The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 occupies hallowed territory in the pantheon of Rolex sport watches, with direct lineage to the most iconic of colorways. The GMT-Master was first revealed in 1954 at the request of Pan Am airlines pilots who wanted to track the their home time zone alongside that of their current destination. To that end, Rolex developed a 24 hour hand to track time along a 24 hour rotating bezel. That bezel was divided into night/day zones with the use of red and blue, attracting the “Pepsi” nickname. The Pepsi bezel is instantly recognizable as Rolex to this day, and the reference 16710 held the mantle from 1989 to 2007. Inside the 16710 resides the Rolex built automatic caliber 3185 for early models, and the caliber 3186 for later models. Pepsi wasn’t the only colorway option, with black/red (coke bezel) and all black also being available. Pre-owned examples usually sell anywhere between $7,000 and $9,000.
Style: Pilot
Release date: 1989
