Rolex GMT-Master II Sprite 126720VTNR
Rolex GMT-Master II “Sprite” 126720VTNR
This is partly a review, and partly to ask readers to kindly stick on their therapist cardigans and help settle an office debate.
This is the GMT Master II “Sprite”
Quick specs first!
First released in 2022
40mm diameter “Supercase”
12.1mm thick, lug to lug 48.5mm and with a 20mm bracelet - same as the Pepsi and BLNR.
904L stainless steel case and bracelet - corrosion resistant.
Unidirectional 24 hour bezel which runs on ceramic bearings
100m water resistant
In short, this is the same size and offers all the same treats as the rest of the steel GMT range, with one notable exception.
Its designed to be worn on the right wrist.
The crown is now on the left, along with the cyclops and date, rather than on the traditional right.
This is so that the watch can be worn by left handed people, on the right wrist, and the crown is accessible without the need to remove it from the wrist.
And, I absolutely love it.
I’m a right hand wearer so it makes a refreshing change, and lets face it, it’s nice to be considered once in a while by watchmakers.
The black and green bezel is completely new for this model and reminds me of a Submariner hybrid, more subtle than the blue/red of the Pepsi, but for a new take on an old theme, it works for me.
The bracelet on this one is a Jubilee, and even though I do love an Oyster, the Jubilee does have a special place in 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.
This is a “Super Jubilee” which is completely solid linked so infinitely sturdier than the Jubilee bracelets of old which were 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 on the wrist, which in my opinion is a sign of a top notch bracelet.
It’s a little more formal than the oyster, but, if you’ve got other professional models, you’ll likely have another oyster and a change is as good as a holiday, particularly now that they’re running “like for like” on the longevity front.
The movement is calibre 3285 (the same as its stablemates) and is rated to -2 to +2 seconds per day and gives a 70 hour power reserve on a full wind.
A quirk with this model is that in order to wind, if you do so with the right hand, you’ll need to flip the Sprite upside down so that the crown is to the right and roll clockwise to wind, in the same way that you would a standard watch.
You could also go for the full “lefty” experience and hold in the right hand and wind in an anti-clockwise direction.
All in, this is a perfect sports piece for me.
The size and displacement of weight over my wrist is spot on, its a wear it and forget it watch.
The green and black colour theme really appeals as I’ve had decades to get used to seeing Pepsi and Coke bezels, so this one has definite novelty factor that I don’t think I’ll tire of.
As I travel a lot, I find the GMT complication genuinely useful, as well as the water resistance as it means that there is no circumstance beyond full diving that I need to take the watch off.
It is a do it all go anywhere companion piece and as a right wrist wearer, its the perfect layout for me. Plus, you really don’t see that many of them around in a sea of Subs and GMT’s.
It’s a superb one-watch solution and I’m in the 10/10 camp.
As I said earlier though, the Sprite is definitely a subject of debate in the office, because as well as filming, buying, selling, and living watches, we also love to argue about them so I’m present an alternative opinion, and as we said at the outset, we’re going to leave it to you guys to pick a team.
My colleague Agent M has prepared a statement:
As a lifelong righty wearer, I’ve always been annoyingly smug to have never suffered from “crown dig” or any associated discomfort that comes from wearing a watch on the left wrist with the crown free to poke into the back of my hand at any given moment.
More to the point, I’ve never had a “crown callous” and believe me, having spent far too many hours looking at wrist shots, i’ve spotted a few in my time.
These dinks, rubs and marks caused by crowns are such a phenomenon that they are considered to be the hallmarks of the “true” WIS, and blog pages exist extolling their virtues as the sign of the enthusiast.
My response to this is an emphatic - no thank you.
When I’ve worn dedicated “Destro” watches, they have without fail, driven me round the bend comfort wise, so my first response to the release of the GMT VTNR was a sense of irritation that as this was a “lefty” release for “righty” wearers - it was a release that I was going to give the permanent swerve.
I have no desire to be annoyed by a crown, my decidedly middle aged mind is no longer fresh enough to compute the date being in the wrong space at speed, and the idea that the watch exists so that I can adjust it “on the move” is not applicable because I am not a member of a SWAT team.
There is no situation that I can think of which wouldn’t give me enough time to sit and set and besides, adjusting the crown with a watch on the wrist can weaken the stem, so its a feature that shouldn’t be used full stop.
Therefore, in my humble opinion - while the Sprite has an undoubted appeal, because I find it much more comfortable to have a smooth case side closest to my hand, it will never be a watch for me.
That said, I would suggest that if a left hand wearer were to take the Sprite on a ride, they may well convert to my way of thinking and thoroughly enjoy the freedom of not being reminded that you’re wearing a watch by being poked by it every time you flex your hand.
I would absolutely advocate coming over to the Dark Side of watch wearing and due to its design, the Sprite would be a perfect wearer for the left wrist.
It is for that reason alone that it’s a really frustrating release for me as a righty.