Crown Vintage
Rolex GMT Master 16700 Coke 40MM 1993
Rolex GMT Master 16700 Coke 40MM 1993
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Rolex GMT Master 16700 Coke 40MM 1993
Case and Bracelet
The 40mm Oyster case of this 1993 GMT-Master 16700 is in great condition, with light hairlines visible across its surfaces. It has been lightly polished, yet the lugs remain thick and the case keeps its proportions, an important point on a reference whose crisp profile is easily softened by heavier refinishing. The bracelet is in very nice condition, showing light hairline scratches from regular wear, and has only a little stretch through the links, so it still sits neatly on the wrist.
Dial and Hands
The dial and hands are in very good condition and read cleanly together, giving the watch a balanced appearance that sits comfortably alongside the case and bracelet.
WAIO Report
Tested over 4 positions the watch is running at +0.4s/d | 0.2MS beat error | 272.5 Degrees of amplitude.
The watch has successfully passed a 5BAR pressure test.
Use Advisory
At over 30 years old, this GMT-Master should be treated as a vintage timepiece. We recommend avoiding swimming and prolonged water exposure, and ensuring the crown is always fully screwed down before wear.
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Why we love this watch
Why we love this watch
Halfway Down the Last Runway: The 1993 Rolex GMT-Master 16700
When this GMT-Master 16700 was cased in 1993, Rolex was five years into selling two versions of its pilot watch from the same counter, and this was the one that still read a second time zone exactly the way Pan Am crews had in the 1950s. It is the simpler of the pair, the more affordable of the pair, and the last reference to carry the plain GMT-Master name.
A Brand Built Around the Oyster
Rolex began in London in 1905 as Wilsdorf & Davis, a distribution business founded by Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis. Wilsdorf registered the Rolex name in 1908 and moved the company to Geneva in 1919. Two inventions then set the template for every sports watch the brand would make. The Oyster case of 1926 was the first genuinely waterproof wristwatch case, and the Perpetual rotor of 1931 wound the movement automatically, so the crown could stay screwed down. The 40mm steel case on this watch is a direct descendant of both.
The Airline Watch
Rolex launched the GMT-Master in 1955 as a navigation aid for crews crossing time zones in the new jet age, and it became the official watch of Pan American World Airways. The principle was simple. A fourth hand made one rotation every twenty four hours, and a rotating bezel carried a matching twenty four hour scale, so home time and local time could be read from one dial. In 1959 the captain of Pan Am’s first non-stop Jet Clipper flight from New York to Moscow wore a GMT-Master as a navigation aid throughout the journey.
From Bakelite to the 16750
The first reference, the 6542, used a Bakelite bezel insert with luminous radium numerals. Bakelite cracked, and Rolex replaced it with anodised aluminium in 1956. The reference 1675 followed in 1959 and ran until 1980, the longest production of any GMT-Master. The 16750 arrived in 1981 with the calibre 3075, a faster movement with a quickset date, and water resistance of 100 metres.
1988: Rolex Builds Two GMT-Masters
The 16700 replaced the 16750 in 1988. A year later Rolex introduced the GMT-Master II reference 16710, whose hour hand could be set independently, allowing a third time zone to be read from the bezel. Rather than retire the original, Rolex kept both in the catalogue, with the 16700 positioned as the lower priced alternative. By 1993 the arrangement was well established, and the two watches looked almost identical across a room. The difference only showed when the crown was pulled.
The 16700 was offered in stainless steel only, never in gold or two-tone, which makes it the most purely tool-focused generation of the line.
Calibre 3175
Inside is the Rolex calibre 3175, a self-winding movement with 31 jewels running at 28,800 vibrations per hour, with a power reserve of about 48 hours. It hacks, so the seconds hand stops when the crown is pulled for precise setting, and it keeps the quickset date inherited from the calibre 3075. The 3175 was fitted to this reference alone. Its twenty four hour hand is geared to the hour hand and moves with it, so a second time zone is set by turning the bezel, just as it was in 1955. That is the whole character of the watch: the bezel is the instrument, and the hands are read against it.
