Even if you don’t know anything about Swiss made Rolex replica watches, you’ve darn well heard of “Pepsi.”
And we’re not talking about the drink. We’re speaking about the bi-color, blue-red bezel insert that instantly gives away a certain watch as being made by Rolex. This timepiece, the GMT-Master (or GMT-Master II), has proliferated through the zeitgeist to such an extent that even horological novices are at least remotely familiar with it. But what is it, exactly, and what makes it different from, say, a Rolex dive watch or a Rolex racing watch? This year, upon the occasion of its 70th anniversary, we’re going to dig into the details. Come fly with us…
Commercial Aviation Takes Off
Pre-war commercial aviation looked completely different from today’s digitized world of computer-controlled, intercontinental flight. If you wanted to travel the globe in style in, say, 1934, the first thing you needed was significant means: There was only one fare class, and it’s what we would consider “business class” today. Once you secured your ticket—all of which had to be done in person back when Babe Ruth was a marquee player for the Yankees—you showed up suited and booted to the airport or seaplane port, boarded a riveted-together aluminum aircraft, such as a Boeing B-314 Yankee Clipper, and strapped in. Unregulated cabin pressure probably made you sick; sudden drops in elevation didn’t help; and you would need far more than one novel for the eight-day journey between, say, London and Singapore, which was complete with 22 different refueling stops (a voyage that takes 13 non-stop hours today).
The jet engine—as first encountered by Allied pilots on the Messerschmitt Me-262 in the skies over Europe during WWII—changed it all. When the BOAC (British Overseas Airway Corporation) put the de Havilland Comet into service on May 2nd, 1952, 36 passengers could suddenly be whisked at 450 mph over a distance of roughly 2,500 miles. With a pressurized cabin, large windows, a galley, and a bar, it ushered in a new era of transcontinental and international flight, allowing the post-War leisure classes to enjoy the delights of quick and comfortable travel. As aircraft technology improved and planes became larger and safer, new fare classes were introduced, allowing for the democratization of ticket prices and making air travel accessible to all and sundry.
From Pan Am to Space
Speeding across the skies at several hundred miles per hour, pilots and air crews needed a system to track both local and Greenwich Mean Time, the Prime Meridian (as decided in 1884), and the standard time of air traffic controllers in the 1950s. As the story goes, Pan American Airways (Pan Am) approached Rolex in search of a dedicated pilot’s watch. The Swiss brand—ever the innovators—modified its automatic calibre 1030 by fitting it with an extra hour hand slaved to the local hour hand and placed this movement in an Oyster case. Finally, a rotating, bidirectional bezel with a 24-hour insert was added. The watch, dubbed the GMT-Master and bearing reference number 6542, could thus track local time and another time zone by calculating an offset from the red-accented fourth hand (for the second time zone hour) against the rotating bezel. Radium on the dial and bezel provided illumination in low light, and the AAA UK Rolex fake watches was water resistant due to its Oyster case with screw-down crown and caseback. Upon its debut in 1955, it was nothing short of a horological and technological revelation—the world’s first automatic, Chronometer-certified, luminous, water-resistant dual-time watch on a metal bracelet.
The watch’s dual-color bezel—with its blue nighttime hours and red daytime hours—proved not only an ingenious visual aid for the wearer but also a brilliant (and likely accidental) marketing ploy: Known colloquially as a “Pepsi” bezel, this colorful feature has come to define the luxury replica Rolex GMT-Master watches and is endlessly imitated by other watch brands. Indeed, many who have perhaps never heard the term “GMT-Master” could still describe a “Rolex Pepsi,” even if they have no clue what makes it special.
A Slow Evolution
Over the decades, the high quality Rolex GMT-Master copy watches would change in incremental, barely perceptible, Rolex-like fashion—updated with more accurate movements, slightly larger cases, and better bracelets, it would be adopted not only by pilots but also by soldiers, astronauts, musicians, actors, and civilians the world over. In 1959, it sat fastened to the wrists of two American pilots on a historic flight to Moscow during the height of the Cold War; that same year, two Land Rovers set out from England on an overland trip to Singapore — each of the young ex-Parachute Regiment expedition members was equipped with a GMT-Master for the journey. In 1967, Major William John “Pete” Knight captained the X-15 experimental aircraft at a speed of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7), setting a record that stands today, with a GMT-Master strapped to his wrist. And while it was a NASA-approved Omega Speedmaster that was used to time the rocket burns that ultimately saved the Apollo 13 mission, it was a GMT-Master that kept dutiful time on Command module pilot Jack Swigert’s wrist. TL;DR: The GMT-Master is more than just a pretty face. It’s been privy to some of the most important events in the history of aeronautics.
