Rolex GMT-Master II History

At the BASELWORLD 1954, it was a memorable moment for Rolex and watch industry. In this year, Rolex introduced Explorer, Submariner and Turn-O-Graph in the exhibition, each of them was specially designed for explorers, divers and the general customers, Rolex converted the concept of Utility Watch into specific image, and took the lead in the whole watch industry. This achievement was certainly the result of efforts that whole Rolex staff had made, but Rene-Paul Jeanneret, the Public Relations manager of Rolex in the year, loved a number of sports himself and actually contributed a lot in the forming and modeling stages of concept. Because Rolex was obviously in a leading position in the design and manufacture of Utility Watch, this highly attracted the interest of Pan Am, which was the biggest airline in the world at that time, Pan Am expected that Rolex could design a practical watch for their pilots who often needed to travel across various time zones. After contacting with Rene-Paul Jeanneret, the two companies began to cooperate, so the famous Rolex GMT-Master was born.

Turn-0-Graph

Pan Am sent Frederick Libby to provide technical advice, he was a famous captain and participated in the air war of the World War II. In conception, Jeanneret added a rotatable 24-hour bezel, and added an extra hand to indicate the second time. In technology, Rolex used Turn-O-Graph(Ref. 6202, Cal. 1030) as the basis for modification, after installing the 24-hour indicating wheel and the new date wheel, a brand new movement was born – Cal. 1065. Besides the distinctive bezel, which had 24-hour markers, red and black plastic and could be rotated, Ref. 6542, as the first generation of GMT-Master, the appearance was very similar to Turn-O-Graph and Submariner, also had no Crown Protecting Shoulders. But it was worth noting that: Ref. 6542 was the first Rolex watch that equipped with a Cyclops for the date window. In 1956, the 24-hour bezel of GMT-Master was changed from plastic to metal material. GMT-Master became the official timer of Pan Am, this airline allotted a GMT-Master watch to every senior executive and pilot.

Rolex GMT-Master-Ref.65421

From 1960, GMT-Master Ref. 1675 was produced, this watch was equipped with Crown Protecting Shoulders, the GMT hand was also much bigger, very similar to the modern GMT-Master. “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” words were printed on the dial of Ref. 1675, which was different to the “Officially Certified Chronometer” of Ref. 6542, Ref. 1675 used Cal. 1565, this movement equipped with Micro Stella Free Sprung Balance, it was more accurate. Ref. 1675 was not only loved by the pilots of Pan Am and a lot of other civil airlines, but was also very popular among the general customers, it was hot for nearly 20 years, and could be said one of the best-selling watches of Rolex.

Rolex-GMT-Master-Ref.-1675

GMT-Master was not only favored by civil airlines, the military also gave a high evaluation, more and more fighter-pilots wore it. In the 1940s and 50s, NASA started a series of experiments to challenge flight speed and altitude, finally in 1967, North American X15 created the world record – 4,534 mph(7,269 kph) or Mach 6.72, this record has not been broken until today. Pete Knight, the pilot of X15, was exactly wearing GMT-Master, he praised that, GMT-Master at an altitude of 45,000 feet off the ground, bearing intense actions and centrifugal force of more than 3.5G, but still worked normally and maintained the precise level of a Chronometer watch. Why did Pete Knight choose GMT-Master ? There was some trace to search: the Edwards Air Force Base he belonged to gave birth to a multitude of heroes, in 1947, Chuck Yeager piloted Bell X-1 airplane and broke the Sound Barrier, in that historic moment, he was wearing a Rolex Oyster watch, which has accompanied him for many years in the World War II.

Pete-Knight

Chunk-Yeager-Was-Wearing-Rolex-Submariner

In 1976, GMT-Master was improved again and introduced the model that had “hacking” seconds movement; in 1980, GMT-Master unveiled Ref. 16750, which added the “quickset” feature. Later, GMT-Master re-facelifted as Ref. 16700, the glass face evolved into sapphire. In 1983, Rolex launched the newly evolved modern GMT-Master II Ref. 16710, it was equipped with Cal. 3085 movement, which enabled the GMT hand to be adjusted seperately, because both 24-hour bezel and GMT hand were bi-directional rotating, so GMT-Master II had the ability to display three times.
Viewed from above, you could find that not only GMT-Master adhered to classic design, but has always continued gradual and continuous improvements, it was such a watchmaking culture that has maintained Rolex’s rising brand value and lasting love from consumers.



Rolex-GMT-Master-II-Ref.16710

 Rolex GMT Master TimeLine

rolex gmt master time line

Serial/Year Guide of The Rolex GMT Serial

The serial number is engraved on the case of your Rolex. It can be found on the 6 o’clock position when removing the bracelet. The same serial number can be found on the original guarantee ducuments.

