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Rolex 116710LN GMT-Master


GMT-Master › 116710LN

Steel GMT, black Cerachrom bezel
Steel GMT, black Cerachrom bezel

The 116710LN is the black-bezel steel GMT-Master II made from 2007 to 2019. It replaced the aluminum-bezel 16710 with a 40mm Super Case, a black Cerachrom bezel, and caliber 3186. The LN suffix refers to the black bezel (lunette noire). The 116710BLNR followed in 2013, and the narrower 126710 generation replaced both references in 2019.

Batman is a collector nickname for the blue-and-black colour scheme. Rolex's BLNR code refers to bleu/noir.

Core facts

detail value
reference 116710LN
family GMT-Master II
production 2007-2019
movement caliber 3186
case 40mm Oystersteel Oyster case, Super Case generation
crystal sapphire with Cyclops
water resistance 100m
bezel black Cerachrom with platinum-filled numerals
key identity first steel GMT-Master II with a ceramic bezel

Where it sits in the line

The 116710LN follows the aluminum-bezel 16710 and precedes the narrower 126710 generation. It is the black-bezel member of the first steel GMT-Master II ceramic case generation; the 126710 adds caliber 3285 and a Jubilee option at launch.

Cerachrom reached the GMT-Master II in three steps, starting with the solid yellow-gold 116718LN in 2005, then the Rolesor 116713LN in 2006, then the steel-only 116710LN in 2007. All three use the same bezel construction and the same movement, which is why the precious-metal versions read as material variations rather than separate generations.

Production outline

Production runs from 2007 through 2019. Rolex introduced the 126710 generation at Baselworld 2019 and retired the 116710LN and 116710BLNR at that transition.

Rolex positioned the reference as the first stainless-steel GMT-Master II with a ceramic bezel. Launch and demand commentary in contemporary articles is market context rather than a production specification.

Movement notes

Caliber 3186 runs the entire production. It had already entered service at the tail end of the 16710 run as the late upgrade over caliber 3185; on the 116710LN it is the baseline from day one. The 3186 carries a blue Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock protection, and the GMT mechanism used in the late 16710 and 116710 family. Published specifications give a 48-hour power reserve.

The same 3186 powers the 116710BLNR Batman, so the two ceramic-bezel siblings are mechanically identical and separate only at the bezel and the dial signature.

Dial map

One catalogued dial configuration ran the whole production, glossy black with a green "GMT-Master II" signature line and a green 24-hour hand. That green line is the identifying mark. The Batman deletes it and runs a blue 24-hour hand.

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    Black dial with green signature line
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    Dial close-up, black Cerachrom bezel, green GMT hand

Published examples show Super-LumiNova on earlier watches and Chromalight on later watches; the exact changeover should be checked against the individual dial and case date. The 116710LN does not have the tritium or Luminova dating issues found on earlier 16710 examples.

Two documented departures from the standard dial are institutional commissions: an Omani Khanjar example and the Royal Navy Sea King presentation series. They are treated as provenance branches, not catalogue variants.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The case is the Super Case generation that rolled across the Rolex sports catalogue from the mid-2000s onward. Compared with the 16710 the lugs are wider, the crown guards heavier, and the watch wears more substantially. The case design followed the gold GMT-Master II introduced in 2005.

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    Black Cerachrom bezel close-up
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    Caseback detail

The black Cerachrom bezel is the first ceramic bezel on a steel GMT-Master II. Its recessed numerals are filled with platinum by a PVD process. Ceramic resists ordinary scratches and colour change but can chip or crack under impact; aluminum inserts wear differently and can fade or scratch.

The crystal is sapphire with a Cyclops over the date. The crown is a Triplock screw-down crown, replacing the earlier Twinlock setup while retaining the 100m water-resistance rating.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

The 116710LN ships on an Oyster bracelet with solid end links. The Oysterlock safety clasp carries Rolex’s Easylink 5 mm comfort extension. Glidelock, the longer micro-adjustment system Rolex uses on the Submariner and Sea-Dweller, never reached the GMT-Master II line.

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    Oyster bracelet and clasp
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    Box, papers, and guarantee tag confirming ref 116710LN

Full-set packaging is Rolex's standard presentation box, the International Guarantee card, and the swing tags, the same expectation auction catalogues apply to the 116710BLNR.

Special branches

Khanjar dial

The Khanjar is an Omani state emblem printed on some watches commissioned for the Omani royal family. Sotheby's circa-2010 lot documents one Khanjar-dial 116710LN within the reference's production period. The lot establishes that example's provenance; it does not define a catalogue variant.

Sea King

Bonhams describes the Sea King as a British military commemorative made around 2014 for Ministry of Defence personnel, with one example from a stated 123-piece series marking the Royal Navy Sea King helicopter retirement. The catalogue estimate was GBP 20,000–25,000. The quantity and purpose are catalogue claims tied to that presentation series.

Historical market and auction record

Selected public records include the Phillips Eric Clapton presentation watch, the Sotheby's Khanjar example, and the Bonhams Sea King series. These are provenance examples rather than a census of the reference.

Prices vary with condition, bezel and dial state, bracelet, papers, and sale date. The 116710LN remains the black-bezel reference in the 116710 ceramic generation; later steel references use different bezel colours or case generations. The page does not state a fixed market premium or scarcity claim.

Related references

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

Sources

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