1997 Rolex GMT-Master "Pepsi" 16700 Box & Papers
Ref: 16700

Specification

Points of Mention

This watch is sold with its original Rolex box and original Rolex paperwork and booklets. The watch comes paired with an original Rolex oyster bracelet with a signed folding clasp. The watch is from June 1997. The watch is all original and the dial and handset are in fantastic condition. The watch also comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

The Watch

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. 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 1997 Rolex GMT-Master "Pepsi" 16700 with a 40mm stainless steel case, ergonomically shaped with its subtle curve to the lugs making for a very comfortable fit on the wrist. The polished sides transition with the brushed top surface. Crown guards protect the screw-down crown from any knocks. Its bezel has the iconic blue and red “Pepsi” insert. 24-hour numerals radiate 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 Luminova filled white gold framed discs and batons for hours. Mercedes hands with Luminova infill complete with a sweeping second hand with a lollipop counterbalance. The red GMT hand has a white LumiNova arrowhead. The hour hand and GMT hand are linked making this a true GMT as opposed to a separate set GMT hand. On the reverse, a plain coin-edged case back. Inside an Automatic Rolex Cal. 3175, 31 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour. It has both hacking and quick set date functions. Fitted on a 20mm Oyster bracelet with the Oysterlock system that prevents the bracelet from accidentally opening, the watch also comes with its Rolex presentation box and papers.

Personal Note

What an incredible example and fantastic set, what makes this so painful is the fact this is a birth year for me and if I was in a situation to keep this, believe me, it would have never made it to the website! So do me a favour and snap this up so I don't have to pain myself with seeing such a great example for such a fair price!