Some Feature Models of The Rolex GMT Serial

Rolex GMT Master II 16710


Rolex-GMT-Master-II-Ref.16710-Black-and-Red

# Movement: Automatic winding, 31 jewels, Quickset
# Case: 40mm Stainless Steel
# Bracelet:  Oyster Stainless Steel
# Dial: Black
# Crystal: Scratch Resistant Sapphire
# Bezel: Rotatable
# Water Resistance: Up to 100 metres
# Features: GMT, Date, Hours, Minutes, and Seconds

Rolex GMT Master II 116710 Ceramic

Rolex GMT Master II 116710 Ceramic

# Movement: Automatic winding, 31 jewels, Quickset
# Case: 40mm Stainless Steel with Ceramic Bezel
# Bracelet:  Oyster Stainless Steel
# Dial: Black
# Crystal: Scratch Resistant Sapphire
# Bezel: Rotatable, black Cerachrom disc
# Water Resistance: Up to 100 metres
# Features: GMT, Date, Hours, Minutes, and Seconds


ROLEX GMT Master II 18kt Gold SS CERAMIC 116713

ROLEX GMT Master II 18kt Gold SS CERAMIC 116713

# Movement: Automatic winding, 31 jewels, Quickset
# Case: 40mm 18kt Gold & Stainless Steel with Ceramic Bezel
# Bracelet:  Oyster 18kt Gold & Stainless Steel
# Dial: Black
# Crystal: Scratch Resistant Sapphire
# Bezel: Rotatable, black Cerachrom disc
# Water Resistance: Up to 100 metres
# Features: GMT, Date, Hours, Minutes, and Seconds


Rolex GMT Master II Black CERAMIC 18kt Gold 116718

Rolex GMT Master II Black CERAMIC 18kt Gold 116718

# Movement: Automatic winding, 31 jewels, Quickset
# Case: 40mm 18kt Gold with Ceramic Bezel
# Bracelet:  Oyster 18kt Gold
# Dial: Black
# Crystal: Scratch Resistant Sapphire
# Bezel: Rotatable, black Cerachrom disc
# Water Resistance: Up to 100 metres
# Features: GMT, Date, Hours, Minutes, and Seconds

Review of the Rolex GMT Master II 16710



Review of the Rolex GMT Master II 16710

 The Rolex GMT Master II is my first pilots watch. That’s right – even though the Master II is cosmetically similar to many Rolex dive style watches (like the Rolex Submariner and Rolex Sea-Dweller) the original Rolex GMT Master was conceived as a tool for airline pilots. You see, back in the 1950′s innovations in aviation technology made transatlantic travel a more appealing option than ever before. The airline PAN AM quickly emerged as a leader in transatlantic travel by jet plane. Not surprisingly it was PAN AM pilots that were first afflicted with the phenomenon which became known as “jet lag.” Jet lag affects those who make frequent transitions between time zones – the “internal clock” of the human body has a difficult time playing “catch up.” PAN AM theorized that if pilots had tool for not only tracking the time in their current time zone, but also the time in their “home” time zone, then it would help lessen the effects of jet lag. PAN AM approached Rolex on this idea, and the two companies worked together to create the Rolex GMT Master.


Review of the Rolex GMT Master II 16710

The Rolex GMT Master II 16710, a long time stalwart of the Rolex range until it was killed off in favour of the new Rolex 116710 GMT II. The Rolex GMT has always been a fan favourite, and, having a pristine example to hand, thought it was time to review this truly beautiful watch. The model reviewed had the "Pepsi" red and blue bezel fitted, and was on the Oyster bracelet, with sports clasp.

Review of the Rolex GMT Master II 16710

Technical Features
*Model ref. Rolex 16710
*Stainless steel case
*Bidirectional 24hr bezel, with choice of blue/red, red/black and black anodised aluminium inserts
*Case Diameter: 40mm
*Black sports dial with luminous (Superluminova) dot and baton markers w/ white gold surrounds
*Twinlock crown with crown guards
*Sapphire crystal with cyclops-magnified date
*24 hr. hand
*Independent hour hand - allows up to three time zones to be displayed concurrently
*Oyster Bracelet


Review of the Rolex GMT Master II 16710

The Movement
*Rolex Calibre 3185
*28.8k BPH
*Approx. 48 hour power reserve
*Self winding chronometer rated movement
*Semi-quickset date (done through independent hour hand)
*Nivarox hairspring


Review of the Rolex GMT Master II 16710

Conclusion The Rolex GMT has always been Rolex's most practical watch, and this one is no exception. The perfect companion to any traveller, the three time zone feature has made it a long time favourite of commercial pilots. The low profile of the watch makes it a great everyday watch, and I think it looks great with just about anything. The watch is also a real chameleon - get all three inserts, a Jubilee bracelet, and a leather/NATO band, and you've got 9 different looks. Even Panerais aren't that versatile. I think this is probably the watch's strongest point, and makes it particularly unique. Having a brushed Oyster is always beneficial too, it certainy masks the scratches far better than models with polished centre links.

Rolex GMT II 116710LN Reviews



Rolex GMT II 116710LN Reviews

The Rolex GMT II 116710LN was introduced at the Basel World Fair in 2007. The steel/gold version (ref. 116713) came a year earlier, and the all-gold Rolex GMT II (ref. 116718) was launched in 2005 as an "Anniversary" model, sporting an all-green dial (later the all-gold version also came with a black dial option). The green-dialled all-gold Rolex GMT II is still made and has never been "limited". "LN" stands for "Lunette Noir" (French for "Black Bezel"), by the way.



