1991 Rolex GMT-Master Faded "Pepsi" 16700 Tritium
Ref: 16700
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold “Watch Only” without its original Rolex box or Rolex paperwork. It comes paired with its original 20mm Rolex Oyster stainless steel bracelet that will fit up to a 7-inch wrist. The watch is dated Circa 1991 and is sold in all original condition, with a faded “Pepsi” bezel. The dial and handset are in fantastic condition, as you can see. A full case and bracelet refurb can be provided at an additional cost on request. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BAwGmj7xoDIpUSmKuOfeCkUBBGMBXDx3?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 6:39 - https://youtu.be/vKdh1JEIEGU
The Watch
The GMT-Master story begins in 1955 when their very first pilot watch was made for Panam pilot's ref 6542, which featured a bakelite bezel. It was replaced with the ref. 1675, which was in production from 1959 until 1980 when the ref. 16750 was introduced until Rolex replaced it with the ref. 16700 in 1988. At NASA, Jack Swigert of Apollo 13 wore one in 1970, and US Air Force pilots wore them. It was also worn by Sean Connery in Goldfinger in 1964. Here we have a 1991 Rolex GMT-Master Faded "Pepsi" 16700 Tritium with a 40mm stainless steel case, ergonomically shaped with its subtle curve to the drilled lugs, making for a very comfortable fit on the wrist, a lug-to-lug length of 46.5mm and a case thickness of 11mm confirms this. The polished sides transition with the brushed top surface along crisp flowing lines; the crown guards part of the case for strength, protecting the screw-down crown from any knocks. Its bezel has the iconic blue and red “Pepsi” insert that has faded a little with age to a subtle pink hue; 24-hour numerals are printed around the bezel; the red indicates the daytime, while the blue signifies the nighttime. The sapphire crystal sits slightly above the bezel and has the Cyclops magnifier over the date at 3 o’clock. The black dial has Tritium-filled discs and batons marking the hours; in the centre, Mercedes hands with Tritium infill complemented with a lollipop counterbalance sweeping second hand, and the red GMT hand has a white Tritium arrowhead, and the hour hand and GMT hand are linked, making this a true GMT as opposed to a separately set GMT hand. At noon, we have the Rolex motif “Oyster Perpetual Date”, and at 6 o’clock “, GMT-MASTER Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” on the bottom edge “Swiss- T < 25” completing this versatile traveller companion. On the reverse, a plain coin-edged screw-down case back, inside an automatic Rolex Cal. 3175, 31 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour, it has both hacking and quick set date functions. The watch comes paired with its original 20mm Oyster bracelet secured by a signed folding clasp and will fit up to a 7-inch wrist.
Personal Note
There will forever be something charming about a Rolex that shows some age, or at least has the potential to, that is one thing that is lacking from the modern models for me personally. This 16700 with a beautifully faded bezel is perfect, it has the right amount of age to show it's an older watch without being an "old watch". Feel free to book an appointment and come see this one in the metal for yourself, but be warned, you may fall in love with it!
The Brand
In 1905, German-born Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis set up a company in London that imported Swiss movements, which were installed in British cases and sold to jewellers who put their names on the dials. Recognising the potential for their brand, Wilsdorf created the brand name Rolex in 1908. In 1910, a Rolex became the first wristwatch to carry the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision, awarded by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland. Demand for Rolex watches rose swiftly, and British taxes on the Swiss movements Rolex used prompted Wilsdorf to move the business to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1919. With production costs lowered, Wilsdorf quickly set out to solve the age-old problem of moisture and dust entering a watch case and damaging the movement. The Rolex watchmakers came up with a fully sealed watch case, which Wilsdorf named the Oyster and released to an appreciative audience in 1926. In 1931, Rolex introduced the first automatic winding wristwatch, giving it the legendary name Oyster Perpetual. In 1945, they released the Datejust, which was the first watch to have the date jump instantaneously at midnight. The 1950s saw a whole lot of releases, such as the Air-King (1958), the Explorer (1953), the Submariner (1953), the GMT Master (1955), the Day-Date (1956), the electromagnetic field resistant Milgauss (1956), the Lady-Datejust (1957) and the first Deep Sea model (1960). Wilsdorf’s death in 1960 saw ownership of Rolex S.A. (a collection of sub-companies) passed to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which was founded by Wilsdorf in 1945, the mission of which is simply to sustain Rolex S.A. indefinitely.