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Rolex 116718LN GMT-Master


GMT-Master › 116718LN

Rolex 116718LN GMT-Master, green anniversary dial
Rolex 116718LN GMT-Master, green anniversary dial

The 116718LN is the first GMT-Master II reference with a Cerachrom bezel. Rolex introduced the solid-yellow-gold model in 2005 for the GMT-Master's 50th anniversary; the two-tone and steel ceramic references followed in 2006 and 2007. The reference disappeared as Rolex moved to the next GMT-Master II generation in the 2019 catalogue cycle.

Core facts

detail value
reference 116718LN
family GMT-Master II
production 2005-2019 catalogue period; published movement records run through 2018
movement caliber 3186
case 40mm solid 18k yellow gold Oyster case, Super Case generation
crystal sapphire with Cyclops
water resistance 100m
bezel black Cerachrom with 18k gold-filled numerals
key identity first GMT-Master II with a Cerachrom ceramic bezel

Where it sits in the line

The 116718LN opens the six-digit ceramic GMT-Master II family. The two-tone 116713LN arrived in 2006 and the steel 116710LN in 2007, so for the first two years of the Cerachrom era the only ceramic-bezel GMT-Master II Rolex had introduced was solid yellow gold.

It replaces the aluminium-bezel 16718, the five-digit yellow-gold GMT-Master II that had run since 1988. Rolex retired the 116718LN as the 116710 generation gave way to the 126710 case family in 2019. Solid yellow gold returned to the ceramic GMT-Master II line with the 126718GRNR at Watches and Wonders 2023.

Production outline

Published examples and Rolex's historical movement sheet run through 2018, while reference tables commonly use 2019 for the catalogue end. The debut coincided with the GMT-Master line's fiftieth anniversary. Rolex publishes no production total or split between the black and green dials.

The documented dial branches are black and green. The sources do not establish their production split or a precise end date for either dial.

Movement notes

Caliber 3186 is the movement documented in the 116718LN examples cited here. Phillips describes it as the movement first introduced in the yellow-gold 116718LN at Baselworld 2005; late five-digit 16710 examples also received 3186, so “first Rolex watch” is too broad. The calibre brought Rolex's blue Parachrom hairspring and the revised GMT mechanism used in this generation. Sotheby's 2019 lot for an Anniversary Green gives 28,800 beats per hour and a 50-hour power reserve for its 2005-production example.

The auction examples cited by Sotheby's, Phillips, and Christie's all identify caliber 3186; no 3185 example is documented in the sources reviewed for this page.

Dial map

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    Black dial on solid yellow gold
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    Green 50th-anniversary dial
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    Green anniversary dial close-up

Both black and green dials are documented. Market descriptions often separate the green Anniversary dial from the black dial, but the sources do not support a production ranking or a complete run for either branch.

Black dial

The baseline configuration pairs a black dial with 18k yellow-gold applied markers and hands. Rolex's current GMT-Master II material describes black lacquer and Chromalight for the family; the exact lume changeover within this discontinued reference is not established here. Christie's catalogued a yellow-gold 116718 from circa 2006 with the black layout.

Green anniversary dial

Rolex introduced the green Anniversary dial in 2005 for the GMT-Master's 50th anniversary. Auction descriptions call it green or green sunburst and show it with the yellow-gold case, black Cerachrom bezel, and Oyster bracelet. Sotheby's and Phillips document examples from circa 2005–2006; they do not establish how long the green dial remained in production.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

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    First Cerachrom bezel on a GMT-Master II
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    Solid-gold caseback

The case is the Super Case generation Rolex rolled out across its sports catalogue from the mid-2000s. Compared with the aluminium-bezel 16718, the lugs are wider, the crown guards are heavier, and the watch wears more substantially on the wrist. Period listings for Anniversary Green examples give 40mm across, 48mm lug-to-lug, and 11.8mm thick.

The bezel is the historical point. Rolex identifies the 2005 yellow-gold 116718LN as the first GMT-Master II with a Cerachrom ceramic bezel. Its black insert with gold-filled numerals replaced the aluminium insert used on the 16718.

The crystal is sapphire with the Cyclops magnifier over the date. The crown is the Triplock screw-down system Rolex uses across its modern sports references, sealing on three gaskets rather than the Twinlock two. Water resistance is 100m, unchanged from the 16718.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Published examples are fitted with a solid 18k yellow-gold Oyster bracelet and Oysterlock clasp with the Easylink comfort extension. Rolex's GMT-Master II documentation identifies the Triplock crown and Easylink system; it does not establish every possible service or aftermarket bracelet combination for this discontinued reference. Treat a different bracelet as a fitment question that needs its own evidence.

Sotheby's 2019 Anniversary Green lot includes a presentation box, International Guarantee card, and swing tags, with a December 2006 warranty date. Those accessories document that lot and do not establish standard delivery for every watch.

Special branches

Green anniversary dial

The green Anniversary dial is a documented factory variant. Sotheby's and Phillips describe it as the 50th-anniversary version, while secondary-market catalogues commonly list it as 116718LN-0002 and the black dial as 116718LN-0001. Those suffixes are useful catalogue labels; they do not prove a Rolex-published production split or a limited-edition run.

Historical market and auction record

Sotheby's offered a circa-2005 Anniversary Green in 2019 and a circa-2006 example in 2024. Phillips also catalogued a circa-2006 green example with its 3186 movement and original-owner accessories. Christie's has catalogued a circa-2006 black-dial yellow-gold 116718. These are individual auction records, not a census of the reference or proof of relative rarity.

The 116718LN is the direct predecessor of the 2023 126718GRNR in solid yellow gold. Auction and certified-pre-owned listings should be read as individual examples: condition, service history, and replacement parts can change what an example proves about the reference.

Related references

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


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    Whole-watch view
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    Black dial
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    Green anniversary dial
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    Green dial detail
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    Black Cerachrom bezel
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    Solid-gold caseback

Sources

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