This 2001 Rolex GMT Master II 16710 with original Rolex boxes, booklets and Rolex service papers is in excellent condition and has passed our in-house due diligence and inspection criteria.
Case width 40mm (excluding crown)
24 hour display
Second time zone via independently adjustable hour hand
Sapphire Crystal
Magnifier over date display
Rolex Calibre 3185 Automatic Movement
Blue / Red 'Pepsi' Bezel insert
Stainless Steel Case
Screw-down crown
Stainless Steel Oyster Bracelet
Oyster Clasp with extension
Supplied with original Rolex boxes (inner and outer)
GMT Master II Booklet
Oyster Booklet
Red COSC Tag
Rolex Service Papers dated May 2010
TWS 12 Month Warranty / Valuation Certificate
Watch Register Certificate
If you would like a FaceTime viewing of this watch please contact us on 01892 354094 or email sales@thewatchspy.net
In 1954, Pan-Am was one of the first airlines to fly transatlantic routes non-stop and they discovered a need for a watch for pilots that could display two time-zones.
The solution came from Rolex in the form of the GMT-Master that displayed an extra hand which took 24 hours to complete a single rotation of the dial. By having a 24-hour indication on the watch bezel, pilots were able to see both the time zone they were flying from as well as the one they were travelling to, or the so-called Greenwich Mean Time zone that gave the GMT its name. GMT was the original time zone in which all flight plans and weather reports were issued.
This eliminated mistakes and made it easier for pilots to navigate through several time zones. The GMT-Master also became popular with airline passengers because if you knew the time at the place you departed from it had a positive influence on jetlag.
The first GMT-Master was the Reference 6242 and was introduced in 1954 with a bezel made from Bakelite. Since this was a fairly fragile material it was quickly replaced with a steel version. The sought-after Reference 1675 GMT-Master was produced from 1959 to 1980 and makes it one of the most enduring Rolex models.
The GMT-Master II was introduced in the early 1980’s and although it looked virtually identical to the original model the main difference was the introduction of a function in the movement that enabled the large hand to jump at a pre-set interval without stopping either the second hand or the GMT hand. This allowed a third time zone to be displayed.
The GMT-Master was one of Rolex’s ‘tool-watches’ that were designed to carry out a specific task to solve a specific problem. Originally only available in steel, gold versions later appeared and the original black bezel was joined with the famous ‘Pepsi’ (blue/red) and ‘Coke’ (black/red) offerings.
The GMT-Master II is still in production in 2020 at Rolex and now produced with a ceramic bezel. The black/blue ‘Batman’ version being very popular. The so-called 'Pepsi' version was discontinued by Rolex in 2007 making it a desirable, collectable classic GMT.
2001 ROLEX GMT Master II 16710
Yes / Rolex Service Papers