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Rolex GMT-Master

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Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertisement
Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertisement

The GMT-Master is Rolex's wristwatch for reading two time zones, introduced in 1955 and later adopted by Pan Am. Its extra hand turns once every 24 hours against a rotating bezel. On the original GMT-Master, that hand stays linked to the ordinary hour hand; rotating the bezel sets the second time-zone reading.

Rolex introduced the GMT-Master II in 1982. Its local-hour hand adjusts independently in one-hour steps, leaving the minutes and 24-hour hand undisturbed. Reference guides place the GMT-Master end around 1999–2000; the GMT-Master II then became the sole line. Ceramic bezels joined the GMT-Master II in 2005.

Common entry points

Vintage GMT-Master
1675
The steel reference spans pointed and rounded crown guards, gilt and matte dials. Gold and two-tone versions have their own case and dial changes.
Aluminium-bezel GMT-Master II
16710
Red/blue, red/black or black inserts and an independently adjustable local-hour hand. Some late watches have caliber 3186; dial lettering alone does not identify the movement.
Steel ceramic GMT-Master II
116710LN
Introduced in 2007 with caliber 3186 and a black Cerachrom insert. The dial has green GMT-Master II lettering and a green 24-hour hand.

Early GMT-Master (1955–1959)

The 6542 has no crown guards. Its translucent bezel insert, usually called Bakelite in auction catalogues, carries the 24-hour scale. Steel examples have a red-and-blue insert; gold examples include brown inserts and alpha-shaped hands. Replacement aluminium inserts occur on surviving watches, so bezel material alone does not establish original delivery.

Reference Approximate period Movement Case Bezel Distinction
6542 1955–1959 1030-family GMT calibers, including 1036, 1065 and 1066 About 38mm; steel or 18k yellow gold Translucent plastic insert; later metal replacements also found No crown guards

Caliber labels vary in early cataloguing. Phillips identifies caliber 1066 in a gold 6542 dated 1959; Christie's records it in a steel example dated around 1958. The exact changeover dates between these calibers remain uncertain.

GMT-Master 1675 (1959–1980)

The steel 1675 added crown guards and an aluminium bezel insert. Pointed guards gave way to rounded ones, and the dial changed from gilt printing on a glossy surface to white printing on matte black. Early gold 1675s had no crown guards; Christie's dates their addition to 1967. Steel-and-gold versions followed in the early 1970s.

Reference Approximate period Movement Case Versions Distinction
1675 c.1959–1980 1565 GMT; later 1575 GMT About 40mm; steel, yellow gold or steel/yellow gold Steel; 1675/8 gold; 1675/3 two-tone Case and dial changes differ by metal

Transitional GMT-Master (1979–1988)

Caliber 3075 added a directly adjustable date while retaining the linked hour and 24-hour hands. The steel 16750 and two-tone 16753 use acrylic crystals. The gold 16758 has sapphire. Monochrome and Sotheby's date the steel reference's introduction to 1980; The Vintage Rolex Field Manual uses 1979.

Reference Approximate period Movement Case Dial and bezel options Distinction
16750 Around 1980–1988 3075 40mm steel Matte or glossy dial; red/blue or black insert Direct quick-set date; acrylic crystal
16753 Around 1980–late 1980s 3075 40mm steel and 18k yellow gold Brown or black dial and bezel variants Two-tone GMT-Master with direct quick-set date
16758 Around 1980–late 1980s 3075 40mm 18k yellow gold Brown or black dial and bezel variants Gold GMT-Master with sapphire crystal

GMT-Master II (1982–2007)

The 16760 introduced caliber 3085 and the independently adjustable local-hour hand. Its thicker case accounts for the collector names Fat Lady and Sophia Loren. The original bezel was red and black, commonly called Coke. Rolex dates the GMT-Master II launch to 1982; reference guides variously begin the 16760's production range in 1982 or 1983.

The slimmer 16710 followed with caliber 3185 and a choice of red/blue, red/black or black inserts. Two-tone 16713 and gold 16718 versions used the same basic movement arrangement. The date is corrected by moving the local-hour hand through midnight, without a separate direct date quick-set.

Reference Approximate period Movement Case Bezel options Distinction
16760 1982/1983–c.1988 3085 40mm steel Red/black First GMT-Master II; thicker case
16710 c.1989–2007; later dated examples recorded 3185; some late examples with 3186 40mm steel Red/blue, red/black or black Slimmer case than the 16760
16713 Late 1980s–mid-2000s 3185 40mm steel and 18k yellow gold Brown/gold or black Two-tone GMT-Master II
16718 Late 1980s–mid-2000s 3185 40mm 18k yellow gold Brown or black Solid-gold GMT-Master II

Phillips documents a steel 16710 with caliber 3186 and papers dated 2008, after the steel ceramic successor appeared in 2007. Its dial has the separate vertical strokes called a stick dial. That lettering also occurs with caliber 3185, so the movement needs direct identification.

Rolex GMT-Master II print advertisement featuring test pilot Chuck Yeager, Pepsi-bezel 16710
Rolex GMT-Master II advertisement featuring Chuck Yeager, fronting the Pepsi-bezel 16710. Source: Time+Tide Watches.

Late GMT-Master (1988–1999)

The 16700 was the last GMT-Master. It combined a sapphire crystal and caliber 3175 with the original linked-hand arrangement, and was sold alongside the GMT-Master II. It retained a direct quick-set date.

