We admit that for us, the GMT-Master in all its variations is one of our favorite Rolexes ever. Even more so – in this case, the older versions are dearer to our hearts, but "there's no accounting for taste." It is not for nothing that 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 often more popular than their official names. We will list perhaps the most famous of them: Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Root Beer and, of course, from the newer ones, Batman, Pepsi, Batgirl and Sprite. All of them are currently selling above their launch price, and even the contemporary models are offered significantly above their official price. "A marketing trick" – a skeptic might say, but in our opinion, this is further proof of the correct market strategy and price positioning.
But why is this model so liked and sought-after? It is neither the most expensive, nor the most robust, nor the most complicated or most beautiful watch. Surely one of the reasons is its so-called "true GMT" in-house movement, Caliber 3285, which has an increased power reserve of 70 hours and a seriously improved automatic winding system, in which 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 integrated 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 you are aware that Rolex calls its water-resistant cases Oyster. That is, if this name is present in the watch's designation, it means 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 m, but as you can guess, here the meters are real.
The watch's dial is very clean and easily legible, and the luminescence of 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 this function has long prevailed over the original reason for its creation. Perhaps for this very reason, Rolex does many things in this model in such a way that the appearance and the overall impression the watch creates prevail over its pure 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 plain solid case back, as it does with 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 316L for other brands is in the 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 consistent quality of the raw material. Many watches have passed through our hands, but we can say with absolute certainty that few brands devote so much attention and effort to the quality of the final product in terms of the case finishing – and as a result, it is impossible not to achieve a unique quality and presence.
The overall impression is complemented by the watch's 24-hour bezel – its purpose is clear: to read a second time zone. Trivial, isn't it? In the old models, the bezel insert was made of aluminum with printed hour markers on it, but with this model in 2008, the ceramic bezel was introduced for the first time. Here again, the material is a special development and is different from the massively 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 part. It is the colors that give the abbreviation of the reference BLRO – BL from the French bleu and RO from rouge, and fans, because of this color solution, nicknamed the model the "New Pepsi." With the new GMT-Master II models, the brand returns to tradition and they are offered with a Jubilee bracelet – such is the model offered today.
Indeed, in the 60s, Rolex created a great product and invested the next 60 years in improving and perfecting it. If in the beginning it was valued by customers as a not very expensive everyday watch, today it is to a much greater extent a fashion accessory, which, however, has all the qualities to become a long-term partner to its owner. Besides not letting you down, it will not lose much of its value either, because it is no secret to anyone that this brand cannot be found with large discounts when new and has the reputation of a manufacturer with some of the best value-retaining watches. And this particular model can boldly be ranked in the forefront of Rolex in terms of popularity and, accordingly, among the most sought-after and desired models.
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 appreciative glances to your appearance.
