The dual-time tool watch — from the 1983 Fat Lady to today's ceramic Pepsi, Batman, and left-handed Sprite.
Introduced
1983
Family
GMT-Master
Current ref.
126710BLRO
Calibre
3285
The GMT-Master II descends from the original GMT-Master of 1955, built for Pan Am pilots crossing new transatlantic jet routes. The “II,” introduced in 1983, added an independently adjustable local-hour hand so the wearer could change time zones without stopping the watch.
Over four decades it moved from anodised-aluminium bezels to scratch-proof Cerachrom ceramic, and its colourways became a collector language of their own: Pepsi, Batman, Root Beer, Coke, Sprite.
History
For its first two decades the GMT-Master II used aluminium bezel inserts, which fade and scratch with age. Cerachrom ceramic arrived on the black 116710LN in 2007; the two-colour Pepsi Cerachrom followed on white gold in 2014 and on steel in 2018.
Five-digit references (16710) gave way to six-digit (116710, then 126710). The current 126710 generation runs calibre 3285 with a 70-hour reserve. The bezel suffix names the colourway: BLRO is Pepsi, BLNR is Batman, CHNR is Root Beer.
Reference table
A selective map of the references collectors ask about most — not every variant, but the ones that anchor the line.
| Reference | Years | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16760 | 1983–1988 | Black/red (Coke) | First GMT-Master II — the “Fat Lady” |
| 16710 | 1989–2007 | Pepsi/Coke/black | Aluminium bezel, calibre 3185/3186 |
| 116710LN | 2007–2019 | Black Cerachrom | First ceramic-bezel GMT-Master II |
| 116710BLNR | 2013–2019 | Blue/black | The “Batman” on Oyster |
| 126710BLRO | 2018–present | Red/blue | The modern “Pepsi” on Jubilee, calibre 3285 |
| 126720VTNR | 2022–present | Black/green | Left-handed “Sprite” (Destro) |
Years are approximate production windows. Verify the reference and serial against the watch in hand before relying on any figure.
Nicknames
Each nickname maps to a reference and a story. Tap through for the Naples reference guide on each.
Pepsi
126710BLRO
The red-and-blue GMT-Master II - the colourway that started it all, reborn in ceramic on a…
Reference guide →Batman
126710BLNR
The blue-and-black ceramic GMT - Batman on the Oyster, Batgirl on the Jubilee.
Reference guide →Coke
16710
The red-and-black GMT - discontinued in 2007 and quietly climbing.
Reference guide →Root Beer
126711CHNR
The brown-and-black two-tone GMT - a modern nod to the vintage nipple-dial 1675.
Reference guide →Sprite
126720VTNR
The black-and-green GMT - and the first left-handed Rolex sports watch in series production.
Reference guide →Fat Lady
16760
The original GMT-Master II - reference 16760, named for its fatter case.
Reference guide →In Naples
Naples is a settled, well-travelled collector town, and the GMT-Master II fits a Gulf-coast life of flights, boats, and Fifth Avenue South dinners. We are a reference, not a dealer — this is context for buyers, not a storefront.
GMT-Master II FAQ
The GMT-Master (1955) links its 24-hour hand to the main hands. The GMT-Master II (1983) lets you set the local hour hand independently in one-hour jumps, so you can change time zones without stopping the watch — true dual-time use.
Today the Pepsi is reference 126710BLRO: a steel GMT-Master II with a red-and-blue Cerachrom bezel on a Jubilee bracelet, introduced in 2018 and powered by calibre 3285.
Yes — it is purpose-built for it. The independently set hour hand plus the 24-hour bezel let you track a third time zone, and the 100 m water resistance and Oyster case make it durable for daily wear.