The Rolex Forums   The Rolex Watch

ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

Old 27 March 2014, 09:34 AM   #1
Tools
TRF Moderator & 2024 Patron
 
Tools's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Real Name: Larry
Location: Mojave Desert
Watch: GMT's
Posts: 42,990
2014 Pepsi GMT II Ceramic

THE NEW GMT-MASTER II
Introducing
A world first

Rolex introduces world first on its Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, unveiling a red and blue Cerachrom bezel insert, echoing the first GMT‑Master bezel of 1955. An exceptional achievement on two counts: firstly, red is an extremely difficult colour to obtain and, therefore, an unusual colour for ceramic; secondly, having succeeded in creating a red insert, Rolex then found a way to locally modify the chemical composition of each grain, right to the core of the ceramic, and change the colour of half the insert from red to blue, while ensuring a sharp delineation between the two colours.

High technology and iconic aesthetics
The resulting bulk-coloured, single-piece Cerachrom insert is red for the hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and blue for the hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. By virtue of being manufactured in a single piece, the insert acquires mechanical resistance properties that respond to the quality and reliability demanded of a Rolex product. Like all Rolex Cerachrom bezel inserts, it offers exceptional scratch and corrosion resistance. Its colours are unaffected by ultraviolet rays.

The aesthetic effect is equally spectacular. The ceramic’s sheen gives volume to the insert and enhances the colours in a way that is reminiscent of the Plexiglas insert of the original GMT-Master. The engraved numerals and graduations are coated with a thin layer of platinum via a PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) process patented by Rolex. Their depth and matt finish underscore the contrast with the insert's polished surface, producing a three-dimensional effect that ensures optimal legibility.

Pushing the boundaries of the possible
The new GMT-Master II’s two-colour red and blue Cerachrom insert is a unique, high-technology ceramic component, which adds new patents to the Cerachrom insert developed by Rolex in 2005. It combines the exceptional technical performance of the Cerachrom bezel with the GMT‑Master’s iconic two-colour appearance.

2014 Pepsi.jpg

2014 Pepsi 2.jpg

Pepsi Ceramic.jpg


GMT-Master II
In the beginning, there was red and blue
From its launch in 1955, the Rolex GMT-Master stood out with its rotatable 24-hour graduated red and blue bezel. Thanks to an additional hand that circled the dial once every 24 hours, airline pilots on intercontinental flights – a rapidly expanding sector at the time – could read the time in two time zones simultaneously. Red and blue, situated at opposite ends of the colour spectrum, are strongly contrasting colours for the human eye, a determining factor for legibility on a Professional watch. The first GMT‑Master bezel inserts were made of transparent Plexiglas, painted half red and half blue on the underside. This method of production gave a certain depth to the bezel, as the colour showed through the Plexiglas.

In 1959, still in the original two colours, the Plexiglas insert was replaced by one in anodized aluminium once the manufacture of a two-colour insert in this material had been mastered. Various other combinations were introduced later, such as brown and gold on Rolesor (steel and gold) models, or burgundy and black on the GMT-Master II launched in 1982. But in the minds of many GMT-Master lovers, a red and blue bezel remains the signature feature of this model.

The Cerachrom bezel, an ideal ceramic component
In 2005, after several years’ research, Rolex developed in-house and patented a new high-performance component to equip the rotatable bezels of its watches: the Cerachrom insert. The polished surface of this extremely resistant ceramic insert features a deep, long-lasting lustre and provides a sharp contrast to the precisely engraved numerals and graduations coated in a thin layer of gold or platinum. Ceramic is a material with exceptional robustness and durability: it is virtually scratchproof, resistant to corrosion, and its colour is unaffected by ultraviolet rays. For Rolex, a brand that constantly seeks to innovate and perfect, this material constitutes the ideal replacement for the previously used anodized aluminium. The Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master II was the first model in the Oyster collection to benefit from the Cerachrom bezel technology, and the new Cerachrom insert was adopted in 2005 in a uniform black colour.

