Rolex GMT-Master “Root Beer”

The Rolex GMT-Master “Root Beer” is one of the most characterful and historically distinctive members of the GMT family. Its roots can be traced to reference 1675/3, introduced in the early 1970s with a warm brown and gold colour palette that set it apart from the better-known Pepsi and Coke configurations. The combination of brown, gold and stainless steel gave the watch an unmistakably luxurious character while retaining the practical GMT functionality for which the model was created. The aesthetic evolved through references including 16753 and later 16713, with the latter becoming one of the defining neo-vintage Root Beer references before production ended in 2006.

The Root Beer returned to Rolex's modern catalogue in 2018 with reference 126711CHNR, a contemporary interpretation combining Oystersteel with Everose gold and a brown-and-black Cerachrom bezel. A full Everose-gold version, 126715CHNR, extended the same design language into Rolex's precious-metal range. The modern Root Beer therefore connects two very different eras of Rolex: the warm, slightly unconventional elegance of the vintage GMT-Master and the technical precision of the contemporary GMT-Master II. For collectors, its appeal lies precisely in that individuality. It has never been as ubiquitous as the Pepsi, nor as overtly contemporary as the Batman, giving it a more distinctive place within the GMT family. It is an Icon because the Root Beer represents the rarer, more luxurious side of the GMT-Master — a design that has remained unmistakable across generations while developing a devoted collector following of its own.