1982 was a particularly significant year for the GMT-Master: By modifying the watch’s automatic movement, Rolex could give it an independently adjustable local hour hand. Technically speaking, this change meant that the GMT hand was no longer “slaved” to the local hour hand; practically, it meant that the bezel was thus no longer strictly necessary for the computation of a second time zone. If someone was so inclined, they could even use the watch to track three time zones: One on the main hour hand, another on the GMT hand; and a third using the bezel to compute an offset from one of the two hour hands. (The only difficulty in this setup is that because there is no 24-hour scale on the dial, computing a time zone using the GMT hand without the bezel necessitates memorizing an imaginary 24-hour scale on the dial itself.)
The best replica Rolex GMT-Master II watches UK, still in production today, would still be recognizable to a U.S. Air Force pilot from the 1950s—quite the feat of aesthetic continuity, if you ask us. Of course, there are more GMT-Master II references available concurrently in 2025 than at any previous point in Rolex history: In addition to stainless steel, the watch is also available in yellow Rolesor gold, Everose Rolesor gold, yellow gold, white gold, and Everose gold. Its bezel, meanwhile, comes in red and blue, blue and black, grey and black, brown and black, and green and black varieties, and available bracelets include Oyster and Jubilee models in matching metals. This is also to say nothing of the myriad (now-vintage) references, some of which include all-black or all-blue bezels.
The GMT-Master Through Time
While not exhaustive, the following list should serve as a timeline and reference for how the cheap super clone Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II watches evolved over the decades. Note that rather than show each and every reference of the current crop of watches—of which there are many—we’ve opted to highlight certain standout examples. Also note that when we include a pricing bracket, we’re discounting the presence of outlier examples that don’t represent the normal range of retail or hammer prices for particular references.
Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 (1955-1959)
The first China 1:1 Rolex GMT-Master replica watches was initially designed for Pan Am aircrews but was very quickly sold on the civilian market. Measuring 38 mm in diameter, its Oyster case featured no crown guards and was fitted with a bidirectional, rotating Bakelite bezel with luminescent radium indices. Susceptible to breakage—and also radioactive!—this bezel was later replaced with an anodized aluminum version. Powered by a range of four-digit, chronometer-certified movements, its case and dial underwent several changes throughout its four-year production run. Certain examples were also produced in solid gold and fitted with burgundy bezel inserts and either alpha or baton-style hands. The bracelet on this reference was an Oyster in matching metal.
Reference: 6542
Diameter: 38 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 1036; 1065; 1066 automatic
Standout Feature: Bakelite bezel; smaller case
Price on Secondary Market Today: $30,000-$150,000
Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 (1959-1980)
Though the Swiss online fake Rolex 6542 watches was the very first GMT reference, it was in the 1675 where we see the blueprint for nearly all modern GMT-Master production. In 1959, Rolex added crown guards to its fledgling travel watch and moved completely away from Bakelite/radium bezels. Throughout the course of its life, the ref. 1675 would transition from gilt to matte dials, evolve through different dial configurations and bezel typography types, and use different movements. Early aluminum bezels would also fade differently over time, making certain “Pepsi” examples seem deep blue and red, while others appear purple and sky-blue, for example. In production for roughly 21 years, the 1675 is one of the longest-running references in Rolex history. It was also the first GMT reference available at retail with a matching Jubilee bracelet.
NOTE: An all-gold version of the 1675 was available with stick hands, with earlier versions featuring no crown guards and later versions adding them. It’s been dubbed the “Concorde” by the collector community, having featured in several Rolex ads that show it alongside the famous supersonic aircraft in the late 1960s/1970s.
Reference: 1675
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 1036; 1065; 1066; 1565; 1575 automatic
Standout Feature: Addition of crown guards; larger case size
Price on Secondary Market Today: $10,000-$30,000
Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675/3 (1970-1980)
Though it is, for all intents and purposes, a special version of the ref. 1675, it’s worth highlighting the ref. 1675/3 due to its introduction of a notorious colorway within the GMT family—namely, the “Root Beer.” This configuration denotes perfect replica Rolex GMT-Master (or II) watches with a steel case, a brown or black dial, a gold bezel, a two-tone bezel insert in brown and gold, a gold crown, and a matching, two-tone bracelet. The ref. 1675/3 is also famous for including the famed “nipple” dial—one in which the hour indices are applied, round, lume-filled gold circles.
