We admit that the GMT Master in all its variations is one of our most beloved Rolexes ever. For good 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 from 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 far above their official price – a "marketing gimmick" some skeptic might say, but rather it is yet another proof of a correct market strategy and price positioning.
For the first time, we have the pleasure of presenting to your attention the so-called "True Pepsi" – the model in 18-karat white gold with a blue dial on a white gold Oyster bracelet. This is one of the rarest Rolex models ever, offered in two versions – with this blue dial and a meteorite one, and is produced in a very limited series. And the presented specimen is precisely the version with the meteorite dial, which is made from the Gibeon meteorite. It flew through the atmosphere and crashed to Earth in prehistoric times in present-day Namibia. It was first reported by Captain J. E. Alexander in 1836. The meteorite was discovered by the Nama people and was used to make tools and weapons. Classified as an iron meteorite, the meteorite broke up, scattering more than 26,000 kilograms of debris from space, covering an area 275 km long and 100 km wide. To date, about 25 tons of fragments have been found. Interestingly, practically all meteorite dials on the market today are made from this very meteorite.
The Gibeon meteorite likely originated as a piece of a planet's molten core and traveled through space for millions of years. During its cosmic journeys, the molten rock cooled, creating the unique patterns of crystallized iron and nickel, which are technically known as "Widmanstätten patterns" or "Thomson structures" – named after two mineralogists who discovered the peculiar crystal lattices in the early 19th century.
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 Caliber 3285 movement, which has an increased power reserve of 70 hours, 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 lubrication, the reverser wheels, as one of the problematic areas in terms of friction, have a Teflon coating! The new 3285 has 14 incorporated 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 fellow readers are aware that Rolex calls its water-resistant cases Oyster. I.e., if this name is present in the watch's title, it means it is water-resistant. And of course, the GMT-Master II meets this qualification 100% - although, unlike the Submariner, this rating is only 100 here, but as you might guess, the meters here are real.
The dial of the watch is very balanced and "rich," and the fact that, due to their origin, there are practically no two identical dials, makes each model unique in its own way. The luminescence of the hands and indices facilitates its use at night; it 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 now, it has become a luxury attribute – and for quite some time, 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 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." 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, it cannot but produce a unique quality and presence.
The overall impression is complemented by the watch's 24-hour bezel – its purpose is clear, to track a 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 commonly used materials, which is why Rolex calls it - "Cerachrom." The bezel itself is divided into two segments – the blue for the dark part of the day and the red for the light – the colors also give the reference abbreviation BLRO (BL from the French Bleu and RO from Rouge), and because of this color scheme, enthusiasts nicknamed the model the "New Pepsi."
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, who not only will not abandon you, but will also not lose much of its value, because it is no secret to anyone here that this brand, besides not being found 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 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 jeans and a white t-shirt – in both cases, the GMT Master II will help attract approving glances to your appearance.
