What movement is in the Rolex GMT-Master 16700?

The Rolex GMT-Master 16700 uses caliber 3175, an automatic movement used only for this reference. It beats at 28,800 vph, has about 48 hours of power reserve, and includes hacking seconds and a quickset date.

What makes the 16700 different from a GMT-Master II 16710?

The 16700 uses Rolex’s fixed-GMT architecture, where the 24-hour hand is geared to the main hour hand, and the date is set by quickset. The GMT-Master II 16710 uses an independently adjustable local-hour hand, which enables easier local-time changes and three-time-zone use with the bezel, and its date advances with the jumping local hour.

Are Rolex 16700 dials tritium or Luminova?

Both exist. Earlier 16700 dials are tritium and marked “SWISS-T<25,” while late-production watches adopt Luminova and typically read “SWISS.” The transition is generally placed around c. 1997–1998 with possible overlap.

Did the GMT-Master 16700 come with a black bezel?

Yes. The 16700 is documented with red-blue “Pepsi” and solid black aluminum inserts. The precise first year for the black insert is not fixed in public sources, and inserts are easily replaced, so originality is usually assessed case-by-case.

Is a GMT-Master 16700 for sale usually priced below a 16710?

Dealer commentary commonly places the 16700 slightly below the 16710 in the market, even though the 16700 is produced in lower numbers. Condition, originality, and completeness can outweigh that general pattern for any individual watch.

What are the key GMT-Master 16700 specs?

Core GMT-Master 16700 specs include a 40 mm stainless-steel case, sapphire crystal, 100 m water resistance, a bidirectional 24-hour bezel with aluminum insert (Pepsi or black), and the automatic caliber 3175 with quickset date and a fixed (coupled) GMT hand.

Rolex GMT-Master 16700

Q: What are the GMT-Master 16700 production years?

The GMT-Master 16700 was produced from about 1988 to about 1999. Sources agree on those years, but the exact start and end months are not publicly documented.

Q: Did the GMT-Master 16700 come with a black bezel?

Yes. The 16700 is documented with red-blue “Pepsi” and solid black aluminum inserts. The precise first year for the black insert is not fixed in public sources, and inserts are easily replaced, so originality is usually assessed case-by-case.

Q: Is a GMT-Master 16700 for sale usually priced below a 16710?

Dealer commentary commonly places the 16700 slightly below the 16710 in the market, even though the 16700 is produced in lower numbers. Condition, originality, and completeness can outweigh that general pattern for any individual watch.

Q: What are the key GMT-Master 16700 specs?

Core GMT-Master 16700 specs include a 40 mm stainless-steel case, sapphire crystal, 100 m water resistance, a bidirectional 24-hour bezel with aluminum insert (Pepsi or black), and the automatic caliber 3175 with quickset date and a fixed (coupled) GMT hand.

The Rolex GMT-Master 16700 is the final “classic” GMT-Master, pairing a sapphire-crystal 40 mm case with Rolex’s last fixed-GMT movement even as the GMT-Master II era was already underway.

Production: c. 1988–1999
Case: Stainless steel
Diameter: 40 mm
Thickness: c. 11.5–12.0 mm
Lug width: 20 mm
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resist: 100 m
Bezel: Bidirectional 24-hour
Insert: Aluminum: Pepsi/black
Dial: Black gloss, applied
Lume: Tritium → Luminova
Movement: Cal. 3175 (auto)
Chronometer: Yes (COSC)

The Rolex GMT-Master 16700 closed the book on the original GMT-Master idea at the exact moment Rolex was selling its next chapter. Introduced in 1988 and produced until about 1999, it looks and wears like a late five-digit sports Rolex, with a sapphire crystal, a 40 mm steel case, and 100 meters of water resistance, yet it keeps the classic GMT-Master operating logic: the 24-hour hand is geared to the main hour hand rather than independently adjustable.

That combination is the reference’s whole identity. The 16700 uses the caliber 3175, a movement made only for this model, with hacking seconds and a quickset date, but with the “fixed” GMT architecture that would not continue in later calibers. In Rolex’s catalog it lived alongside GMT-Master II models that offered an independently adjustable local-hour hand, including the 16760 at the 16700’s launch, which makes the 16700 an unusually clear snapshot of Rolex offering two different travel-watch philosophies at once.

The rest of the watch stays deliberately straightforward. The 16700 was made only in stainless steel and is described with a black glossy dial throughout production; variation is concentrated in a few visible, independently timed details, particularly the tritium-to-Luminova dial transition in the late 1990s and the choice of aluminum bezel insert, most often red-blue “Pepsi,” with a solid black insert also documented as an option.

“The GMT-Master 16700 is Rolex’s last classic, fixed-GMT travel watch, updated with a sapphire-crystal case for the 1990s.”

Production timeline

16700 across c. 1988–1999

The 16700 arrives in 1988 as the direct successor to the GMT-Master 16750, and it does so with a very specific agenda: keep the traditional GMT-Master hand behavior while updating the watch to the contemporary Rolex sports-watch build. The result is a steel-only GMT-Master with a sapphire crystal and the caliber 3175, which adds hacking seconds and a quickset date while remaining Rolex’s last fixed-GMT movement.

Because Rolex offered GMT-Master II references alongside it, the 16700’s evolution is less about broad mechanical revisions and more about a late-1990s materials transition on the dial. Early and mid-production watches are defined by tritium dials marked “SWISS-T<25,” while late pieces adopt Luminova and drop the “T” designation, typically reading simply “SWISS.” Production ends around 1999, after which the steel travel-watch role in the range is generally treated as having been carried forward by the GMT-Master II line rather than by a new GMT-Master reference.

