Coke or Pepsi" It?s a matter of taste, some say, and individual tastes always differ. But there?s only one right answer if you?re talking about the Rolex GMT-Master. Although the manufacturer made a version that had a GMT bezel in red and black, called ?Coke,? the first GMT-Master from 1955 bore the red-and-blue scale for the 24-hour display and was nicknamed ?Pepsi.? The Pepsi GMT-Master II represents the reincarnation of the classic in its original form.
At first, the colors were used to distinguish between the day and night times of the second time zone. This and other specs for the watch came from Pan American Airways, at whose request this model was created. At the time, new jet airliners made intercontinental flights shorter and more popular. And the increased number of flights also increased the demand for watches with a second time zone. In addition to having the aura of a pilots? watch, the high level of recognition of the colored bezel contributed to the GMT-Master?s popularity. Rolex modified the Pepsi very cautiously until 2007. But then, when it introduced a ceramic bezel on steel versions of the GMT-Master II, it became necessary to shelve the Pepsi. At that time, a two-color bezel made of ceramic appeared to be technically impossible, and the color red could not be created satisfactorily in this high-tech material. In 2013, Rolex solved one of these problems and the first two-tone ceramic scale appeared ? in blue and black. This very popular GMT-Master I...