Rolex GMT-Master II.

The GMT-Master was built in the 1950s for Pan Am pilots crossing time zones, and the Rolex GMT-Master II that followed it in 1982 remains one of the most useful watches ever made. A fourth hand tracks a second time zone against the 24-hour bezel, and the bezel itself can be rotated to read a third.

It is also the Rolex with the strongest nicknames. The blue and red Pepsi, the blue and black Batman, the brown and black Root Beer – collectors rarely use the reference numbers, and demand follows the colour combination as much as the specification.

What to know when buying a pre-owned Rolex GMT-Master II

Bezel colour drives the price. Two GMT-Master IIs with identical movements and cases can sit a long way apart on price purely because of the insert. Pepsi and Batman command the strongest premiums; black-bezel references are usually the most sensible buying.

References. Current ceramic-bezel pieces are the 126710BLRO (Pepsi), 126710BLNR (Batman), 126711CHNR (Root Beer, two-tone) and 126713GRNR on the grey and black. The preceding 116710 family is well made and often better value.

Jubilee or Oyster. Rolex has offered both on recent GMT references and it changes the watch considerably. The Jubilee dresses it up; the Oyster keeps it a tool watch.

Check the 24-hour hand operates independently. On the GMT-Master II the local hour hand jumps in one-hour steps without stopping the movement. It is the single most useful function on the watch and the first thing we test.

How to use a Rolex GMT-Master II

Set the watch to home time first, so the 24-hour hand points to the correct hour on the bezel. When you arrive somewhere new, pull the crown out and move only the hour hand forwards or backwards in one-hour jumps. The minutes, the seconds and the 24-hour hand keep running, so you never lose the reference time.

The date is linked to the local hour hand, which means it changes correctly whichever direction you travel. To follow a third zone, rotate the bidirectional bezel by the number of hours difference and read the 24-hour hand against the new position. With a little practice it becomes a two-second habit.

Rolex GMT-Master II history

The first GMT-Master, the 6542, appeared in 1955 and was developed with Pan Am for crews flying long routes. Its two-colour bezel separated day and night hours, which is where the famous red and blue combination comes from. Crown guards arrived with the 1675, the reference that carried the model through the 1960s and 1970s.

The GMT-Master II of 1982, the 16760, added the independently adjustable hour hand. Its thicker case earned it the nickname “Fat Lady”, and it came only with a red and black bezel, later called the Coke. The original GMT-Master was made alongside it until the end of the 1990s, so the two names overlap for many years.

The 16710 that followed is the classic aluminium-bezel Rolex GMT-Master II, offered in Pepsi, Coke and black. Rolex introduced its Cerachrom ceramic bezel on the model in 2005, and in 2013 the 116710BLNR became the first two-colour ceramic bezel. The 126 generation followed in 2018 with the calibre 3285 movement. Rolex’s own site, rolex.com, lists the current models.

Rolex GMT-Master II references at a glance

The letters after the numbers describe the bezel colours. Our guide to Rolex reference numbers decodes the full system.

Bezels and nicknames

• Pepsi: blue and red, the original day and night colours.
• Batman: blue and black. On the Jubilee bracelet it is sometimes called the Batgirl.
• Root Beer: brown and black, on modern models paired with Everose gold.
• Sprite: green and black, on the left-handed 126720VTNR.
• Coke: red and black, found on older aluminium-bezel models.

The nicknames are collectors’ shorthand rather than Rolex’s own names, but they are how almost everyone asks for these watches, and we use them too.

Steel, Rolesor or gold

Steel is where most people start, and the 126710 references are the ones that made the modern Rolex GMT-Master II so hard to find at retail. Everose Rolesor on the 126711CHNR combines steel with Rolex’s pink gold and wears warmer and dressier, while the yellow Rolesor 126713GRNR pairs gold with a grey and black bezel.

Full gold versions such as the Everose 126715CHNR and the white gold 126719BLRO, a Pepsi in precious metal, are heavier and quieter in their own way. They suit someone who wants the travel function but would rather it did not read as a sports watch from across the room.

Which Rolex GMT-Master II is right for you?

If this is your first GMT, a steel Batman or a black-bezel 116710LN is the most versatile choice and the easiest to wear with anything. If you already own a steel sports watch, a Root Beer in Rolesor or gold adds something genuinely different to a collection rather than repeating it.

