The Rolex GMT-Master was created in 1955 at the specific request of Pan American World Airways, whose pilots needed to read two time zones simultaneously on long transatlantic flights as the jet age dawned. Rolex's elegant solution was a 24-hour GMT hand and a rotating 24-hour bezel. The result was the original reference 6542, with its iconic red-and-blue "Pepsi" bezel: red for daytime and blue for night hours. Pan Am made it official issue for its flight crews, and it appeared in many of the airline's promotional posters.
In 1959 Rolex added crown guards and a more robust case with the reference 1675, which ran for an exceptional 21 years and remains the most produced classic GMT-Master. In 1982 Rolex launched the GMT-Master II, which crucially allowed the local hour hand to be set independently of the GMT hand, letting travellers track three time zones (home GMT, local, bezel). The first GMT-Master II was the reference 16760 "Fat Lady", with a broader case and a red-and-black "Coke" bezel.
The 16710 (1989-2007) was the last aluminium-bezel GMT-Master II, available in Pepsi, Coke, and all-black, powered by Cal. 3185/3186. In 2005 Rolex introduced its patented Cerachrom ceramic bezel on the 50th-anniversary 116718LN in yellow gold with a black ceramic bezel. Cerachrom resists fading, is virtually scratch-proof, and holds richer colour saturation than aluminium. The steel 116710LN followed in 2007, and in 2013 Rolex achieved a technical first: the two-tone ceramic 116710BLNR "Batman" with its half-black, half-blue Cerachrom bezel.
In 2018, after years of speculation, Rolex finally returned the steel "Pepsi" with the 126710BLRO: red-and-blue ceramic Cerachrom bezel, Cal. 3285 movement, classic Jubilee bracelet, and 70 hours of power reserve. The updated 126710BLNR "Batman" followed in 2019, and in 2022 the 126710GRNR "Sprite" appeared in black and green. The Sprite is also notable as the first regular-production left-handed (destro) Rolex Professional sport watch.
Today the most-wanted GMT-Master II references are the 126710BLRO "Pepsi", 126710BLNR "Batman", 126710GRNR "Sprite", and the discontinued 116710LN and 116710BLNR. On the vintage side, the 1675 Pepsi and rare 6542 are blue-chip collectibles.
Bedesten Watches has sold authentic Rolex GMT-Master II references in Istanbul since 1999. For 116710LN, 116710BLNR, current 126710BLRO Pepsi, 126710BLNR Batman, and 126710GRNR Sprite, visit our Suadiye store or message us on WhatsApp +90 532 327 88 26.