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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 16700 GMT-Master}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 16700 GMT-Master}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master 16700 (1988–1998) — Production & Dial Guide | Rolexopedia
|title=Rolex GMT-Master 16700 (1988–1999) — Production & Dial Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=The 16700 is the last classic GMT-Master — the final reference with the synchronized "caller" 24-hour hand. 1988 to 1999, caliber 3175 31 jewels, Pepsi and black bezels only, Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's 50-piece special edition.
|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, caller GMT, caliber 3175, Chuck Yeager, Real McCoys
|keywords=Rolex, 16700, GMT-Master, caller GMT, caliber 3175, Chuck Yeager, Real McCoys
|image=Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp
|image=Ref 16700 pepsi-bobs.webp
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</div>
</div>


The 16700 is the last classic GMT-Master, the final reference built around the synchronized "caller" 24-hour hand. Production ran from 1988 to 1999, and for most of that time the 16700 sat in the catalogue beside the GMT-Master II 16710 (1989–2007). Caliber 3175 was made for this reference and no other, running 31 jewels at 28,800 vph with a 48-hour reserve, hacking seconds, quickset date, adjustment to five positions and temperature, and COSC certification. The one branch with a market of its own is the Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's special edition of 1997, fifty pieces with the caseback engraved "General Chuck Yeager, Bell X-1, October 14th 1947".
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>
<span id="core-facts"></span>




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


{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
Line 38: Line 38:
|-
|-
| production
| production
| 1988 to 1999 (Sotheby's, Bonhams, Fratello consensus); Vintage Rolex Field Manual reads 1988 to 1998 — minority view
| about 1988 to 1999; one field guide ends the run in 1998
|-
|-
| total examples
| total examples
Line 53: Line 53:
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
| caliber 3175, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 48-hour reserve. COSC chronometer-rated, hacking, quickset date, Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Breguet hairspring, Kif shock. One-reference-only caliber
| 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
| 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
| 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 aluminium insert. Pepsi (red/blue) and all-black are the only factory configurations. Coke (red/black) on a 16700 is not factory — aftermarket or service swap
| 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
| bracelet
Line 65: Line 65:
|-
|-
| key identity
| key identity
| last GMT-Master with linked-hand "caller" GMT logic; only sapphire-crystal example of that classic mechanism
| 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 closes the original GMT-Master line. One hour-hand mechanism, a 24-hour hand fixed to it, one reference number. It follows the [[Reference:16750|16750]] and ran alongside the GMT-Master II [[Reference:16710|16710]] from 1989 to 1999. After 1999 the catalogue carried only the GMT-Master II, through the 116710LN and on to the current 126710 series. That leaves the 16700 as the only sapphire-crystal watch built around the classic synchronized-hand mechanism, and for most buyers that pairing is the whole appeal.


<span id="caller-vs-flyer-gmt"></span>
<span id="caller-vs-flyer-gmt"></span>
=== Caller vs flyer GMT ===
===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.


The 16700 is a caller GMT. The 16760 (cal. 3085) and the 16710 (cal. 3185 / 3186) are flyer GMTs, and the distinction splits the family cleanly.
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.


On a caller GMT the main hour hand sets in one-hour clicks from the crown and the 24-hour hand stays locked to it, following wherever it goes. The second zone is read off the bidirectional 24-hour bezel: rotate the bezel to the home offset, glance at the 24-hour hand, and the reading is the time at home. That is the phone call the name describes. On a flyer GMT the 24-hour hand turns once per day independent of the local hour hand, and the local hand jumps in one-hour increments without disturbing minutes or seconds. The traveller resets the local hand on arrival, the 24-hour hand keeps tracking home, and the bezel adds 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.
 
Collectors who chase the 16700 over the contemporary 16710 are after the older travel logic. Because the hands are linked, the local hour hand steps forward whenever the date is advanced, which is the GMT-Master operating feel of the 1950s carried into a sapphire-crystal case.


<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.


Every published account starts the run in 1988. The end year is where they split. Most editorial and auction-house coverage takes it to 1999; Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' (Morning Tundra) closes it a year earlier at 1998, and that reading stands alone. Late examples circulate in the market as 1998 or 1999 watches on the strength of their papers date, with no agreed cutoff behind either label.
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.
 
Rolex has never published an output figure. Bonhams describes "notably fewer units produced than its counterpart [the 16710]"; Sotheby's has it made in "smaller quantities despite its decade-long run". Directionally the 16700 is the rarer of the two, with no number to attach to that.


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


Caliber 3175 is the last GMT-Master movement and the only one Rolex built for a single reference. The specification is consistent across the published literature and the major-house lot catalogues: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 48-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, quickset date, Breguet hairspring, Glucydur balance with Microstella screws, Kif shock protection, COSC chronometer certification, adjusted 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.