Rolex know-how
In keeping with its quality standards and its mastery of the production of all its key watch components, Rolex developed in-house the expertise, processes and high-technology equipment needed to acquire complete independence in the production of its ceramic components. The workshops are housed at the impressive Rolex Plan-les-Ouates production site on the outskirts of Geneva. There, the brand makes all the elements for its cases and bracelets, starting with the casting of its own gold alloys or the sourcing of other raw materials, to their machining, assembly and polishing. The production of ceramic components is completely mastered, from raw material to the finished Cerachrom bezel insert. Such complete in-house mastery allows Rolex to devise innovative solutions and create components that correspond exactly to its specifications and quality criteria.

Since 2007, Rolex expertise has produced exclusive Cerachrom bezel inserts in blue and in green – in addition to black – for its Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date models or its 18 ct yellow gold Oyster Perpetual Yacht‑Master II. In 2010, it took another leap forward in developing a monobloc Cerachrom bezel – rather than a bezel insert – to equip the Cosmograph Daytona. It first appeared in black, and then in brown in 2013 on the platinum version that marked the 50th anniversary of the legendary chronograph.


During all this time, the creation of a two-colour ceramic bezel – which should, moreover, be half red – remained mission impossible from a technical point of view. Yet the extensive internal resources of the Research and Development Department took up the challenge and finally managed to combine the technical performance of the Cerachrom bezel with the iconic two-colour aesthetics of the GMT‑Master.

In 2013, after many years of research and fine-tuning the exclusive manufacturing process, Rolex unveiled the first two-colour Cerachrom insert in the world – in blue and black. Now, in 2014, that mission has been brought to a successful conclusion with the introduction of a two‑colour Cerachrom insert in red and blue that complies with Rolex's strict quality standards for its watch components.

Red and blue Cerachrom
The name "Cerachrom" derives from a contraction of the word “ceramic” juxtaposed with the suffix “chrom” from the ancient Greek word for “colour”. The range of available shades for ceramic is however restricted by its very manufacturing process. Colours are generally created by adding mineral pigments that can withstand the very high temperatures at which the ceramic is fired for its densification and to acquire its characteristic hardness. Red, typically, is a colour for which no stable mineral pigments exist to create a Cerachrom component. Rolex nevertheless managed, in the first instance, to produce a red ceramic according to a secret process. But this innovation represented only half the journey – or, more precisely, took the brand only half way to manufacturing the emblematic red and blue Cerachrom insert.

Rolex’s in-house engineers finally found an answer to the second half of the challenge. The ingenious process consists of introducing an intermediate step in the manufacture of the standard Cerachrom insert. During this innovative bulk-colouring step, half of the red ceramic insert is coloured blue. The colour is achieved by impregnating the part of the insert representing night-time hours, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., with a controlled quantity of a solution of chemical compounds. The solution is added before sintering at more than 1,600 °C, when the ceramic acquires its mechanical resistance properties as well as its colour. In the course of this firing, the ceramic densifies and the added compounds react with the basic elements of the red Cerachrom insert to conjure up the final blue colour.

Although the idea in itself may appear simple, a number of major technical hurdles had to be overcome before it could be implemented: the formulation of a solution of precursor chemical compounds that would turn red into blue; the homogenous application of an appropriate quantity of this solution; ensuring a sharp, precise and clear demarcation between the two coloured areas, the definition of the precise length of time and temperature for the sintering so as to prevent any distortion of the piece. Every single one of these parameters is crucial for the success of the process and the quality of the final product.


THE TRAVELLER'S WATCH
The new GMT-Master II

The Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II is renowned as the watch for long‑haul travellers. Precise, reliable and functional, it was designed to allow airline pilots to read the time in two different time zones simultaneously.

The new-generation GMT-Master II with two-colour Cerachrom bezel inserts in ceramic is a distillation of Rolex expertise and technology that remains faithful to the style of the legendary watch created in 1955.

GREENWICH MEAN TIME
The new GMT-Master II

In function as well as in name, the GMT-Master II evokes intercontinental travel across time zones. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) marks mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London − the location of the original meridian used for calculating longitude and determining different time zones around the world.

