Few watches hold as much distinction as the Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II. From the series? first introduction in 1955 , with the Ref. 6542, to its later transition into the GMT-Master II in 1982 with the Ref. 16760, all the way to today?s modern references, the series in all its adjustments through the years has remained as one of the most iconic ?travelers’? watches throughout it all. For this reason, it was no surprise the newest GMT-Master II, the Ref. 126710BLRO, made such a splash at BaselWorld 2018 as it reintroduced a few of the series? most appreciated features: a ?Pepsi? bezel, an accompanying steel case, and the long-missed jubilee bracelet.

The last model of the Rolex GMT-Master II we covered in ?Vintage Eye? was the Reference 116710, also known as the ?Batman,? so-named for its black-and-blue ceramic bezel. This watch has been the standard-bearer for the series since 2013, and while it has come to be appreciated by many, it lacked the iconic red and blue ?Pepsi? bezel that has been a hallmark of the family since its original release. In fact, the iconic feature hadn?t been seen on a steel watch since 2005, when Rolex switched from the aluminum bezel insert it had used since 1959 to the modern ceramic (from 1955 to 1959, a much more fragile Plexiglas insert was used). The explanation for the missing ?Pepsi? bezel has been that the red-and-blue ceramic insert was difficult to produce, and so even when Rolex released a watch in 2014 that featured that ...