Reference Approximate period Movement Case Bezel options Distinction
16700 c.1988–1999 3175 40mm steel Red/blue or black Sapphire crystal; linked hour and 24-hour hands

Gem-set GMT-Master II 116758 SARU

Rolex listed the 116758 SARU separately from the 116758 SA and SANR. Its catalogues describe a 40mm yellow-gold case with 76 diamonds and a bezel set with 23 diamonds, 18 rubies and 18 sapphires. In 2012 Rolex listed black- and pavé-dial configurations, bracelet 78208, and an optional 728-diamond bracelet 74768. Auction catalogues attribute both Cal. 3185 and Cal. 3186 to dated examples; the reference article records the disagreement.

Reference Dated evidence Movement Case and bezel Dial records
116758 SARU Introduced around 2006; Rolex catalogue entries in 2008 and 2012 3185 and 3186 attributed in auction catalogues 40mm 18k yellow gold; diamond-set case and sapphire/ruby/diamond bezel Black and pavé dials; bracelets 78208 and optional 74768

See the 116758 SARU reference guide for the source-by-source dates, movement attributions and variant limits.

Ceramic GMT-Master II 116xxx (2005–2019)

Cerachrom is Rolex's name for its ceramic bezel material. The yellow-gold 116718LN introduced it to the GMT-Master II in 2005. Steel-and-yellow-gold Rolesor followed in 2006, then steel in 2007. All five references below use caliber 3186.

Reference Approximate period Movement Case Dial or bezel options Distinction
116718LN 2005–2019 3186 40mm 18k yellow gold Black bezel; black or green dial First ceramic GMT-Master II
116713LN 2006–2019 3186 40mm steel and 18k yellow gold Black dial and bezel Yellow Rolesor version
116710LN 2007–2019 3186 40mm steel Black dial and bezel; green 24-hour hand Steel version
116710BLNR 2013–2019 3186 40mm steel Blue/black bezel First two-colour Cerachrom insert
116719BLRO 2014–c.2018/2019 3186 40mm 18k white gold Red/blue bezel; black and later blue dials White-gold ceramic Pepsi

Ceramic GMT-Master II 126xxx (2018 onward)

Caliber 3285 arrived in this generation with an approximately 70-hour power reserve. The steel 126710BLRO brought a ceramic red-and-blue bezel to steel in 2018, initially on Jubilee. Everose and steel/Everose models appeared the same year, followed by further bezel colours and the left-crown versions.

Reference Introduction or dated evidence Movement Case Bezel Dial or bracelet distinctions
126710BLRO 2018; catalogue withdrawal reported in 2026 3285 40mm steel Red/blue Jubilee initially; Oyster option from 2021
126711CHNR 2018 3285 40mm steel and 18k Everose gold Brown/black Black dial; Oyster bracelet
126715CHNR 2018 3285 40mm 18k Everose gold Brown/black Black dial or later tiger iron dial; Oyster bracelet
126710BLNR 2019 3285 40mm steel Blue/black Jubilee initially; Oyster option from 2021
126719BLRO Documented by 2019; catalogue withdrawal reported in 2026 3285 40mm 18k white gold Red/blue Blue or meteorite dial; Oyster bracelet
126720VTNR 2022 3285 40mm steel Green/black Crown and date on the left; Oyster or Jubilee
126713GRNR 2023 3285 40mm steel and 18k yellow gold Grey/black Black dial; Jubilee bracelet
126718GRNR 2023 3285 40mm 18k yellow gold Grey/black Black dial on Jubilee; later tiger iron version on Oyster
126710GRNR 2024 3285 40mm steel Grey/black Black dial; Oyster or Jubilee
126729VTNR 2025 3285 40mm 18k white gold Green/black Green ceramic dial; left crown and date; Oyster bracelet

Robb Report reported the withdrawal of both Pepsi references, 126710BLRO and 126719BLRO, from Rolex's catalogue in April 2026. Manufacture and retail-sale dates can differ from catalogue dates.

Movement progression

Quick-set date and independent local-hour adjustment are different functions. A GMT-Master with caliber 3075 or 3175 can advance the date directly. On a GMT-Master II, the date follows the jumping local-hour hand through midnight. Rolex's user guide describes that method separately from setting the minutes and 24-hour hand.

Caliber Setting arrangement References
1036 / 1065 / 1066 Linked hour and 24-hour hands; no direct date quick-set 6542
1565 GMT / 1575 GMT Linked hour and 24-hour hands; no direct date quick-set 1675
3075 Linked hour and 24-hour hands; direct date quick-set 16750, 16753, 16758
3175 Linked hour and 24-hour hands; direct date quick-set 16700
3085 Independent local-hour adjustment; date follows local hour 16760
3185 Independent local-hour adjustment; date follows local hour 16710, 16713, 16718
3186 Independent local-hour adjustment; date follows local hour Some late 16710 examples and the 116xxx ceramic references above
3285 Independent local-hour adjustment; date follows local hour The 126xxx references above

Bezel colours and case metals

Pepsi means red and blue; Coke means red and black. Root Beer is used for brown and gold vintage combinations and, more loosely, the modern brown-and-black Everose models. These are collector names. They do not identify a reference, case metal or original bezel by themselves.

The same red-and-blue ceramic colour scheme appears on both steel and white-gold watches. Brown inserts also span several gold and two-tone generations. Case material, dial and movement are needed alongside the bezel colour to identify a watch.

Collecting context

Original delivery, period-correct fitment and later service replacement are separate claims. A clasp code dates the clasp. It cannot establish the date of the watch head or prove that the bracelet was delivered with it. An auction photograph shows the configuration at the time of sale; original fitment needs further evidence.

The 116xxx ceramic family and 126xxx ceramic family have separate guides. Both use six-digit numerical references; the distinction is between movement generations.

Related families

  • Submariner, dive watches with an elapsed-time bezel.
  • Explorer II, watches with a 24-hour hand and a fixed bezel.
  • Daytona, Rolex's chronograph family.

Shared references

Sources

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