"Pepsi" Has Returned

Previously available only in white gold, the Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi” has returned to its utilitarian roots at Baselworld 2018, with a stainless-steel case as well as a host of other improvements. The watch has been fitted with a new, five-link Jubilee bracelet - but with a spring-loaded Oysterclasp found only on Rolex sports watches

The new Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II

Almost as intriguing as the discovery of new watches every year at Baselworld is the guessing games that precede it, especially as regards Rolex. Few saw coming the timepiece that led off Rolex’s 2018 collection - a new version of the classic “Pepsi” GMT-Master II in “Oystersteel”, featuring several significant updates on both the inside and outside.

The 40-mm case made of Oystersteel - Rolex jargon for 904L stainless steel - is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 300 meters. Robustness aided by a solid steel, fluted-edge caseback that is hermetically screwed down (with a special tool that is exclusive to Rolex) and the integrated crown guards emblematic of the GMT-Master II’s Oyster case flanking the screw-down crown. That recognisable Pepsi bezel frames a nearly scratchproof sapphire crystal, with the now-iconic Cyclops lens over the date window at 3 o’clock. The bicolour bezel’s 24-hour scale can be synchronised with the red GMT hand on the dial to quickly and easily read the time in a time zone other than your own, while the hour and minute hands and date all continue to display the local time.

The famous red-and-blue rotating GMT bezel

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