Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR 'Bruce Wayne'
Rolex GMT Master II 126710 GRNR
Earlier this year at Watches And Wonders (April 24) Rolex did what Rolex does, and with quite some fanfare.
Ever since the ceramic Pepsi was released in 2018, fans of the GMT Master have been discussing, speculating and almost begging for a Coke variant.
Since then The crown has released the VTNR, a green and black bezelled destro GMT, and this year, after 6 years of waiting impatiently, they released a monochromatic grey and black bezel model, the GRNR (Gris/Noir)
As per usual, not what anybody was expecting or praying for but this is a bit of a hallmark of the crown!
That said, it’s a great looking watch and if you’re looking for restraint over brighter bezels, this could well be the one for you as it almost brings back the original 116710LN but with a bicolour bezel. It has the same Rolex green GMT hand and “GMT Master II” logo on the dial which adds some nice contrast, showcases the brands signature colour, and lifts the watch away from being a completely pure exercise in monochrome.
Judging by Rolex’ sister brand Tudor, monochrome is hot right now so from that perspective, the new GMT makes a lot of sense.
It edges functionality over the “old” all-black version by offering a way of differentiating between night and day without using a bright or attention grabbing colour to make the point.
In that sense it is definitely stealthier than the likes of the Pepsi and the VTNR or BLNR.
Sorry, I’m not calling it a Sprite, just as I am not calling this a “Bruce Wayne” as part of my ongoing campaign for people to stop naming things after beverages beyond Pepsi and Coke, Super Heroes, or small blue humanoids who live in mushroom shaped houses.
I am very much a killjoy on this subject but, dear friends, don’t let me stop you as I understand that many enjoy the naming of the new models. I may be grouchy on my own over this one.
The grey/black bezel does shift and change depending on conditions.
In low light it’s virtually indistinguishable from all black, but in the sun or under harsher lighting it is very clearly two toned.
Its subtle, and I appreciate that about it.
Stats-wise:
The GMT has a 40mm diameter “Supercase” meaning beefy lugs unlike the slimmed down versions now found on the 41mm Submariner models.
They are 12.1mm thick, lug to lug 48.5mm and with a 20mm bracelet which is offered in either Jubilee or Oyster - same as the Pepsi and BLNR.
904L stainless steel case and bracelet for superb corrosion resistance.
Unidirectional 24 hour bezel which runs on ceramic bearings
100m water resistant, fine for swimming, scuba etc.
The crown and seals on the GMTs are “Triplock” which are the same as the Submariner, and being an Oyster case, sports Rolex of any variant are well up for a dip so no concerns there.
The case is surgical grade steel with brushed top lugs and polished sides, very much “the Rolex way” and the combination of brush and polish is echoed through the bracelet, whichever one you choose, which has brushed outer links and polished centre links.
The bracelet on this one is a Jubilee, and even though I do tend to prefer an Oyster, the Jubilee has a special link (see what I did there) to the GMT family.
It disappeared as an option for a while post 16710 but was returned to its rightful place within the collection in 2018, and there are a lot of collectors who are firmly in the Jubilee camp as the five link bracelet seperates the GMT from the rest of the “professional line” offerings as it is the only sports model which comes with the option.
This is a “Super Jubilee” which is completely solid linked so infinitely sturdier than the Jubilee bracelets of old which were hollow link and prone to getting a little stretchy over the years.
The modern Jubilee is superb in its comfort and venting abilities, as it has smaller links with more separation between them so the bracelets both drape like silk over the wrist as well as offering great air circulation to the point that you can forget its being worn, which is a sign of a top notch bracelet.
It’s a little more formal than the oyster, but that is part of its appeal, and, quite importantly, hairlines on polished centre links, which are often the curse of a mixed finish bracelet are vastly less visible on a Jubilee than they are on an Oyster bracelet as micro swirls tend to disappear within the light play of the centre links, a bonus point for the Jubilees.
The movement powering all of the current GMT line is calibre 3285 which is rated as a superlative chronometer meaning that it is accurate to a tolerance of -2 to +2 seconds per day.
Its 70 hour power reserve means that it can be left off wrist for a weekend, not that you’d necessarily want to, and it will still be ticking when you put it back on again.
Its a dedicated GMT movement so setting is a fairly simple affair.
Start with your “home time” by unscrewing the crown and pulling out to its second position (as far out as possible) while ideally stopping the seconds at 12.
Then set the gmt hand (with the triangular point) and the minutes to your time at home, for example London GMT.
Push the crown in one notch (to its first position) and then set the jumping hour hand either forwards or backwards to get your local time.
Once that is set, push the crown in all the way to the winding position, give it a couple of winds if needed, and screw it into the case.
The date is linked to the local hands, so will jump over whenever the main handset hits midnight.
Once youve finished jetsetting, you can set the jumping hour hand to sit over the top of the GMT hand and tidy up the dial when the function isnt in use.
Job done.
All things considered, this is a very well executed and somewhat “under the radar” addition to the GMT line which I welcome.
It has the resssuring uniformity of Rolex, which is known for being all very similar but at the same time staggeringly successful because they have their recipes just right after years of “Evolution Not Revolution”
It’s different enough to slip into a collection that already has a Pepsi or a BLNR etc, but its also one that can stand on its own two feet as an “only watch” option as it has both the useful dual time feature and plenty of ability in the water.
I give it a very solid 9/10, and am only deducting the one because I’m STILL waiting for a ceramic Coke.