Pre-Owned Picks: Neo-Vintage Watches With Staying Power
Coke Vs Pepsi isn’t a choice for current consumers of the current Rolex GMT-Master II. This black and red bezel combination has yet to make it to the modern age of ceramic bezels despite the popularity of its original production run from 1983-2007.
This model 16710 is from 1991, a time when Rolex was transitioning from its roots as a producer of tool watches, to a producer of luxury goods. The lume plots are no longer applied directly to the dial but rather housed in white gold, which adds depth to the dial and a high-end shine older GMT-Masters don’t have. This model has a slight scuff on the white gold minute hand, but all of the tritium has started to patina to a beautiful cream color without any cracking, which takes 30 years of patience and luck to achieve. The aluminum bezel is in overall excellent shape for its age and it is starting to show some patina on the lower red half. The classic lug hole case is in great shape and so is the oyster bracelet.