Rolex GMT II 116710LN Reviews

Movement
The “motor” of the Rolex GMT-Master II C is the calibre 3186, which is an improved version of the 3185 that has been in production since 1988. The mechanism for setting the 12-hour hand has been improved to reduce the play in the gears and it has been equipped with the new, paramagnetic blue Parachrom Breguet overcoil hairspring, which is also up to ten times as shock resistant as conventional hairsprings.



Rolex GMT II 116710LN Reviews

The Case
     The Oyster case of the Rolex GMT II 116710LN (from now on referred to as the "new Rolex GMT II") has been updated compared to the predecessor Rolex GMT II's. The case now has:
    #"Super Case" (sometimes also called "block case"): Larger lugs with vertical satination instead of diagonal, coarser sationation of the lugs than of those of the "old" Rolex GMT II's.
    #Triplock Crown as compared to the Twinlock Crown of the "old" GMT II's.
    #Flatter crystal and lower lying caseback.
    #AR (Anti-reflective) coating of the cyclops lense.
    #Green Rolex GMT hand (AKA "24-hour hand")
    #Green "GMT MASTER II" writing on the dial.
    #"Maxi Dial" (i.e.: larger hands and larger indices that provide more lume of the applied SuperLuminova).
    #Ceramic bezel insert (24 clicks) with numbers filled out with Platinum as compared to the anodized aluminium bezel insert of the "old" Rolex GMT II's with 120 clicks.
    #Updated bracelet and clasp: Solid, polished centre links. A heavier and much more complicated construction of the clasp, including a hidden "Easy Link".
    Some photos of the new Rolex GMT II reviewed here, showing the above updates:


Rolex GMT II 116710LN Reviews

Crystal and Date Cyclops
The crystal is a flat sapphire crystal with a glued-on Cyclops date magnifier. It has an anti-reflective coating in three places (inside, below the Cyclops and on top of it), nevertheless, the flat crystal does reflect light to a degree that does not bother the wearer, but makes him or her recognizable at a greater distance if this reflection catches the eye of someone else. A domed sapphire crystal would avoid this, but it would almost certainly be hard to combine with the Cyclops – if it is possible at all. The crystal is almost flush with the bezel and thereby well protected against damage. The date can be read easily already before the dial is at a right angle to your visual axis. This is aided by the positive display of the date (black numbers on a white background), which improves its legibility. The Cyclops affects the legibility of hands passing underneath to a fairly small degree, which would IMHO only relevant for a diver’s watch which is actually used for this purpose, but can be comfortably neglected in all other cases that come to my mind.


Rolex GMT II 116710LN Reviews

Dial and hands
The maxi dial with the larger hour markers at bigger hands was first introduced with the Yacht-Master in 1992, appeared in 2003 in the Jubilee Submariner (Rolex Ref. 16610LV) and was introduced in 2005 in the gold Jubilee version of the Rolex GMT-Master II Ceramic (Rolex Ref. 116718LN). The second, minute and 12-hour hands have been enlarged, compared to the previous Rolex GMT-Master II, but as far as I can see, the 24-hour hand has only been changed in colour, not in size. The legibility in daylight is excellent. In darkness, the Superluminova lasts very long, indeed I could still – faintly – read the time after having had the watch in a completely dark bedroom for a full 11 hours! This applies to the minute and 12-hour hands; the 24-hour hand will become illegible several hours earlier. As the coated area can hardly be the cause of this effect, I suspect (but this is unproven) a less thick Superluminova coating on this hand. The size of the 24-hour hand is from my perspective the only point about the “face” of the watch that could be improved even further. If this hand passes in front of one of the round hour markers, it becomes almost undetectable when reading the watch in darkness. Giving the triangle an intermediate length between the diameter of the round hour markers on one hand and the length of the rectangular and the triangular hour markers on the other hand, this down point could be eliminated. It would also render the question of the hand colour less important, whether it would be red, green or pure white gold (order from best to least legibility). And almost I would have taken it for granted: The white gold hands and settings of the hour markers look very elegant and will hardly ever give their owner a headache through corrosion (like steel hands could do)…

Conclusion:
A near-perfect watch I have really fallen in love with, I can most easily recommend to anyone interested in it and which is in improvement over the older Rolex GMT-Masters on the practical side in every respect. The aesthetics are a matter of personal taste, for me, it took me a while to grow on it, but now I love it. Don’t let yourself get fooled by photos; the Rolex GMT II C does not always come out as well on photos as the older GMTs. If I were to buy a second GMT-Master for myself, it would be a GMT 16710A (Coca-Cola bezel), of which I began to dream some 15 years ago. But the Rolex 116710 LN would rule as an everyday wearer. Needless to say, I can hardly imagine any other sports watch for myself than a Rolex GMT-Master II !