A 1993 Example
This watch comes from the middle of the run. The 16700 moved from an acrylic to a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal compared with the 16750, and its glossy black dial carries applied hour markers set in white gold surrounds. In 1993 Rolex was still lighting GMT-Master dials with tritium; the change to Luminova came only in the final years of production. By this point Rolex had also moved the 16700 date wheel from the earlier open six to a closed six, a change made in 1992.
On this example the bezel insert is split red and black. The 16700 was supplied on either the three-link Oyster bracelet or the five-link Jubilee, and it wears in the slim proportions of the older GMT-Masters, measuring 40mm across with 20mm lugs.
Final Thoughts
We love the 1993 GMT-Master 16700 because it was built with full knowledge that a more capable option sat beside it, and Rolex made it anyway. It pairs a sapphire crystal and a hacking, quickset movement with the original single time zone logic that Pan Am asked for, in a steel case that still follows the Oyster principles of 1926. Made at the midpoint of the final GMT-Master run, it is a watch from the years when the old way and the new way shared a showroom.
References
1. Rolex, History 1953–1967: <u>https://www.rolex.com/about-rolex/history/1953-1967</u>
2. Rolex Newsroom, The Rolex GMT-Master II Models: <u>https://newsroom.rolex.com/watches/oyster-collection/gmt-master-ii</u>
3. The 1916 Company, Complete History of Rolex Watches: <u>https://www.the1916company.com/blog/rolex-history.html</u>
4. Bob’s Watches, History and Timeline of Rolex Founder Hans Wilsdorf: <u>https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/history-of-time/hans-wildorf-rolex-founder.html</u>
5. Bob’s Watches, Rolex GMT-Master 16700 Ultimate Guide: <u>https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/vintage-week-gmt-master-ref-16700.html</u>
6. Gray & Sons, GMT-Master 16700 vs. GMT-Master II 16710: <u>https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/gmt-master-16700-vs-gmt-master-ii-16710-rolex-pepsi-coke/</u>
7. Gray & Sons, The History and Evolution of the Rolex GMT-Master: <u>https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/history-evolution-rolex-gmt-master/</u>
8. Gray & Sons, 5 Things to Know About the GMT-Master 16700: <u>https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/5-things-to-know-about-the-gmt-master-16700/</u>
9. Millenary Watches, Rolex Caliber 3175 Complete Guide: <u>https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-3175/</u>
10. Watch Wiki, Rolex 3175: <u>https://www.watch-wiki.net/doku.php?id=rolex_3175</u>
11. Langedyk Vintage Watches, The Rolex GMT-Master 16700 vs. GMT-Master II 16710: <u>https://langedykvintagewatches.com/articles/rolex-gmt-master-16700/</u>
12. Monochrome Watches, History of the Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II: <u>https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-gmt-master-and-gmt-master-ii-1955-2024-iconic-traveller-watch-in-depth-review/</u>
Case & Bracelet
Case & Bracelet
- Case in great condition, with light hairlines visible.
- Case lightly polished while retaining thick lugs.
- Bracelet in very nice condition, light hairline scratches visible.
- Bracelet has little stretch
Dial & Hands
Dial & Hands
- Dial & hands very good condition
Warranty & Condition
Warranty & Condition
Crown Vintage Watches provides a minimum 6-month mechanical warranty on pre-owned watches, from the date of purchase.
The warranty covers mechanical defects only.
The warranty does not cover damages such as scratches, finish, crystals, glass, straps (leather, fabric or rubber damage due to wear and tear), damage resulting from wear under conditions exceeding the watch manufacturer’s water resistance limitations, and damage due to physical and or accidental abuse.
Please note, water resistance is neither tested nor guaranteed.
Shipping and insurance costs for warranty returns to us must be covered by the customer. Returns must be shipped via traceable courier. Return shipment must be pre-paid and fully insured. Collect shipping will be refused. In case of loss or damages, the customer is liable.
Our Pledge
At Crown Vintage Watches, we stand by the authenticity of every product we sell. For added peace of mind, customers are welcome to have items independently authenticated at their own expense.
Condition
Due to the nature of vintage timepieces, all watches are sold as is. We will accurately describe the current condition and working order of all watches we sell to the best of our ability.
Shipping & Refund
Shipping & Refund
