Rolex GMT-Master II Coke · Reference 16710
Rolex GMT-Master II Coke 16710
Known as Pepsi, Coke, or Black bezel depending on the insert; the last aluminum-bezel GMT-Master II
The 16710 is the reference that closed out the aluminum-bezel era of the GMT-Master II. Rolex ran it from 1989 to 2007, a full eighteen years, which makes it one of the longest single-reference production runs in the modern sports catalog. It is a 40mm Oyster case in stainless steel with a bidirectional 24-hour bezel, an independently adjustable local hour hand, and a fourth central hand that reads a second time zone off the bezel. Collectors chase it for three reasons: it is the last GMT you can buy without a ceramic bezel, the bezel insert is user-swappable so one watch can wear a red-and-blue Pepsi, a red-and-black Coke, or an all-black insert, and it spans enough production changes that you can shop it by year and get a meaningfully different watch. We see all three configurations cross the counter on 47th Street, and we buy them by the head or by the full set.
Produced: 1989 to 2007
In stock at Ultimate Diamond
3 pieces on the counter right now.
Specifications
- Case Material
- Stainless steel (Rolex Oyster case)
- Case Diameter
- 40mm
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating 24-hour bezel with aluminum insert; factory colorways are Pepsi (red and blue), Coke (red and black), and all black
- Crystal
- Sapphire with Cyclops date magnifier
- Water Resistance
- 100 meters (330 feet)
- Movement
- Automatic, Rolex in-house
- Caliber
- Caliber 3185 for most of the run; caliber 3186 with the blue Parachrom hairspring appeared only in the final Z-series and M-series watches, roughly 2005 to 2007
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power Reserve
- Approximately 50 hours
- Complications
- GMT with independently set 24-hour hand and quickset local hour hand; date at 3 o'clock
- Certification
- Officially Certified Chronometer (COSC)
- Dial Lume
- Tritium through 1997, Luminova from roughly 1998 to 1999, then Super-LumiNova from 2000 to the end of the run
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet; hollow end links early, solid end links (SEL) from 2000 onward
- Reference Number
- 16710
Market & Value
The 16710 sits in a rare spot: it is a discontinued, in-house GMT that still trades below the price of a new steel Pepsi at retail, and it moves fast. Clean examples generally change hands in the $12,000 to $22,000 range, with the number driven by bezel color, dial and hand originality, box and papers, and which caliber is inside. The Pepsi configuration is the most requested and carries the strongest premium of the three inserts; the all-black and the Coke trade a step below it, though a correct-and-original Coke with a strong service history holds its own. Late-production Z-series and M-series watches with the 3186 movement command more because the blue Parachrom hairspring is the desirable upgrade and those are the youngest examples in the pool. Earlier tritium-dial watches with honest patina appeal to the vintage-leaning buyer. A full set, meaning original box, papers, hang tags, and a matching card, adds meaningfully over a bare watch head; original documentation can swing value 10 to 20 percent. These sell in weeks, not months, which tells you the demand is real and consistent.
What to Know Before You Buy
Buy the 16710 by the details, not just the bezel. First, confirm the caliber. A 3185 is correct for the vast majority of the run and nothing to apologize for, but a 3186 in a late Z or M serial is the version to pay up for because of the Parachrom hairspring. Second, check that the bezel insert, hands, and dial are consistent with the serial year: because inserts are swappable, a Pepsi today may have started life as a Coke, which is fine for a wearer but matters to a purist. Third, look at the end links. Solid end links arrived in 2000, so an earlier watch will have hollow ends, and a mismatched bracelet is a common tell. Fourth, dial lume dictates the vibe: tritium dials (through 1997) age to cream and warm tones, while later Luminova and Super-LumiNova dials stay white and bright. Fifth, verify the date wheel, quickset function, and that the 24-hour hand sets independently, since a sticky or non-independent GMT hand points to a movement that needs service. Service history and a pressure test matter on a 100-meter dive-adjacent tool watch that is now decades old. None of this is a reason to avoid the reference; it is the reason to have it looked at by someone who has opened hundreds of them.
Buying or selling a Rolex GMT-Master II 16710?
Ultimate Watch buys and sells the 16710 every week from our counter at 19 West 47th Street. We have been on this block since 1959, and a steel GMT-Master II is exactly the kind of watch we know how to price on both sides: what it is worth to a buyer walking in, and what we will write a check for today. If you own a 16710, bring it in or send us photos of the dial, caseback serial, and bezel, and we will give you a real cash offer, not a chart printout. If you are looking to buy one, tell us the bezel and the era you want, Pepsi or Coke or black, 3185 or a late 3186, tritium or Super-LumiNova, and we will source the right example. Call us or request an offer to get started.