Rolex GMT Root Beer

The History

Rolex’s GMT-Master has remained a keystone offering of the Rolex brand since it was first unveiled in 1954. So the story goes, as commercial flight roared into the modern zeitgeist of the early 1950s, Pan American World Airways demanded a dual-time zone wristwatch fitting the needs of their pilots. Pan Am brought their request, directly, to Rene-Paul Jeanneret, Rolex’s public relations manager, and the rest was history.

From the first iteration – the reference 6542 – to now, over 65 years later, the GMT has long stood out thanks to its honest tool watch backbone and differentiation of color compared to other Rolex offerings. Be it a vintage or modern application, the dual time-zone complication remains incredibly usable for the average wearer. The request from Pan Am really hit Rolex at a perfect time, the oyster case had grown to a flagship piece of design thanks to its Submariner and Datejust development. In the watch community where color is king, the GMT’s many iterations— Pepsi, root beer, Coke, burgundy, blueberry, or all-black— allowed it to stand out from the busy sport Rolex crowd.

The Reference

The GMT seen here is a reference 126711CHNR model, colloquially known as a Root Beer, distinguishable by its black and brown bezel and two-tone Oystersteel and Everose Gold case and bracelet. Like many other Rolex watches, this watch is rooted in history. The very first Root Beer GMT appeared in the 1970’s in the form of a two-tone 1675. Now back to modern day.

The year 2018, when this watch was released, marked a watershed moment for the Rolex GMT. It saw the introduction of and iteration on four variations of the GMT including the Pepsi, still one of the most desired watches on the market. These watches were built upon the modern Cerachrom bezel GMT lineup that Rolex first introduced back in 2007.

If the words Oystersteel, Everose, and Cerachrom are foreign to you, don’t worry. These are marketing words created by Rolex to highlight material and finishes. Oystersteel is their version of stainless steel, Everose their rose gold and Cerachrom is the ceramic coating found on the bezel.

The Case and Bracelet

The case and bracelet are in excellent condition showing virtually no signs of wear. The watch retains its original protective plastic on the clasp and rose gold end links. Rose gold is also present on the rotating bezel and crown.

The Dial and Hands

The dial is also in excellent condition. It features applied hour markers accented in rose gold as well as rose gold hands to match the bezel, crown, and center bracelet links.

The Movement

This watch is powered by the automatic caliber 3285 and is keeping time at Rolex factory standards.

This watch is accompanied by the original box and papers.

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