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Old 15 July 2010, 11:09 PM   #1
Sub Man
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Icon5 CALLING ALL GMT 16710 owners...

Hi all,

I wanted some clarity on model numbers for the GMT II 16710.

I have read a number of posts and web sites which indicate the difference in model numbers for the 16710 based on the bezel colour.
For e.g.
- Black/red (coke) = 16710A
- Blue/red (Pepsi) = 16710B or 16710BLRO
- Black bezel = 16710N

I am confused as there seems to be some inconsistency by what I’ve seen as some owners simply have 16710 without any letter prefix.

I am looking to purchase a 16710 Pepsi and was recently offered a black bezel watch, which the dealer said he would switch to a Pepsi. I have raised this with them and they mentioned that there wasn’t a letter prefix and therefore no issue.
My concern is that this will be deemed a modification and may affect a potential resale in the future.

It may be that the prefixes were only on US models or on specific serials.

It would good see what other 16710 owners have - calling all GMT owners:
- Highlight which AD you sourced your GMT from?
- What series?
- The model number on your warranty?
- What you bought it as i.e. Black, Coke or Pepsi?

Looking forward to everyone's feedback...
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Old 15 July 2010, 11:25 PM   #2
Speed
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AD is not relevant.

I have a D series Coke which had A in the model # string.

I have a Pepsi insert on the watch at present.

No biggie. Simply hold onto your original insert should you ever sell the watch.

Funny story. A seller on TRF posted a photo of the papers with a "Pepsi" he was selling the papers indicated the bezel insert should be black!

The watch was sold before I could report the listing...

Caveat emptor!
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Old 16 July 2010, 12:33 AM   #3
jdc
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papers on older GMT II's were not marked with insert colour, my K series is a case. Anyway what difference does it make the inserts are made to be interchangeable. Outside of USA no-one seems to bother - go into Rolex UK and they will give you and fit whatever colour you like and its cheap to do
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Old 16 July 2010, 12:43 AM   #4
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The green tag that came with my Y series Coke show it's a 16710LN. The warrenty paper indicates it's a 16710N.
No other indication of which bezel it originally came with, I'm told the spare black bezel that came with it was the original.
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Old 16 July 2010, 01:00 AM   #5
Sub Man
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff_M View Post
The green tag that came with my Y series Coke show it's a 16710LN. The warrenty paper indicates it's a 16710N.
No other indication of which bezel it originally came with, I'm told the spare black bezel that came with it was the original.
That makes sense. 16710N is the model number for the Black bezel so you were told correctly.
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Old 16 July 2010, 01:13 AM   #6
sakuraba
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My pepsi is a 16710N so originally came with a black insert. Only place that shows up is the warranty paper and the little tag on the outer box.

IMHO it really shouldn't matter as long as the watch is not misrepresented when flipping time comes.
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Old 16 July 2010, 01:26 AM   #7
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Sorry to be pedantic, but maybe the confusion with the AD relates to your use of 'prefix' (letter in front of number) when you mean 'suffix' (letter after number).

A letter prefix for is used by Rolex for serial numbers and suffix for models.
(I think)

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Old 16 July 2010, 01:30 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdc View Post
papers on older GMT II's were not marked with insert colour, my K series is a case. Anyway what difference does it make the inserts are made to be interchangeable. Outside of USA no-one seems to bother - go into Rolex UK and they will give you and fit whatever colour you like and its cheap to do
Have to agree in many ways the guys across the pond get a raw deal.But Rolex USA is a separate company and seem to be a law too themselves.Just cannot understand why the American buyers put up with this dictatorship by Rolex USA.The GMT insert is meant to be changed thats why there are three options now,but Rolex USA would like you to buy a new watch just for a £35 insert.:
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Old 16 July 2010, 01:34 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by padi56 View Post
Just cannot understand why the American buyers put up with this dictatorship by Rolex USA.
We can't seem to overthrow the damn bastids!
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Old 16 July 2010, 01:38 AM   #10
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I’m interested in seeing if the letter at the end of the model number is just a Rolex US thing; it seems that all the US members have the numbers.

BTW I’m in the UK; some of the people I’ve spoken to here don't have a letter to highlight the bezel.

