Reference 16710 GMT-Master II ‘Coke’ | A stainless steel automatic dual time wristwatch with date and bracelet, Circa 1993
Rolex
Dial: black Caliber: cal. 3185 automatic, 31 jewels Case: stainless steel, screw down case back Case number: S’314’284 Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet with folding clasp Size: 40 mm diameter, bracelet circumference approximately 175 mm Signed: case, dial and movement Box: yes Papers: yes Accessories: Rolex presentation box with outer packaging, Attestation de Chronometre paper (undated), retailer’s warrant booklet, leather document holder, booklets, and two hang tags When the GMT-Master was first unveiled by Rolex in 1954 with the Reference 6542, it solved a complicated problem with a simple solution. By adding a fourth hand that made one full rotation every 24 hours and a rotating bezel that featured a 24-hour scale, the wearer can easily track two different time zones with the flick of their wrist. The original Reference 6542 were fitted with bezels with Bakelite inserts split into two colors: red and blue, which over the decades have become an instantaneously recognizable icon and was nicknamed the ‘Pepsi’ by collectors. The present example, the Reference 16710, was introduced in 1989 and produced until 2007. Powered by the calibre 3185, it was an upgrade to Rolex’s first in house calibre 3085 that featured an independently adjustable 24-hour hand. In true Rolex fashion, the calibre 3185 concentrates on the most important elements of a watch caliber: accuracy, reliability and durability. Most watch collectors can agree that Rolex produces some of the most robust movements designed to reliably keep time for their wearer through the roughest of terrains. With research and development at their core, Rolex is dedicated to engineering new materials for use in their timepieces. The calibre 3185 in our timepiece for example, contains a balance wheel made from Glucydur, an alloy made of copper and beryllium that is paramagnetic and resistant to expansion in varying temperatures. Much like the beloved original GMT-Master 'Pepsi', our present timepiece features another one of Rolex’s iconic designs. Nicknamed the ‘Coke’ it is fitted with a red and black two-tone aluminum insert bezel reminiscent of the world’s most popular soda. The present timepiece is astonishingly well preserved and has sat unworn in the safe of the original owner. Complete with its original box, punched papers, hangtags and protective stickers on the case, the dial features original Tritium luminous plots, as this timepiece was crafted before Rolex began moving away from radioactive photoluminescent materials in 1998. We are pleased to offer this extraordinarily well preserved rare find from the family of the original owner.
