GMT-Master II 16710 Coke

Used in models GMT-Master II and Explorer II, the Rolex caliber 3185 is based on the 3135, but fitted with an adjustable 24h hand. It was replaced by the 3186 around 2005.

The GMT-Master was developed in 1955 in collaboration with Pan American World Airways for their pilots who needed to track multiple time zones as commercial transatlantic flight became routine. The solution — a rotating 24-hour bezel combined with an additional GMT hand — allowed pilots to read home time, local time, and a third time zone simultaneously. The bicolour bezel inserts that distinguish the GMT-Master's variants — 'Pepsi' (blue and red), 'Batman' (blue and black), 'Coke' (black and red), 'Root Beer' (brown and gold) — have become some of the most recognisable nicknames in the watch collecting community. The GMT-Master II, which allows independent setting of the local hour hand, remains one of Rolex's most coveted professional models.

The GMT-Master II was introduced in 1989. It replaced the 16760 'Fat Lady'. It was available in a wide range of versions, among them those with the 'Coke' bezel as shown here.