Pepsi GMT - 1993

[Lewisp123]

Hi guys, went past a shop today and in the window they had a GMT pepsi bezel. I immediately went in and tried it on and coincidentally it was actually made in my year of birth (1993)!

I'm no expert on old watches, but it looked in good condition and everything - I didn't buy it yet as I had a few questions, but went back home to ask you guys if there is anything I should look out for in terms of buying an old GMT/watch? Is there are drawback in buying a 24 year old watch? Will it last my lifetime? Should I change the insert to a newer one?

Thanks in advance!

[fizz]

I'm not well versed with that year/model of the GMT but I'm sure others are. I will try to answer some of your concerns/questions:

1 - If the insert is original to the watch, do not change it to a new/modern one. It affects the integrity of the piece and will frankly look out of place.
2 - Nothing wrong with a 24-year-old watch. I have vintage Rolex's ranging from 35 to 45 years old as my daily wearer and they are perfectly fine in every way. These watches if, taken care of, have the ability to outlast their owners.

[HogwldFLTR]

It appears to have a sapphire crystal and white gold lume surrounds which would make it a 16700 since it's labeled at a GMT master not a GMT Master II. It also has labeled on the dial Swiss Made which means it has luminova as opposed to tritium lumes.

The nice thing about the 16700s is the quick set dates. The issue with the 16700s is the tie of the GMT hand to the main hands so it only has two time zone capability. I have one and it was serviced in the past couple of years. It is a great watch. It runs great and there is no issue with wearing it daily. Regarding the bezel inserts. Another nice thing about the five digit references is the ability to switch out inserts easily. I switched from Pepsi to black and retained the original Pepsi insert safely in the watch box.

Here is a link about the 16700s.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=45269

[springer]

Looks like a nice GMT 16700. If the watch is indeed from 1993, the dial would be tritium and read SWISS T < 25 at the bottom of the dial. The current dial is luminova.

[Lewisp123]

Originally Posted by springer

Looks like a nice GMT 16700. If the watch is indeed from 1993, the dial would be tritium and read SWISS T < 25 at the bottom of the dial. The current dial is luminova.

So does this mean the dial has been replaced Springer? If so would you advise not getting it?

[Lewisp123]

So I figure that I was either lied to about the age of the watch ( not sure why) or the dial has been replaced?

[HogwldFLTR]

Check the serial number which could confirm the year (approximately); dial could have been replaced during a service. Luminova was intro'd in approximately 1999.

[faimag]

The 16700 never came with the SWISS MADE dial from factory. Most had SWISS T<25 and last batches (1998-1999) had SWISS only dials.

The case may well be from 1993 (serial starts with "S"). It's just that during a service at Rolex, the previous owner decided to change the dial (maybe the hands also), most likely because tritium lume of the original dial (and hands) would have disappeared at that point (after 10-15 years). Does the watch glow in the dark? (it shouldn't if dial and hands were original tritium). Dial probably glows. Hands, we don't know.

So you were not lied to if the case is an S serial. It's just that the shop may not necessarily be aware of these details.

There is also an alphanumeric code on the clasp, e.g. X5, where 5 = month (May) and X in your case should be R, S, T (these are correct letter codes for 1993-1994, i.e. when the head and bracelet should have been put together; usually the clasp code is the same year as the head or the next). Again, the original bracelet may have been stretched, so the owner might have replaced the bracelet as well, so the letter can be different. This doesn't mean it is a bad thing (just reduces its value from a collector's perspective).

I would say go with whatever your heart says regarding the insert. They are about $100 at RSC. It will make the watch look very fresh. Changing the insert does not affect the integrity of the watch. And since the dial is already changed to a newer one, I think a new insert will not look out of place. In any case, the changed dial has already reduced the "collector" value of the watch (needs to be all original), so changing the bezel insert won't affect it any more.

One important thing for me for watches of this period (holes case) is to evaluate how polished it is. There are many details but the easiest sign is whether the original bevels along the lugs are visible or not; if not, quite polished.

My 2 cents is that if you like the watch, go for it! The 16700 is a great watch. Quick date setting, 2 time zones (you need more?!), or day/night indicator (if you leave your bezel aligned at 12, then the red hand shows military time).

[strafer_kid]

Would agree - 16700 is a really great watch that does not seem to get as much press as the 16710, which is perhaps unfortunate as it is arguably every bit as good. The one you are considering seems to have a nicely faded bezel and even if the dial has in fact been changed at service at some point, I would not be put off by that. Assuming all else is good including the price, then it would really be worth considering. Good luck in any event!

[springer]

Originally Posted by Lewisp123

So does this mean the dial has been replaced Springer? If so would you advise not getting it?

If you need to factor in a correct dial to determine the current value, a tritium dial should be no more than $500. They aren't that hard to find in the secondary market. I doubt very seriously whether the sell knew the dial was replaced. I see GMTs for sale all the time with later or incorrect dials based on the serial numbers. 99% of the sellers have no idea whether or not the dial has been changed.

Another thing to consider is whether the hands are tritium or luminova. Most luminova dials usually come with replacement luminova hands when they are serviced by Rolex or an authorized dealer.

[Snow-Dweller]

Hats off to you Gentlemen. How fantastic for a new member to be able to come here and get information of this quality within a couple of hours.

[roviw]

Looks nice in the pics, I bought my 16700 in January 2016, it is a 1996 model and I am so pleased with it, the bezel is a nicely faded colour and I actually prefer that look to a bright red . I have worn it more than my other watches since owning it, by the way, my dial does not glow at all and it is the swiss-T < 25 dial.

Interesting that I had not looked at the clasp close enough to see before, just looked now and mine is a Z5 clasp.

[faimag]

Z5 would be May 1997, which is correct for your 1996 head

[swish77]

I'd pass and just search for an all-original 16700. Finding a period-correct dial and a matching set of tritium hands can be done eventually, but it's a headache, and can end up being more expensive than if you just found an all-original GMT to begin with. Good luck either way.

[sea-dweller]

Looks nice!

[Martin_Taylor]

How much did they ask for?

[henrylee]

It's a lovely watch and your birth year. I would buy it!!

[GGGMT]

I own this exact watch; X serial. It's a phenom watch but your example has a replacement dial, which for me would be a deal killer as I like fully original watches. Do not replace the bezel of you yet it. How much are they asking?


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