Reference: 1675/3
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 1575 automatic
Standout Feature: First two-tone “Root Beer” reference
Price on Secondary Market Today: $11,000-$25,000
Rolex GMT-Master ref. 16750 (1980-1988)
The transition from the four-digit ref. 1675 to the five-digit ref. 16750 signaled several changes: First, the GMT-Master received a quick-set date; second, its matte dial gave way on later examples to a glossy lacquer dial with white gold surrounds—a feature that is still present on many modern Swiss movements fake Rolex tool watches; third, its water resistance rating increased from 50m to 100m; fourth, its cal. 3075 automatic movement upped the beat rate from 28,800 vph to 19,600 vph. A sort of transitional model between the GMT-Master and the GMT-Master II, it today provides a welcome mix of vintage looks and several more modern features.
Reference: 16750
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3075 automatic
Standout Feature: First quickset date; first glossy lacquer dial; increased WR
Price on Secondary Market Today: $12,000-$20,000
Rolex GMT-Master ref. 16700 (1988-1999)
The ref. 16700 marked the final installment of the GMT-Master chapter. Interestingly, however, Rolex produced it alongside the more sophisticated Rolex GMT-Master II replica watches wholesale UK for years, only canceling it in 1999 and dedicating all production to the “II.” Powered by the automatic Rolex cal. 3175, its GMT hand was still slaved to the local hour hand, meaning that a second time zone could only be tracked using the rotating bezel. Notably, its bezel also came in an all-black variant in addition to the red-and-blue “Pepsi.” While early examples used tritium lume, examples from approximately 1997-1999 used LumiNova.
Reference: 16700
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3175 automatic
Price on Secondary Market Today: $10,000-$15,000
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 16760 (1982-1988)
For the first time, the 1:1 quality copy Rolex GMT-Master II watches was equipped with a movement (the cal. 3085) that offered an independently adjustable local hour hand, which meant that, technically, the watch could track three time zones. (This requires a bit of mental math, as the dial isn’t equipped with its own 24-hour track.) More practically, the local hour hand’s “jumping” feature was intended for quick local time zone updates when flying into a new country — a boon for frequent travelers, to be sure. The newer movement necessitated a slightly thicker case, hence the nickname “Fat Lady” for this reference. The ref. 16760 also saw the introduction of the famous “Coke” bezel with black nighttime hours and red daytime hours. This bezel was the first in the GMT-Master collection to feature a clickspring — previous versions were friction bezels.
Reference: 16760
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3085 automatic
Price on Secondary Market Today: $12,000-$15,000
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 16710 (1989-2007)
The ref. 16710, the second-generation GMT-Master II, could be considered another “transitional” reference: Receiving the new cal. 3185, the case was slimmed back down, while the bezel was available in “Pepsi,” “Coke,” or all-black configurations. As mentioned earlier, it was produced alongside the last generation GMT-Master (I) for some years, and, as such, represented a slightly more expensive offering. Due to its long lifespan in the Rolex catalog, several variations were made: While earlier examples feature tritium lume, later examples featured LumiNova and then Super-LumiNova. Later examples also did away with lug holes, and the latest generation Rolex replica watches for sale sometimes featured the then-new Rolex cal. 3186 that would be fitted to Cerachrom-bezel references. From 2000, the bracelet on the 16710 was given solid end links.
Reference: 16710
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3185 automatic; Rolex cal. 3186 automatic
Price on Secondary Market Today: $10,000-$15,000
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN (2007-2019)
The six-digit ref. 116710LN marked the first cheap online Rolex GMT-Master II fake watches with a Cerachrom (ceramic) bezel insert and the new beefed-up “super” case. (The case’s diameter is still 40 mm, but you’ll notice thicker lugs and a “maxi”-style dial with larger, Chromalight-filled indices, hands, etc.) At first, this bezel was only produced in all-black form, while the dial was given green accents in the form of dial text and the GMT hand stalk. (“Pepsi” and other variants would return on later stainless steel references.) The new cal. 3186, meanwhile, offered a high-tech Parachrom hairspring, 31 jewels, and a power reserve of 50 hours. With its masculine profile, brushed and polished Oyster bracelet, and new bezel material, the ref. 116710LN marked a firm (though subtle) turning point in the GMT-Master design language.
Reference: 116710LN
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3186 automatic
Price on Secondary Market Today: $10,000-$14,000
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710BLNR (2013-2019)
Rolex made progress in its Cerachrom bezel technology with the ref. 116710BLNR, taking an all-blue ceramic insert and coloring one half black resulting in what collectors lovingly refer to as the “Batman.” Otherwise, this 2025 China replica Rolex watches is largely the same as the ref. 116710LN, with a matching case, Oyster bracelet, and movement. (One notable difference is that the dial features blue text and a blue GMT hand stalk, rather than green.) Like its all-black bezel cousin, it was only offered on an Oyster bracelet.