As intercontinental travel developed in the 1950s with the advent of the jet age, airliners began to fly swiftly across several successive time zones, making it important to know simultaneously the time in various places in the world (such as the airport of departure and arrival, or local time and GMT reference time). The GMT-Master was developed to meet the specific needs of airline pilots. It became the official watch of the famous Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am.

TWO TIME ZONES SIMULTANEOUSLY
The new GMT-Master II

An evolution of the first model, the GMT-Master II was launched in 1982. In addition to conventional hour, minute and seconds hands, it features an arrow-tipped hand which circles the dial once every 24 hours as well as a bidirectional rotatable 24-hour graduated bezel. This 24-hour hand displays the reference time in a first time zone ('home' time for example), which can be read on the graduations on the bezel.

MODEL CASE
Oyster (monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown), 40 mm
DIAMETER
40 mm
MATERIAL
18 ct white gold, satin and polished finish
CASE BACK
Screw-down with Rolex fluting
BEZEL
Bidirectional rotatable 24-hour graduated, with two-colour Cerachrom insert in red and blue ceramic, engraved numerals and graduations coated with platinum via magnetron sputtering (PVD)
WINDING CROWN
Screw-down, Triplock triple waterproofness system
CROWN GUARD
Integral part of the middle case
MOVEMENT
3186, Manufacture Rolex Mechanical movement with bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor
CALIBRE
3186, Manufacture Rolex Mechanical movement with bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor
PRECISION
Officially certified Swiss chronometer (COSC)
FUNCTIONS
Centre hour, minute and seconds hands; 24-hour display via an additional hand; Second time zone via independent rapid setting of the hour hand;
Instantaneous date at 3 o’clock
Stop-seconds for precise time setting
OSCILLATOR
Frequency: 28,800 beats/hour (4Hz)
Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring
Breguet overcoil
Large balance wheel with variable inertia
High-precision regulating via four gold Microstella nuts
Traversing balance bridge
JEWELLING
31 rubies
POWER RESERVE
Approximately 48 hours
DIAL
Black lacquer
COLOUR
Black lacquer
HOUR MARKERS
Highly legible Chromalight appliques (long-lasting luminescence) in 18 ct white gold
HANDS
Chromalight hands in 18 ct white gold, red 24-hour hand
BRACELET
Oyster, three-piece solid links
MATERIAL
18 ct white gold, polished centre links, satin-finished outer links with polished edges
CLASP
Oysterlock folding safety clasp
Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link
__________________
(Chill ... It's just a watch Forum.....)
NAWCC Member
Tools is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 5 April 2014, 07:20 AM   #2
bayerische
"TRF" Member
 
bayerische's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Real Name: Andreas
Location: Margaritaville
Watch: Smurf
Posts: 19,879
The pics make me want to buy it!
__________________
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
bayerische is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 April 2014, 12:58 AM   #3
HL65
TRF Moderator & 2024 Patron
 
HL65's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Real Name: Ken
Location: SW Florida
Watch: One on my wrist.
Posts: 63,322
Quote:
Originally Posted by bayerische View Post
The pics make me want to buy it!
You and me both!
__________________

SPEM SUCCESSUS ALIT
HL65 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 April 2014, 01:21 AM   #4
sleddog
TRF Moderator & 2024 Patron
 
sleddog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Real Name: Rob
Location: Nearby.
Posts: 24,898
Quote:
Originally Posted by bayerische View Post
The pics make me want to buy it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelerFan65 View Post
You and me both!
Make that three of us.

Thanks for the specs Larry!
__________________
He who wears a Rolex is always on time, even when late!!

TRF's "After Dark" Bar & Nightclub Patron-Founding Member..
sleddog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 April 2014, 01:34 AM   #5
Maxtor
2024 Pledge Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Real Name: Max
Location: Toronto
Watch: Exp 1, DJ Tuxedo
Posts: 2,434
Why not in stainless steel as well?