Looking forward to more input from members...
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Old 16 July 2010, 03:17 AM   #11
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So UK folks need to chime in.

On another matter..I disagree the inserts were "meant" to be interchanged....rolex certainly would not promote this, right? Otherwise you could easily buy inserts through normal channels.

Its a WIS thing.
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Old 16 July 2010, 03:23 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
So UK folks need to chime in.

On another matter..I disagree the inserts were "meant" to be interchanged....rolex certainly would not promote this, right? Otherwise you could easily buy inserts through normal channels.

Its a WIS thing.
you can easily buy and change inserts outside USA through Rolex, you guys as Peter said need to stand up for yourselves more
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Old 16 July 2010, 03:28 AM   #13
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My point is Rolex did not create these inserts / watches for switching. I am sure they would prefer you to buy 3 watches vs 1!
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Old 16 July 2010, 04:05 AM   #14
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My 16710 bought it with the black bezel insert, new here in Greece from Rolex Hellas, country code 200.

It is an F series (January 2005) and it has the paper warranty. It has on it only the country code, the serial number and the reference number -->straight 16710<----.

I guess that only the 16710's that sold in USA have the indications A, B or BLRO, N.
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Old 16 July 2010, 07:53 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
My point is Rolex did not create these inserts / watches for switching. I am sure they would prefer you to buy 3 watches vs 1!
then why can you get them switched by Rolex outside of USA
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Old 16 July 2010, 08:12 AM   #16
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I'm not sure but.. Was the 16710 ever issued by Rolex with Pepsi as the original insert? The fact that the boxes for the Pepsi replacement inserts just say 16700 supports this theory I guess and I think I've read it elsewhere here on TRF.
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Old 16 July 2010, 08:13 AM   #17
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The fact you can get them switched for a fee of course is inconsequential... The bezel is not made to be easily removed - frequently
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Old 16 July 2010, 08:20 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
The fact you can get them switched for a fee of course is inconsequential... The bezel is not made to be easily removed - frequently
I think a Rolex tech can manage that task without too much fear
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Old 16 July 2010, 08:29 AM   #19
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Right...but not an end user!

Come on. We know Rolex is not about giving people an opportunity to avoid buying anitge watch.
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Old 16 July 2010, 08:30 AM   #20
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"Another" watch...iPhone typo
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Old 16 July 2010, 08:45 AM   #21
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All 16710's are identical; the model number is 16710......... there is no suffix number on the watch itself..

The only place that you will ever see the suffix (A for black/red, B for blue/red, N for black) is with the original paperwork... but, it doesn't matter. You can have any color insert affixed to our 16710. Some AD's are clueless though, so don't confuse them by saying that it originally had such and such. They are brainwashed that all Rolex watches must "remain as built"; and that is not the case...
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Old 16 July 2010, 08:54 AM   #22
jdc
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
Right...but not an end user!

Come on. We know Rolex is not about giving people an opportunity to avoid buying anitge watch.
I don't see your point. In the UK Rolex will switch your insert and allow you to keep the old one all for the princely sum of about £30. Rolex UK don't have a problem with this - although as Rolex USA operate things in their own way it may be different on your side of the pond.

You then switch to an argument that you think they were not designed to be switched because of difficulty. Its not difficult and would take ten minutes, personally I would get a tech to do this but there are many who have done it themselves.

If you buy into the Rolex USA mantra of having to buy a new watch to get a different look then so be it, I would prefer to spend £30 and not worry about what a corporation told me what I can and cannot do with my own watch.
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Old 16 July 2010, 09:35 AM   #23
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My point is simply that I don't believe that when Rolex designed the watch they did so with the desire to facilitate customers ability to change out different colored inserts.

Sure a UK rsc will sell and replace an insert... But IMO Rolex never created intended that activity to be the norm.

I don't like Rolex USA...I have a Pepsi insert on my Coke watch so I did not buy another watch..

Just saying that if Rolex meabt this watch to Have interchangeable inserts it would have made that a selling point and made it easier for folks to change inserts worldwide.
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Old 16 July 2010, 05:21 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
My point is simply that I don't believe that when Rolex designed the watch they did so with the desire to facilitate customers ability to change out different colored inserts.

