Rolex GMT-Master II 'Batgirl'

We admit that the GMT Master, in all its variations, is one of our favorite Rolexes of all time. Not without reason, this is the model with the most nicknames (as you know, many of Rolex's special models have nicknames by which they are known among connoisseurs, and which have become so common that they are more popular than their official names). We will list perhaps the most famous of them: Pepsi, Coke, Root Beer and of course the newer ones Batman, Sprite, Bruce Wayne and the undisputed hits in the new collection – the new Pepsi and Batman. All of them are currently selling above their launch price, and even the contemporary models sell for well above their official price – a "marketing trick" a skeptic might say, but rather this is further proof of the right market strategy and price positioning. But why is this model so liked and sought-after - it is neither the most expensive, the most robust, the most complex, or the most beautiful watch? Surely one of the reasons is its so-called "true GMT" - the new in-house movement Caliber 3285, which has an increased power reserve of 70 h, a seriously improved automatic winding system where the rotor is now on a ball bearing, and its efficiency has been increased by 15%. As for the lubrication, the reversing wheels, as one of the problematic areas in terms of friction, have a Teflon coating! The new 3285 has 14 filed patents and more than 90% new components, and it is also twice as accurate as an official COSC chronometer. All this allows the movement to be one of the few that fall into the brand's "Superlative Chronometer" category! We are sure that most of our readers are aware that Rolex calls its water-resistant cases Oyster. I.e., if this name is present in the watch's designation, it means that it is water-resistant. And of course, the GMT-Master II meets this qualification 100% - although, unlike the Submariner, here this indicator is only 100, but as you can guess, the meters here are real. The watch's dial is very clean and easily legible, and the luminescence on the hands and indices facilitates its use at night. The luminescence is blue in color (which is proven to be much more pleasant and harmless to the human eye) – and the so-called Chromalight used by Rolex allows the indices to appear milky white during the day. Regardless of the fact that the GMT Master II is a professional instrument, as was the manufacturer's intention from its very launch, it is clear to everyone that for a long time it has become a luxury attribute – and for quite some time now, this function of it has prevailed over the original reason for its creation. Perhaps for this very reason, Rolex does many things in this model so that the appearance and the overall impression the watch creates prevail over its functionality. The first thing that makes an impression is the sapphire – Rolex applies the anti-reflective coating only on the inner side of the cyclops, and this allows the outer part of the crystal to be more brilliant and shiny to behold. For the case back of the watch, Rolex uses a simple solid case back (as, by the way, in all its models) – and in this case, it is devoid of any markings, inscriptions, or other "decorations." As we all know, for its watches Rolex uses noble 904L steel – the difference with the usual 316 L for other brands is in its greater resistance (especially against salt water). It is a widely known fact that Rolex can be called fanatics when it comes to the steel they use – a large part of the metallurgical processes are done in-house to guarantee a uniform quality of the raw material – we can say with absolute certainty that no other brand devotes so much attention and effort to the quality of the final product in terms of the case finish – and as a result, a unique quality and presence cannot but be achieved. The overall impression is complemented by the watch's 24-hour bezel – its purpose is clear, to track the second time zone. In the old models, the bezel insert was made of aluminum with the hour markers printed on it, but with this model, in 2008, the ceramic bezel was introduced for the first time. Here again, the material is a special creation and is different from the massively used materials, which is why Rolex calls it - "Cerachrom." The bezel itself is divided into two segments – black for the dark part of the day and blue for the light part – it is the colors that give the abbreviation for the reference BLNR (BL from the French Bleu and NR from NoiR), and because of this color scheme, fans nicknamed the model the "New Batman" or in this specific case, because of the bracelet, the "Batgirl." With the new models of the GMT Master II, the brand returns to tradition and they are also offered with a Jubilee bracelet, as is the watch offered today. Indeed, in the 60s Rolex created a great product and invested the next 60 years to improve and perfect it. If at the beginning it was valued by customers as a not very expensive everyday watch, today it is to a greater extent a fashion accessory, which, however, has all the qualities to become a long-term partner to its owner, which not only will not abandon you, but also will not lose much of its value, because it is no secret to anyone here that this brand, besides not being available with large discounts when new, also has the reputation of a brand with the best value-retaining watches, and this particular model can boldly rank among the forefront of Rolex in terms of popularity and is consequently one of the most sought-after and desired. Surely one of the reasons for this is the fact that this watch looks equally good on your wrist whether you are in a formal suit or dressed in worn-out jeans and a white t-shirt – in both cases, the GMT Master II will help attract approving glances to your appearance.