Rolex GMT-Master II · Reference 116710LN
Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN
Known as The steel ceramic GMT, black bezel with the green GMT hand. Collectors call it the LN, short for Lunette Noire, French for black bezel.
The 116710LN is the reference that took the steel GMT-Master II from the aluminum era into the ceramic era. Rolex launched it in 2007 to replace the long-running 16710, and it did one thing that changed the whole category: it put a black Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert on a stainless steel sport Rolex for the first time. That insert does not fade in the sun and does not scratch the way an aluminum bezel does, and it looks glossy and deep in a way the old inserts never did. Underneath the ceramic you get a 40mm Oystersteel case, the black Maxi dial with fat applied indexes and broad hands, and the green 24-hour GMT hand that lets you track a second time zone off the fixed bezel. It ran for twelve years and was discontinued in 2019, replaced by the 126710 family. For a lot of buyers this is still the GMT-Master II they picture: all black, no Pepsi, no Batman, just the tool watch.
Produced: 2007 to 2019. It replaced the aluminum-bezel 16710 (in production since 1989) and was itself replaced in 2019 by the 126710LN, which carries the newer Caliber 3285.
In stock at Ultimate Diamond
3 pieces on the counter right now.
Specifications
- Reference
- 116710LN
- Case
- Oystersteel (Rolex 904L-grade stainless steel), 40mm diameter
- Bezel
- Fixed 24-hour black Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert, first steel GMT-Master II to use ceramic
- Dial
- Black Maxi dial with enlarged applied hour markers and broad hands, green 24-hour GMT hand
- Crystal
- Sapphire with Cyclops lens over the date
- Movement
- Rolex in-house Caliber 3186, self-winding mechanical, with Parachrom hairspring
- Chronometer
- Officially certified COSC chronometer
- Power Reserve
- Approximately 48 hours
- Water Resistance
- 100 meters (330 feet)
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet in Oystersteel, polished center links and brushed outer links, Oysterlock clasp with Easylink comfort extension
- Complications
- Date, independently settable local hour hand, second time zone read off the 24-hour GMT hand and bezel
Market & Value
This reference had one of the sharpest moves in the modern steel Rolex market. It sat around $8,000 in early March 2019, then jumped to roughly $11,000 within weeks of being discontinued at Baselworld that spring, climbed through $13,000 in 2021, and peaked near $16,000 in February 2022 before the whole steel-sport market cooled off. As of mid-2026 it has settled back to roughly the same territory it hit at discontinuation, with most honest examples trading between $11,000 and $14,000. Watch-only pieces and polished cases land at the low end. Full sets with box and papers, unpolished, with a clean bracelet stretch, sit at the top. The green-hand ceramic GMT with no color on the bezel has always been the quiet one next to the Pepsi and Batman variants, and that is exactly why it prices sensibly. We buy these every week, so the spread between a beat watch-only 116710LN and a full-set collector piece is real money, not a rounding error.
What to Know Before You Buy
Three things matter when you value one. First, the movement generation. Early 116710LN examples used the Caliber 3186; the reference is a ceramic-bezel, Parachrom-hairspring, modern-service watch either way, and it services cleanly at any Rolex service center. Second, the dial and bezel condition. The Cerachrom bezel does not fade, so a sun-faded look is not a thing here, but you do want to check the ceramic for chips at the edges and confirm the green GMT hand and Maxi dial are original and unmarked. Third, the case and bracelet. Because these are twelve to nineteen years old now, a lot of them have been polished, and an unpolished case with sharp lug bevels carries a premium over a softened, over-polished one. Box, warranty card, and hang tags move the number meaningfully on a discontinued reference like this. The LN designation matters too: 116710LN is the all-black bezel, distinct from the 116710BLNR Batman with its blue-and-black bezel, which is a different watch and a different price.
Rolex Rolex GMT-Master II Encyclopedia
Read the full guide →Buying or selling a 116710LN?
Ultimate Watch buys and sells the 116710LN on 47th Street. We are Ultimate Diamond at 19 West 47th Street in New York, family-owned since 1959, and this is one of the references we write checks for regularly, in every condition from watch-only to full set. If you own one and want a real number, bring it in and we will inspect the case for polishing, check the ceramic bezel and Maxi dial, confirm the movement and papers, and make you a firm offer on the spot. If you are buying, we can source clean, unpolished full-set examples. Call us or request an offer to get started.