BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
The brand everyone pays attention to, especially at Watches & Wonders, is Rolex. Their ability to command the attention of so many people, especially when in the company of so many other horological greats, is very commendable, but it does lead to some hyping which may or may not be justified. In the case of the GMT-Master II, it’s very much justified. For 2023, Rolex introduces two new versions of “the cosmopolitan watch”, with black and grey bezels and applications of gold.
GMT-Master II 126713GRNR
The GMT-Master II is a very classical Rolex watch, and on the Jubilee bracelet it gets even better. Sure, the original Batman was on an Oyster bracelet, as was the now discontinued all-black, but the Jubilee bracelet gives this watch class. The two-tone, sorry, yellow gold Rolesor version with a yellow gold crown, bezel grip, hands and centre-links looks even better. The last year or two have had me saying that green is the new blue, but it seems that Rolex and so many others are now shifting towards grey and it suits the GMT-Master II well. The Rolesor version of the GMT-Master II doesn’t feel noticeably heavier than the all-steel version, but the yellow gold adds character, making this even more of a sporty dress watch. The price is €16,150.
GMT-Master II 126718GRNR
All eyes were on the solid gold GMT-Master II, the first time this has happened with the Jubilee in at least 20 years if my memory serves me correctly, which it often doesn’t. This watch is a heavy beast, as expected, but not as heavy as Sky-Dweller in gold is. As above, the black and grey of the bezel work very well on this watch. Given the brightness of yellow gold, it’s nice that this is a little more subdued, as Rolex hasn’t gone for any bright contrasts. With that said, yellow gold and blue Rolex watches work well, case in point is the Submariner. As with the Rolesor version, the yellow gold GMT-Master II features Rolex’s in-house-made self-winding calibre 3285. This movement is a Superlative Chronometer, accurate to within -2/+2 seconds per day, far beyond the requirement of COSC. It beats at 4Hz and has a 70-hour power reserve. The price is €38,200.
The GMT-Master II continues to be one of Rolex’s most popular and, I think, best-looking watches. It has style, is quite subdued and is proportioned well. Stick around as we continue our Rolex coverage from Watches & Wonders Geneva!