Collectors and anyone who enjoys a watch with some history often prefer an aluminium-bezel 16710, while people who wear a watch on the right wrist have an obvious candidate in the left-handed 126720VTNR. Tell us how you will wear the watch and we will put the right two or three next to each other.

Sizing and comfort

Every modern Rolex GMT-Master II is 40mm across, so the choice comes down to bracelet rather than case size. The Oyster bracelet has broader links and feels sportier; the Jubilee is lighter-looking and sits closer to a slim wrist. Both have an Oysterlock folding clasp with the Easylink extension, which adds about 5mm of room on a hot day or a long flight.

Ceramic or aluminium bezel?

The ceramic insert on a modern Rolex GMT-Master II keeps its colour and resists scratches, which is why modern examples still look fresh after years of wear. It is hard rather than indestructible, though: a sharp knock against a door frame can chip it, so inspect the edge of the insert closely on any pre-owned watch.

Aluminium inserts on the 16710 and earlier models fade and mark with use. Some collectors prefer a softly faded Pepsi to a perfect one, while others want a crisp replacement. Neither is wrong, but you should know which you are being offered, and whether the insert is the one the watch left the factory with.

Checking a pre-owned Rolex GMT-Master II

• The local hour hand should jump cleanly in both directions while the watch keeps running.
• The date should change with the hour hand at midnight, forwards and backwards.
• The bezel should turn both ways with 24 even clicks and sit precisely on each hour.
• Set to a single time zone, the 24-hour hand should read the exact hour on the bezel that the hour hand shows on the dial.
• Ceramic inserts should be free of chips; aluminium inserts should match the age of the watch.
• Jubilee bracelets should be checked for stretch, and spare links should be included where possible.

Box and papers for a Rolex GMT-Master II

For the ceramic generations, the Rolex warranty card is usually present and is the document buyers look for first. For a 16710 or older, papers are a welcome bonus rather than an expectation. Each of our GMT listings spells out what comes with the watch, and our box and papers guide explains why a full set is valued higher.

Recent watches often arrive with extras such as the green Rolex seal and swing tags. They are pleasant to have and show the set has been kept together, but they prove little on their own, because they are easy to copy. The serial number on the watch, checked against its papers, is what counts.

Servicing your Rolex GMT-Master II

Rolex recommends a service approximately every 10 years for its modern watches. A watch that has started to run fast or slow, a bezel that has become stiff or loose, or a date that no longer changes cleanly with the hour hand are all reasons to have it looked at sooner.

Our sister workshop, Alpha Group, works from the same building as our showroom and handles servicing, repairs and restoration. If you buy a GMT from us and later need it serviced, you can bring it back to the same address.

Buying from Kings & Queens

• Inspected and authenticatedEvery watch is checked by experienced specialists, with serial numbers and components verified before it is offered.
• 12-month warrantyPre-owned pieces carry a 12-month warranty against movement defects. Unworn watches carry the manufacturer's own cover.
• Fully insured deliveryFree, fully insured and signed-for delivery across the UK.
• 14-day returnsFourteen days to change your mind from the day your watch arrives. We cover the return postage.

We are a specialist dealer in Hatton Garden, London. You are welcome to view any watch in person by appointment, or reserve a piece with a £100 deposit while you decide.

A Rolex GMT-Master II is often bought by people who travel, and not everyone can visit before buying. We ship internationally on most orders, and UK delivery is free, fully insured and signed for. To prevent fraud we may ask for identity or payment verification before dispatch, and we ship only to verified addresses.

You have 14 days to return a watch for a full refund, and every pre-owned watch carries our 12-month mechanical warranty from delivery unless the listing says otherwise. The details are on our warranty page.

Seeing the GMT range in person

Bezel colours on a Rolex GMT-Master II look different in person than they do on a screen, especially the brown of a Root Beer and the blue of a Batman. Our showroom is at 9 St. Cross Street in Hatton Garden, close to Farringdon and Chancery Lane stations, and is open Monday to Friday 10:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Viewings are by appointment through our contact page.

Common questions

Kings & Queens Watches is an independent dealer and is not affiliated with Rolex.