1988
Introduced
16700 between lugs at 12
1988
Cal. 3175
GMT hand not independently set
1988
Sapphire era
Flat sapphire, no acrylic dome
c. 1997 – 1998
Lume change
“SWISS” replaces “SWISS-T<25”
1999
Discontinued
Late examples, “SWISS” dial common

How to tell it apart

16700 against its neighbours

The GMT-Master 16700 makes the most sense when framed by the reference it replaced and the GMT-Master II models it overlapped. The 16750 shows what Rolex carried forward (the classic, coupled-hand GMT layout) and what it modernized (sapphire and the late five-digit feel), while the 16760 and 16710 explain why the 16700 exists at all: Rolex offered a simpler, fixed-GMT alternative beside the independently adjustable GMT-Master II.

	16750 Predecessor c. 1979/80–1988	16760 Contemporary sibling c. 1983–1988	This reference 16700 Rolex · focal c. 1988–1999	16710 Effective successor c. 1989–2007
Production	c. 1979/80–1988	c. 1983–1988	c. 1988–1999	c. 1989–2007
Case	Steel / gold / two-tone	Stainless steel	Stainless steel	Stainless steel
Diameter	40 mm	40 mm	40 mm	40 mm
Crystal	Acrylic	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire
Water resist	100 m	100 m	100 m	100 m
Movement	Cal. 3075 (auto)	Cal. 3085 (auto)	Cal. 3175 (auto)	Cal. 3185/3186 (auto)
Bezel	Bidirectional 24-hour	Bidirectional 24-hour	Bidirectional 24-hour	Bidirectional 24-hour
Insert	More options	Coke	Aluminum: Pepsi/black	Pepsi/Coke/black
Lume	Tritium	Tritium	Tritium → Luminova	Tritium → LumiNova
Dial	Matte or gloss	Gloss black	Black gloss, applied	Gloss black

Dial generations

Six dial generations across the run

Most GMT-Master 16700s are defined by the tritium dial, the familiar glossy black layout with applied hour markers in white-gold surrounds and the “SWISS-T<25” signature at 6 o’clock. This is the look that dominates early and mid-1990s production, and it is the version most closely associated with the reference as a whole.

In collecting terms, the key is coherence: an untouched tritium dial with hands that have aged to the same tone reads as period-correct and is typically preferred over mixed luminous materials. Because tritium dials can show moisture damage or heavy degradation on glossy lacquer, condition often matters more than any subtle printing nuance.

Buying guide

What to check before buying a 16700

A GMT-Master 16700 can look straightforward, but the reference sits in an era when service replacement parts and cosmetic refinishing are common. Value and authenticity questions concentrate on whether the dial, hands, and bezel insert are appropriate to one another, and on whether the case still shows sharp, unrounded geometry rather than heavy polishing.

Confirm it is a 16700

The reference number is engraved between the lugs at 12 o’clock (visible only with the bracelet removed). Functionally, the 16700 should behave like a classic GMT-Master: the 24-hour hand stays geared to the main hour hand rather than allowing an independently adjustable local-hour hand.

Dial marking and lume

Tritium dials are marked “SWISS-T<25,” while late-production Luminova dials typically read “SWISS.” The changeover is generally placed around c. 1997–1998 with possible overlap, so the most convincing watches are those where dial type, hand lume, and the overall condition feel consistent rather than mixed.

Hands should match the dial

On an original watch, the luminous material and aging of the hands should correspond to the dial plots. A tritium dial paired with newer, bright Luminova hands (or the reverse) is a common service outcome and usually reduces collector appeal.

Bezel insert originality

The 16700 is documented with Pepsi and solid black aluminum inserts. Inserts are easily replaced, so look for an insert that appears period-correct and consistent with the rest of the watch’s wear, rather than one that looks newly installed on an otherwise aged example.

Case geometry over shine

The 16700’s value is strongly influenced by the condition of the lugs and crown guards. Rounded profiles, softened edges, and thin lugs point to heavy polishing; sharp, even geometry tends to command a meaningful premium.

Bracelet condition and completeness

Both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets are correct in principle, but stretch, link wear, and clasp condition affect wearability and price. Full sets can command premiums; marketplace data indicate that a minority of listings include both box and papers.

Every watch sold on Grey Market goes through this kind of inspection, hands-on, before it ships to the buyer. More in our FAQ

Live · Grey Market

Rolex GMT-Master 16700 for sale

Indicative market value from recent dealer, auction, and Grey Market sales: median ≈ $9,800, with a typical $8,700–$11,500 range across 256 comparable sales (updated this week).

Median

≈ $9,800

Typical range

$8,700–$11,500

Comparables

256

Confidence

AuctionDealer

Each point is a recent dealer or auction sale, banded to an indicative figure. The range shown is not a valuation.

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Similar references

Adjacent in the GMT-Master family

Earlier steel sibling

1675

c. 1959–1980

Two-tone sibling (GMT-II)

16713

c. 1989–2007

Frequently asked

Common questions about the 16700

The GMT-Master 16700 was produced from about 1988 to about 1999. Sources agree on those years, but the exact start and end months are not publicly documented.

Sources cited · 10

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Reviewed by the Grey Market authentication team · Last verified 2026-06-11

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