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Rolex 16718 GMT-Master II

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GMT-Master › 16718

Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 in 18K yellow gold, black dial and bezel, 3/4 angle
Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 in 18K yellow gold, black dial and bezel

The 16718 is the all-gold member of the 16710 generation, the 18K case-and-bracelet sister to the steel 16710 and the two-tone 16713. Production is generally dated from 1989 to about 2005, when the 116718LN replaced it with a Cerachrom bezel. Caliber 3185, the 40mm Oyster case, and the independently adjustable local-hour GMT mechanism match the period 16710 architecture. Catalogues document black, brown sunburst, white, and gem-set dials.

Core facts

detail value
reference 16718
family GMT-Master II (all-yellow-gold variant)
production generally 1989 to about 2005; final delivery dates can vary by source
total examples no published Rolex production figure
case 40mm 18K yellow-gold Oyster with crown guards, 100m water resistance
crystal sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from approximately 2003
movement caliber 3185 in the documented production record; later replacement movements require individual inspection
GMT mechanic flyer GMT : independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
dial generations documented black, brown sunburst, white, and gem-set configurations; gem-set layouts vary
bezel bidirectional 24-hour aluminum insert, documented in black or brown/rootbeer configurations; aftermarket diamond-set conversions also exist
bracelet 18K Oyster (sport-leaning, more often paired with black-dial) or 18K Jubilee (more often paired with serti and rootbeer). Bracelet codes: 78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee : both stamped on the largest centre link

Where it sits in the line

All-yellow-gold GMT-Master II 16718, catalogue-style portrait shot
All-yellow-gold 16718, catalogue-style portrait shot

Within the five-digit GMT-Master II line the 16718 runs in parallel with the all-steel 16710 and the two-tone 16713 Rootbeer, and from 2005 with the ceramic 116718LN that replaced it. What it replaced in turn was the 16758, built from 1979/80 to 1988 on caliber 3075, whose local hour moved only with the 24-hour hand in the synchronized manner of the original GMT-Master line.

The gold case-and-bracelet positioning carries over from the 16758. The independently adjustable local-hour mechanism and sapphire-crystal Oyster case with crown guards distinguish the 16718 generation. The next-generation gold GMT is the 116718LN, from 2005, running caliber 3186 under a Cerachrom ceramic bezel with a Maxi dial, Super Case, and solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet.

Production outline

Production began in 1989. The 16718 entered the catalog as the gold partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16758 it succeeded. The end year reads 2005 across editorial coverage and major-house lots, lining up with the Baselworld launch of the 116718LN as the 50th-anniversary green-dial replacement. A "2003" end date sometimes circulates; it traces to the steel 116710LN launch year, since the all-gold 116718LN is a 2005 release.

Collector and auction references place a no-holes case and laser-etched coronet on later examples, often around 2002–2003. The exact transition and case-stamp notation require inspection of the individual watch.

No total-production figure is available in the cited sources.

Movement notes

Caliber 3185 powers most of the run, carrying over unchanged from the 16710 and 16713. It is a 31-jewel COSC chronometer beating at 28,800 vph with a 50-hour reserve, hacking seconds and a quickset date, a Glucydur balance regulated by four Microstella screws, and Kif Elastor shock protection. Its documented 3185 configuration uses a Nivarox hairspring with Breguet overcoil. The 16718 record does not establish a factory 3186 transition. The flyer mechanic with its independently adjustable local hour is the architectural break from the linked-hand 3075 that ran in the 16758.

Published reference tables and auction records identify caliber 3185 for the 16718. A 3186 found in a 16718 case should be treated as an individual movement or service question and checked against the movement and serial documentation.

Dial map

Four documented dial branches across the run.

Glossy black

Early black 16718
Early black 16718

Black is a documented sport configuration. Early examples can have raised or nipple-style markers with tritium plots; later examples use applied markers with gold surrounds. The black insert is one documented pairing. Claims about relative dial stability or aging depend on the individual dial.

Brown sunburst ("rootbeer")

The brown/rootbeer configuration pairs a brown sunburst dial with a brown-and-cream 24-hour insert. Some period brown dials show finish changes or flaking; originality and condition require inspection. No regional demand claim is asserted here.

The term "Sundust" belongs to a different surface treatment, the one on modern Everose Daytona, Datejust, and Day-Date production. The period GMT dial is called brown sunburst or rootbeer.

White

The white dial is a factory configuration on a white ground, with applied indices in yellow-gold surrounds under a yellow-gold coronet, paired with the all-black insert. It appears less often in the cited catalogues than the black and brown configurations.

Champagne / silver serti

The serti is a factory gem-set variant on the standard 16718 architecture, a champagne or silvered ground carrying diamond hour markers and triangular rubies at 6 and 9 in place of the nipple markers and luminous plots. Auction and collector references document gem-set GMT dials with diamond markers and colored-stone accents, including ruby accents at the cardinal positions. That layout differs from common Submariner Serti examples. Bracelet pairing should be checked on each watch.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Black 24-hour bezel close-up
Black 24-hour bezel close-up

The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era in 18K yellow gold throughout, mid-case, lugs, bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links all gold. A sapphire crystal with Cyclops covers the date on the usual sapphire-era crown-guard architecture, and from approximately 2003 the laser-etched coronet appears at 6 o'clock. Water resistance is 100m.

The bezel itself is solid 18K yellow gold and the colour comes from the insert, a bidirectional 24-hour aluminium ring in one of two factory finishes, black or brown-and-cream "rootbeer." Pepsi (red and blue) is a steel 16710 option and never reached the gold case.

Aftermarket diamond-set bezels exist on 16718 cases. Factory origin cannot be inferred from the case reference or appearance and requires provenance and construction checks.

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

Gold Oyster bracelet
Gold Oyster bracelet

Two factory 18K bracelets fit the 16718. The Oyster 78368 is the three-link, sport-leaning option and turns up most often under black dials. The Jubilee 8386, sometimes with the hidden "Super Jubilee" clasp, is the five-link dress option and pairs most often with serti and rootbeer dials.

Clasps are 18K Fliplock Oyster or hidden-crown Jubilee. The bracelet codes date the bracelet and not the watch head, so a clasp dating later than the case points to a swap or a service replacement. Both bracelet families appear in period examples; the bracelet date and construction should be checked separately from the watch head.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Lot Year of watch Configuration Result
Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV 148 2021 rootbeer dial with brown insert, full Rolex service April 2021, engraved-Rolex caseback intact not publicly listed
Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction SEVEN 956 2018 c.1990 18K yellow gold, early production not publicly listed
Sotheby's Watches not stated 2020 yellow-gold automatic dual time not publicly listed
EveryWatch aggregate Rare Watches lot 207 not stated 1989 champagne dial not publicly listed
EveryWatch / Watches Online: The Geneva Edit not stated not stated c.1989 (catalog "1985" likely typo) not publicly listed

The table records a small set of auction and catalogue examples. Current prices vary with metal condition, dial, bracelet, completeness, service history, and provenance; no general range or premium ladder is asserted here.

  • Full-gold 16718
    Full-gold 16718
  • Catalogue portrait
    Catalogue portrait
  • Early black dial
    Early black dial
  • Black bezel
    Black bezel
  • Gold Oyster bracelet
    Gold Oyster bracelet

Related references

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

Sources

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