Why We Love It

In our opinion, there are few things cooler than a two-tone Rolex GMT-Master!

We're continually on the lookout for these special watches as they combine the outstanding functionality of a Rolex GMT-Master with unmatched looks and tremendous value. They also came in a number of different subtle variations with different dial and bezel configurations, gold grades, and bracelet options.

This particular watch, a Reference 16753 "Root Beer", dates to circa 1983 and is a fantastic example of an increasingly-collectible reference. It features a beautiful 'Tigers-eye nipple' dial and shows a warm patina across its indices and matching Tritium handset. The case is excellent and comes fitted to a solid link two-tone Jubilee bracelet. 

With prices of steel Rolex models hitting astronomical highs, consumers are turning to gold and two-tone more and more by the day. The value in the material aside - expect to see more of these on wrists and less under display glass!

The GMT-Master Story

The years following the end of The Second World War saw the world become a much, much smaller place.

Advances in aviation technology led to the world’s first nonstop Transatlantic passenger flights between Europe and North America, and the era of the jetsetter began. Along with this new age of travel arose a need for travelers, and more importantly pilots, to have a wristwatch that could display two time zones at once.

As a pioneer of transatlantic and transcontinental flight, Pan American Airlines approached Rolex in 1953 looking for a watch specially designed for their pilots, and Rolex agreed to take on the project. The newly designed Submariner became the base for this new watch, and several important complications were added. A date function with a cyclops lens magnifier, GMT complication, and two-colored bezel to provide long-haul pilots with the info they needed as they circumnavigated the globe.

The GMT-Master’s 24-hour hand works in conjunction with a rotating bezel to make tracking a second time zone incredibly simple. When the wearer rotates the bezel so that the numbers around the bezel correspond to a second time zone (such as Greenwich Mean Time, the inspiration for the model’s nomenclature), it allows the watch to track any two time zones in the world at once.

Not long after the debut of the GMT-Master at the Basel World Fair in 1954, Pan-Am adopted the GMT Master as its official wristwatch. Decades later, the GMT-Master and its “Pepsi” bezel has become a true icon of the watch world. It is instantly recognizable and eternally stylish – the very best of what Rolex has to offer.