This made the black and blue GMT more accessible to a larger group of Rolex purchasers.

Maybe it is a two stage thing... like with the YachtMaster II.
Maxtor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 April 2014, 01:42 AM   #6
HL65
TRF Moderator & 2024 Patron
 
HL65's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Real Name: Ken
Location: SW Florida
Watch: One on my wrist.
Posts: 63,322
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maxtor View Post
Why not in stainless steel as well?

This made the black and blue GMT more accessible to a larger group of Rolex purchasers.

Maybe it is a two stage thing... like with the YachtMaster II.
YMII has platinum bezel on WG model and blue ceramic on SS. There already are 2 SS references and we are talking about a bezel not a model and in this case the bezel is what differentiates them. Sorry but the ship has sailed and well done Rolex!
__________________

SPEM SUCCESSUS ALIT
HL65 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 April 2014, 09:23 AM   #7
TAKUYA
⭐⭐⭐⭐2024 Boutique Seller
 
TAKUYA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Real Name: Thanh Takuya
Location: Dont mess w Texas
Watch: AP/Rolex/PP
Posts: 49,178
Rolex had to make it look very different between SS and WG model with coated platinum on the bezel



__________________
2 Factor Authentication Security Active

Instagram @takuyawatches
TAKUYA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 April 2014, 11:48 AM   #8
RRGHOST1
"TRF" Member
 
RRGHOST1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Real Name: luke standing
Location: england
Watch: Rolex TT SubC Blue
Posts: 3,888
My grail watch !
__________________
RRGHOST1
RRGHOST1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7 April 2014, 11:55 AM   #9
sea-dweller
"TRF" Member
 
sea-dweller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Real Name: Dennis
Location: Bay Area - 925
Posts: 40,018
Oh my! I wish I had the $$$! Lovely!
sea-dweller is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7 April 2014, 12:24 PM   #10
tfduff723
"TRF" Member
 
tfduff723's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Michigan USA
Watch: Rolex & Omega 4 Me
Posts: 1,685
Great addition to the reference library - thanks Larry.

Those pics are killing me! Beautiful watch... if I sell my whole collection maybe I could afford one
tfduff723 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9 May 2014, 01:27 AM   #11
shou.biao.kuang
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Real Name: SBK
Location: Singapore
Watch: means shou biao
Posts: 289
Icon6 GMTC P for sales already?

Quote:
Originally Posted by takuya View Post
OMG! Dude, how on earth did you lay your hands on one that fast?!
shou.biao.kuang is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9 May 2014, 06:12 AM   #12
Racerdj
2024 Pledge Member
 
Racerdj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Indianapolis
Watch: Patek-Philippe
Posts: 16,832
Quote:
Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
Make that three of us.

Thanks for the specs Larry!
The list is growing, please include me.
__________________
Rolex and Patek Philippe
Racerdj is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9 May 2014, 08:59 AM   #13
Darlinboy
2024 Pledge Member
 
Darlinboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Real Name: DB
Location: :noitacoL
Watch: :hctaW
Posts: 6,690
My indifference to this new PepC reference is eroding. Infinitesimally mind you, but still...
__________________
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Darlinboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11 September 2014, 04:02 PM   #14
Keyne
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Boston
Watch: GMT2 Coke
Posts: 22
I am currently looking for my first Rolex... GMT Pepsi and really sad that this is only in white gold and not in SS. Would be awesome to buy a new one of the Pepsi style.
Keyne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12 September 2014, 03:57 AM   #15
indigo993
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: CA
Posts: 123
Can't wait to see this in person!
indigo993 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13 September 2014, 09:27 PM   #16
rolio
"TRF" Member
 
rolio's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Real Name: justRay
Location: Back2California
Watch: Birdies
Posts: 1,921
Love the look, but am sticking with my classic.
__________________
JJ
"Tranquil? Just wait till I get started!! LOL! LOL!" --JJ