Reference: 116710BLNR
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3186 automatic
Price on Secondary Market Today: $14,000-$17,000
Rolex GMT-Master II Reference 116719BLRO (2014-2018)
Producing a “Pepsi” version of the new Cerachrom bezel took Rolex some time, and when the Crown did debut one, it was on a white-gold version of the Rolex GMT-Master II replica watches for men. Representing the first use of this metal within the broader GMT-Master collection, its hefty price tag (and weight) pushed it beyond the reach of casual fans who longed for a steel version. Eventually, Rolex did produce a steel version of the watch, and the 116719BLRO was given a blue dial as production continued. (One could imagine that the brand wanted to further differentiate it from the steel version.) Otherwise, the 116719BLRO largely resembles its steel cousins: 40 mm “super” case, matching Oyster bracelet, Cerachrom bezel insert, and Rolex cal. 3816 movements.
Reference: 116719BLRO
Diameter: 40 mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3186 automatic
Price on Secondary Market Today: $28,000-$38,000
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126710BLRO (2018-Present)
In 2018, Rolex finally gave collectors what they wanted — and, supposedly, what it could finally deliver — in the form of a “super” case Swiss perfect fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches with a red-and-blue “Pepsi” Cerachrom bezel. Upgraded with the then-new Rolex cal. 3285 automatic movement with 70 hours of power reserve and the Chronergy escapement, it represented an incremental but significant leap forward for the GMT-Master II as a tool watch. The Crown did not, however, neglect aesthetics or comfort, bringing back the Jubilee bracelet as a factory option and giving it an Oysterlock clasp with 5mm micro-adjust system. Fitted with a modern movement, two bracelet options, and a bulletproof case, this modern successor to the original ref. 6542 is still in the Rolex catalog today.
Reference: 126710LN
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3285 automatic
Price: $10,800 (Oyster); $11,000 (Jubilee)
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126715CHNR (2018-Present)
Launched alongside the new steel “Pepsi” GMT-Master ref. 126710BLRO was the impressive ref. 126715CHNR, the first solid Everose reference within the GMT-Master universe. Given a matching Everose Oyster bracelet, it bears a black and brown bezel in the “Root Beer” form of the references 1675/3 and 16753. (There’s also a two-tone steel and Everose Rolsesor version, the ref. 126711CHNR that was released at the same time, plus other precious-metal versions that we’ll highlight below.)
Reference: 126715CHNR
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3285 automatic
Price: $45,200
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR (2022-Present)
In 2022, Rolex turned the watch world on its head with the introduction of the ref. 126720VTNR, a stainless steel GMT-Master II with its crown configured on the left side of the case. While the brand doesn’t go so far as to deem this “lefty” luxury 1:1 replica Rolex watches — righties will happily note that the left-hand crown doesn’t dig into one’s left hand the way it might on a conventional, right-handed watch — the 126720VTNR did delight many southpaws. Its black-and-green Cerachrom bezel insert, meanwhile, marked a new colorway for the collection, and its availability on both Oyster as well as Jubilee bracelet with EasyLink adjustment meant that there was something for everyone. As of early 2025, the Jubilee version represents the most expensive stainless steel GMT-Master II in the Rolex catalog.
Reference: 126720VTNR
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3285 automatic
Price: $11,350 (Oyster); $11,550 (Jubilee)
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 26718GRNR (2023-Present)
2023 saw yet another exciting development in the debut of the yellow-gold ref. 26718GRNR. Its black-and-grey Cerachrom bezel represented the first use of this colorway, and its availability on a matching Jubilee bracelet differentiates it from its Everose stablemates. (It also debuted in a two-tone Yellow Rolesor version, which is similarly still in the Rolex catalog.)
Reference: 26718GRNR
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3285 automatic
Price: $43,300
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126710GRNR
As ever, Rolex slightly iterated upon its GMT-Master II lineup in 2024 by carting over the black-and-grey Cerahcrom bezel insert into its steel version of the Rolex fake watches paypal. The ref. 126710GRNR, available on Jubilee or Oyster, pairs that handsome colorway with a black dial featuring green accents, much like those from the ref. 116710LN. This reference, of course, features Rolex’s most recent cal. 3285 movement and all the fixings, including a Chromalight display and 904L stainless steel construction.
Reference: 126710GRNR
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Rolex cal. 3285 automatic
Price: $10,800 (Oyster); $11,000 (Jubilee)