A “Rolex Coke” is any Rolex GMT-Master II watch with a red-and-black bezel insert. The GMT-Master first debuted in 1954 with a red-and-blue colorway that collectors call the “Pepsi.” The Coke didn’t appear until 1983, with the advent of the GMT-Master II (featuring an independent 24-hour hand). The Rolex Coke remained in the lineup until its discontinuation in 2007. Although Rolex fans keep predicting its revival, it hasn’t happened yet–well, unless you count the rare “Icy Coke” versions with rubies and black sapphires on the bezel. Here’s everything you need to know about Rolex Coke models.
Rolex “Fat Lady” GMT-Master II ref. 16760 (1983-1989)
When the GMT-Master II was introduced in 1983, the regular GMT-Master (with a 24-hour hand locked to the regular hour hand) was still in production as well. Presumably part of the rationale behind the red-and-black colorway was to differentiate the then-new GMT-Master II from the previous model, so the Coke bezel was never offered on the GMT-Master 1. Meanwhile Coke was the only option for the original GMT-Master II, ref. 16760, which was made until 1989.
Collectors call the 16760 the “Fat Lady” because of its relatively thick case (although 12.6mm isn’t all that thick) and thick crown guards. Some people also call it the “Sophia Lauren” because of her, well, thickness, but that Rolex nickname seems to be falling out of fashion. Unlike older GMT’s, the Fat Lady has a sapphire crystal and a movement that ticks at the modern rate of 8 beats per second (cal. 3085). But it still has vintage features like tritium lume and an open-6 date wheel. Because of its short run, the 16760 is pretty collectible, but prices aren’t too crazy. Good examples can be had for under $13,000.
Rolex Coke GMT ref. 16710 (1989-2007)
The Rolex Coke GMT ref. 16710 replaced the Fat Lady in 1989, and the differences were pretty minimal. Its 3185 movement was a slight upgrade, featuring no glued-together parts. The industrial adhesive Rolex used in the 3085 is generally perfectly sufficient to keep the hairspring glued to the regulator stud, but most luxury watch buyers don’t like the idea of “glue.” Aside from that, the 3185 delivers very similar performance to the 3085, although it is slimmer, helping reduce the case height by about 0.6mm.
The crown guard on the 16710 is more svelte than that of the 16760, and eagled-eyed watch nerds will notice that the minute hand is slightly slimmer too. Arguably the only big change was that the 16710 was offered with three bezel options instead of just one: Pepsi, Coke, or all-black. Pepsi inserts generally sell for a premium relative to the other two. Rolex Service Centers are usually pretty cool about letting you buy different bezel inserts for your 16710, though. Rolex Forums user shammad10 purchased a Pepsi bezel insert for his all-black 16710 at RSC in 2023.
The 16710 got non-radioactive Super-LumiNova lume (instead of the old tritium) in about 1999. It got solid end links roughly a year later, and then the lugholes disappeared around 2002. The non-lughole model technically got its own reference number, 16710T, although collectors often simply call them “16710” as well.
Towards the end of its run in 2007, 16710T’s began to get outfitted with 3186 movements, which have slightly better magnetic resistance and less “wobble” in the 24-hour hand when setting compared to the 3185. Some people thought that collectors might go nuts for 5-digit Rolex sports models with the 3186 due to the short overlap, but…the market didn’t end up caring all that much.
Rolex “Coke With Ice” GMT
Among the Rolex off-catalog 2024 releases were two “Coke with Ice” GMT-Master II models featuring extravagant bezels set with rubies and black sapphires, along with diamonds covering the lugs, crown guard, and bracelet. The original Icy Coke Rolex GMT came one year earlier with a diamond-free bracelet. Expect resale prices well over $150,000 if you ever see one on the market.
Rolex Coke GMT Specs
| Model | GMT-Master II Coke “Fat Lady” | GMT-Master II Coke | GMT-Master II “Icy Coke” |
| Reference Number | 16760 (1983-1989) | 16710 (1989-2002) 16710T (2002-2007) | 126758 RUSA (2023) 126778 RUSA (2024) 126779 RUSA (2024) |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | 18k yellow or white gold with diamond-set lugs and crown guard |
| Case | Diameter: 40mm Thickness: 12.6mm Lug-to-lug: 47.6mm | Diameter: 40mm Thickness: 12mm Lug-to-lug: 47.2mm | Diameter: 40mm Thickness: 12.2mm Lug-to-lug: 48.1mm |
| Water Resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Rolex 3085 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) | Rolex 3185, 3186 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) | Rolex 3285 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT |
| Bracelet/Strap | Stainless steel Oyster or Jubilee bracelet | Stainless steel Oyster or Jubilee bracelet | 18k gold Oyster bracelet (12677x versions have baguette-set outer links) |
| Power Reserve | 48 hours | 50 hours | 70 hours |
| Market Price (Apr. 2024) | ~$12,800 | ~$11,000 | ~$160,000-250,000 |
We’ll refrain from making any predictions about the future of the Rolex Coke. Maybe they’ll bring it back; maybe they won’t. Either way, there are plenty of perfectly good 5-digit Cokes on the pre-owned market, so there’s no need to wait and find out.
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