Rolex~By way of an extraordinary life,
and all the simple pleasures it has to offer
~
rolio is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 3 October 2014, 11:15 AM   #17
fishingbear
2024 Pledge Member
 
fishingbear's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Real Name: George
Location: Alabama
Watch: GMTsSubLVEx2SDDayt
Posts: 4,361
Quote:
Originally Posted by rolio View Post
Love the look, but am sticking with my classic.
x2.
...and also still not certain they have that blue just right on the bezel.
fishingbear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 3 October 2014, 01:40 PM   #18
hkpsp
"TRF" Member
 
hkpsp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Chicago
Watch: 116234
Posts: 40
Nice pick up!
I saw a Batman in person today and had a chance to get my hands on it for an up close viewing and I liked the contrast between the black and blue. Saw the Batman and a TT Blue Sub and the blue was hard to discern on both of them in a dark lit room.
Pretty sure that I would rather pay extra for a 18k/stainless GMT before I would pay extra to get a two tone Bezel.
I did see a Batman with a super jubilee bracelet on here and thought that it looked very nice.
hkpsp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 October 2014, 10:21 AM   #19
steeldreams
"TRF" Member
 
steeldreams's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Philippines
Posts: 11
The GMT II is just so beautiful, I feel they are the watches worn by angels in heaven.
steeldreams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 October 2014, 07:59 PM   #20
Cyclops888
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Europe
Posts: 320
Simply stunning!
Really like the looks of it.
Cyclops888 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16 October 2014, 09:12 PM   #21
Grail
"TRF" Member
 
Grail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Real Name: Matthew
Location: Boston
Watch: 16600
Posts: 329
White gold always wins!
Grail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17 October 2014, 01:00 AM   #22
HogwldFLTR
2024 Pledge Member
 
HogwldFLTR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Real Name: Lee
Location: 42.48.45N70.48.48
Watch: What's on my wrist
Posts: 33,247
Great thread and what a beauty; green with envy for those that have one.
__________________
Troglodyte in residence!

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=808599
HogwldFLTR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21 October 2014, 11:16 PM   #23
strafer_kid
"TRF" Member
 
strafer_kid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Real Name: Kenny
Location: northern ireland
Watch: SDs, Subs & GMTs
Posts: 5,127
Am glad the new GMT is not on my radar. It saves me ever having to make decision to part with that sort of money. My pepsi 16710 more than does the trick!
strafer_kid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8 November 2014, 05:15 AM   #24
tkerrmd
"TRF" Member
 
tkerrmd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Real Name: Tom
Location: In a race car!
Watch: ME RACE PORSCHES
Posts: 24,123
cool thread!!
tkerrmd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10 August 2017, 09:00 AM   #25
Rolex Obsession
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Real Name: Chris
Location: wpb
Watch: (BLNR)
Posts: 10
Rolex Obsession is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13 October 2017, 06:21 AM   #26
Lartamia
"TRF" Member
 
Lartamia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 37
Very nice watch, bit I definitely would miss switching the inserts from time to time
Lartamia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15 October 2017, 02:30 PM   #27
Al1969
2024 Pledge Member
 
Al1969's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 6,585
Thread revival! The BLRO is a great looking reference.
__________________
WG SUB-116719
GMT MASTER II 126719
Al1969 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23 February 2018, 04:46 AM   #28
airpeace
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Phila
Posts: 393
the batman is on my list.
airpeace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30 May 2018, 09:44 PM   #29
Ricehobbit
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2018
Real Name: Jay
Location: Vienna
Watch: Rolex Daydate Onyx
Posts: 9
gotta pepsi gmt from my grandpa
Ricehobbit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30 August 2018, 03:13 PM   #30
andersondavis
Banned
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: USA Virginia
Posts: 10
this really awesome because of two color wow
andersondavis is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Takuya Watches

Bobs Watches

My Watch LLC

OCWatches

DavidSW Watches

Coronet


*Banners Of The Month*
This space is provided to horological resources.





Copyright ©2004-2024, The Rolex Forums. All Rights Reserved.

ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

Rolex is a registered trademark of ROLEX USA. The Rolex Forums is not affiliated with ROLEX USA in any way.