches Online 417 2024 W752611 c.1995 Pepsi, faded bezel, tritium dial est. EUR 8,000–12,000
Bonhams 25232/969 2018 U443556 1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 14/50, full set HK$ 106,250 incl. premium
Phillips Hong Kong XI 862 2020 U453541 c.1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 21/50 est. HK$ 120,000–250,000
Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches 2023 2019 A245609 c.1999 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's est. HK$ 160,000–320,000

Auction results vary with the bezel, dial and lume, condition, paperwork and bracelet originality. The documented Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's lots are a separate limited-edition group; their estimates and results should not be used as a guide to standard 16700 examples.

Related references

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

  • Rolex GMT-Master 16700
    Rolex GMT-Master 16700
  • Pepsi bezel insert
    Pepsi bezel insert
  • Pepsi dial and bezel
    Pepsi dial and bezel
  • Late Pepsi 16700
    Late Pepsi 16700
  • Black-bezel 16700
    Black-bezel 16700
  • 16700 caseback
    16700 caseback
  • 16700 bracelet clasp
    16700 bracelet clasp

Sources

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