What the 3175 lacks is an independently adjustable GMT hand. That belongs to the 3085 in the 16760 (1983–1989) and to the 3185 / 3186 in the 16710 (1989–2019). Sotheby's collector guide describes an "independently adjustable flying GMT hand" on the 16700; the line is an error in print, and every other documented account has the 3175 working as a caller GMT.
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.


The 3175 supersedes the 3075 of the 16750 and ends the linked-hand GMT line. Its own production span, 1988 to 1999, is the 16700's.
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.
 
Service history is worth checking on watches from the end of the run. Antiquorum Lot 88 recommends "an overhaul at buyer's expense" and Sotheby's Lot 10 records "very minute corrosion spots" on the movement, which together suggest intervention is common on late-1990s examples. How often Rolex service fitted a 3185 in place of a 3175 during an overhaul is not documented anywhere in print. Since the 3175 shared no parts with the parallel 16710, a swap of that kind would have to be a deliberate movement replacement.


<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 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black-bezel 16700|Black-bezel 16700]]
[[File:Ref 16700 black-branch.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black-bezel 16700|Black-bezel 16700]]
Glossy black with applied white-gold-surround indices is standard across the whole run. What changes underneath is the date wheel, the lume compound, and a late dial subset collectors call the stick dial.


<span id="open-vs-closed-69-date-wheel"></span>
<span id="open-vs-closed-69-date-wheel"></span>
=== Open vs closed 6/9 date wheel ===
===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.
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.


<span id="lume-transition"></span>
<span id="lume-transition"></span>
=== Tritium to Luminova / Super-LumiNova transition ===
===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.


Tritium dials, marked "SWISS T<25", run to about 1997. What replaced them is where the sources part. Sotheby's dates the Luminova start to 1997 with Super-LumiNova arriving on later examples; Monochrome skips the Luminova step entirely and moves the watch straight from tritium to Super-LumiNova in the same year. Both readings are in print from credible sources and neither has been overturned. Some Luminova examples went out on T<25-marked dial stock left over from the changeover.
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.
 
For a late non-tritium 16700 the defensible collector position is "post-tritium luminescent", backed by a close look at the dial foot and the colour of the lume. Buyers who want the question settled stay with early-1997 or earlier tritium dials, where both sources agree.


<span id="stick-dial-late-examples"></span>
<span id="stick-dial-late-examples"></span>
=== "Stick" dial (late examples) ===
==="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.


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. Nobody has mapped the variant to a serial range.
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
==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.


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


<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16700 pepsi-bezel.webp|alt=Pepsi bezel close-up|Pepsi bezel close-up
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 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>
</gallery>
The case is the familiar 40mm steel Oyster of the late five-digit period, rated to 100m as the 16750 was. 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 in red and blue and all-black. Pepsi dominates the surviving population. 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.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging 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.
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.


Line 144: Line 136:


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.
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.
[[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]]


<span id="chuck-yeager-real-mccoys-special-edition"></span>
<span id="chuck-yeager-real-mccoys-special-edition"></span>
== Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's special edition ==
==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.
A 50-piece special edition of the 16700 was produced in 1997 by The Real McCoy's, the Japanese vintage-clothing reissue brand, with the caseback engraved "General Chuck Yeager, Bell X-1, October 14th 1947, [n]/50, The Real McCoy's." It commemorates Yeager's supersonic flight in the Bell X-1 in October 1947. 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 with an estimate of HK$ 120,000–250,000; and Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches catalogued a c.1999 example, case A245609, in 2019 at HK$ 160,000–320,000.


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.
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="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==
==Historical market and auction record==
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
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|}
|}


The 16700 trades as a watch people wear. Pepsi carries the family look and the stronger general-market premium; the black bezel draws a narrower audience that wants the quieter version. Standard examples cluster around GBP 8,000–15,000 and CHF 8,000–15,000 at the major houses, moving on dial generation, lume status, and paperwork. The Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's edition sits in a tier of its own, with all three documented lots clearing well above HK$ 100,000.
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 ==
==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


* [[Reference:16710|GMT-Master 16710]] — Pepsi, Coke & Black (1989–2007)
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]].
* [[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


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]].
<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 ==
* [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.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.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-pepsi-the-key-references The Rolex GMT Pepsi: The Key References] (Sotheby's)
Line 204: Line 204:
* [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://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-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://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://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16700-gmt-master-lot-329-88 Rolex Ref. 16700 GMT-Master — Antiquorum Lot 88] (Antiquorum, 2020)

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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