Sure a UK rsc will sell and replace an insert... But IMO Rolex never created intended that activity to be the norm.

I don't like Rolex USA...I have a Pepsi insert on my Coke watch so I did not buy another watch..

Just saying that if Rolex meabt this watch to Have interchangeable inserts it would have made that a selling point and made it easier for folks to change inserts worldwide.
Having an opinion is one thing denying facts is another. I doubt most people would want to change the insert, so changing it as you put it, would not be the 'norm'. That does not mean Rolex would not change the insert.

It seems Rolex USA makes its own rules up, but don't confuse Rolex USA with Rolex worldwide.
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Old 16 July 2010, 06:59 PM   #25
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Quote:
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All 16710's are identical; the model number is 16710......... there is no suffix number on the watch itself..

The only place that you will ever see the suffix (A for black/red, B for blue/red, N for black) is with the original paperwork... but, it doesn't matter. You can have any color insert affixed to our 16710. Some AD's are clueless though, so don't confuse them by saying that it originally had such and such. They are brainwashed that all Rolex watches must "remain as built"; and that is not the case...
When you refer to the original paperwork I assume you mean the warranty papers/card.

That is what my initial query was regarding, I appreciate the model number etched on the watch itself would be 16710 with no suffix. However, I can see that trying to sell a Black bezel GMT II disguised as a Pepsi to a well educated Rolex buyer down the line could flare up some disagreements, as connoisseurs of the brand may mind. I also appreciate that you can change the bezel back before resale, however originality is key to a collector.

I think the topic just raised my curiosity of how the models differed in different proximities. Currently it seems that the US 16710 owners have the suffix and everyone else doesn’t.

Looking forward to more GMT II owners coming forward to show us their model numbers…
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Old 16 July 2010, 07:57 PM   #26
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When you refer to the original paperwork I assume you mean the warranty papers/card.

That is what my initial query was regarding, I appreciate the model number etched on the watch itself would be 16710 with no suffix. However, I can see that trying to sell a Black bezel GMT II disguised as a Pepsi to a well educated Rolex buyer down the line could flare up some disagreements, as connoisseurs of the brand may mind. I also appreciate that you can change the bezel back before resale, however originality is key to a collector.

I think the topic just raised my curiosity of how the models differed in different proximities. Currently it seems that the US 16710 owners have the suffix and everyone else doesn’t.

Looking forward to more GMT II owners coming forward to show us their model numbers…
I really think you are over analyzing this. As stated earlier older GMT's did not have the paper marked to indicate insert colour, which your dealer made you aware of. Where this is done it is on recent 16710's. If you find a good GMTII for a good price but with what you think is an incorrect insert, it does not make it a wrong'un and as you are in the UK its a cheap fix. GMTII's are not going to have faded bezels like the 1675, so replacing with a new insert will not alter the appearance or make it less collectable. If you have found one in good condition and price go for it, good luck and its a great reference
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Old 16 July 2010, 09:11 PM   #27
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Maybe I am being a little over analytical on this topic but I guess a lot of us Rolex admirers are, I guess it's the small attention to detail which fascinates us about these watches and all of us have our own individual quirks.

I’m just interested in the anomaly that seems to be appearing with the US specific models. It would still be great to see other 16710 owners to show us what they have, especially some of the non-US members...
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Old 16 July 2010, 09:36 PM   #28
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I looked at my papers from my 2007 Z US bought 161710 it reads
16710N - and it has a black insert
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Old 16 July 2010, 09:44 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
The fact you can get them switched for a fee of course is inconsequential... The bezel is not made to be easily removed - frequently
Have removed replaced many over the years must take now around 5 minutes, it really is a very simple job once you have done it a few times.The inserts are very interchangeable and very easy to change once you know how.
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Old 16 July 2010, 10:33 PM   #30
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I bought my 16710 in March and when i looked at the watch (originaly bought in Dec 2004,F series) it had a black bezel, and had never been worn. I said i wanted a Pepsi out of choice and asked them to change the bezel,they did but kept the black one as i said i would probably never use it. I found out by the little green tag that it had on it 16710 BL/RO, this meant it originaly was a Pepsi bezel model but was changed to a black one by the original buyer.
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