Rolex GMT-Master II 116713 Two-Tone Luxury Watch Review

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The Rolex GMT-Master is the greatest Rolex pilot's watch and one of the all-time "tool watch" greats regardless of manufacturer. This contemporary 116713 GMT-Master II combines the traditional strengths of a classic model with a ceramic bezel, stout milled clasp, and the latest anti-magnetic automatic Rolex movement.

Introduced in 1955 as a joint development with PAN-AM airlines, the GMT-Master was a certified chronometer with a date and a 24-hour hand. The professional functions of the watch were accessed by setting the 24-hour hand to Greenwich Mean Time and using the bidirectional bezel to find the local time when approaching a specific airport. Thereby, pilots could keep their watches synchronized regardless of global location, but the convenience of local time was readily accessible.

Since 1983, Rolex has offered the GMT-Master II, which features two independent time zones on its dial and has the ability to calculate a third with the bezel. This 116713 GMT Master-II features the dual-time Caliber 3186, an automatic chronometer movement with Rolex's latest parachrom blue antimagnetic hairspring. Tougher than its predecessors and just as precise, this is the cutting edge of timing technology in the Rolex professional watch line-up.

The Oyster bracelet features Rolex's "Rolesor" two-tone 18-k gold and 904L stainless steel combination. Both beautiful and rugged this combination of Rolex alloys is versatile enough for work or play. A bezel of Rolex Cerachrom ceramic resists scratches and scuffs to maintain an unblemished appearance. The Oysterclasp now is milled from solid steel, and the result is a solid impression on the wrist that earlier stamped Oysterclasps can never approach. Its 5mm "Easylink" tool-free adjustment permits quick resizing if a wrist expands or contracts in the course of a day.

Available from thewatchbox.com with full factory boxes, papers, and documents of provenance, this Rolex GMT-Master II 116713 is an outstanding example of a living legend. Video and content by Tim Mosso.