Rolex 16710 vs 116710: which GMT-Master II to buy
Our position up front, then the reasons.
For most collectors, the 16710 is the one to own and the 116710LN is the one to wear hard. As of September 2026 the older aluminum-bezel 16710 trades above the ceramic 116710LN, which tells you where collector demand has gone.
These are the last two steel GMT-Master II generations before the current 126710. The 16710 ran from 1989 to 2007 with an aluminum bezel insert in Pepsi, Coke, or black. The 116710 took over in 2007 with a Cerachrom ceramic bezel, a broader Super Case, and a bracelet that finally felt like it belonged on a Rolex sport watch.
Both come across our counter in downtown Los Angeles regularly, and they attract different buyers. The 16710 buyer asks about the insert fade. The 116710 buyer asks whether it scratches.
Our pick, if you only get one, is a late 16710 from roughly 2003 to 2007 with the no-holes case, solid end links, and a Pepsi insert. If you'll knock it into doorframes and want zero maintenance anxiety, ignore that advice and buy the 116710LN.
The short version
Two discontinued steel GMT-Master II references, one aluminum and one ceramic, both 40mm and both available only pre-owned.
- The 16710 (1989 to 2007) has an aluminum insert in Pepsi, Coke, or black, a slimmer case, and a choice of Oyster or Jubilee bracelet.
- The 116710 (2007 to 2019) has a Cerachrom ceramic bezel, the broader Super Case, Chromalight lume, and the Oysterlock clasp. It came as the all-black 116710LN and, from 2013, the 116710BLNR Batman.
- As of September 2026, WatchCharts puts the 16710 around $13,300, the 116710LN around $12,200, and the Batman near $14,300.
- Our pick is a late 16710 in Pepsi. Daily wearers who want durability should buy the 116710LN.
- The catch: the 16710's aluminum insert scratches and fades, and its bracelet feels dated. The 116710's ceramic can chip if dropped, and its polished center links show every scuff.
Rolex 16710 vs 116710 differences, side by side
Bezel, case, bracelet, dial, and movement, in that order of importance.
The bezel material and the bracelet are the two differences you'll notice every day. Everything else is detail.
| Feature | 16710 | 116710 |
|---|---|---|
| Production | 1989 to 2007 | 2007 to 2019 |
| Bezel insert | Aluminum | Cerachrom ceramic |
| Bezel colors | Pepsi, Coke, black | Black (LN), blue and black (BLNR) |
| Case | Slim five-digit lugs | Super Case, broad lugs and crown guards |
| Crown | Twinlock | Triplock |
| Dial | Standard indices | Maxi dial, larger indices and hands |
| GMT hand | Red | Green (LN), blue (BLNR) |
| Lume | Tritium, then Luminova, then Super-LumiNova | Chromalight, glows blue |
| Movement | Cal. 3185, final examples Cal. 3186 | Cal. 3186 with Parachrom hairspring |
| Bracelet | Oyster or Jubilee | Oyster only, polished center links |
| Clasp | Stamped folding clasp with safety lock | Machined Oysterlock with Easylink extension |
| End links | Hollow, solid from about 2000 | Solid |
| Lug holes | Drilled until about 2003 | None |
| Rehaut engraving | Final examples only | Yes, serial at six o'clock |
| Market price, September 2026 | About $13,300 | About $12,200 (LN), $14,300 (BLNR) |
Transition dates are approximate. Rolex changed parts gradually, so a watch from a transition year can carry either spec. Prices are WatchCharts market averages, verified September 2026.
The bezel, aluminum fades and ceramic doesn't
The bezel is the main reason people pick one over the other. The 16710's aluminum insert scratches, dents, and fades with sun and salt water. A Pepsi can go from navy and red to pale blue and pink over twenty years.
Collectors pay for that fade. A soft fuchsia Pepsi or a warm faded Coke adds real money to a 16710. It also invites fakery, since a faded aftermarket insert is cheap to make and takes minutes to swap.
The 116710's Cerachrom insert looks the same today as the day it left Geneva. It shrugs off scratches and UV. The trade is that ceramic is brittle, and a hard knock on the edge can chip or crack it.
The Super Case changes the silhouette
The 116710 kept the 40mm diameter but widened the lugs and crown guards. On a spec sheet the two are the same size. On the wrist the 116710 looks a size bigger and reads as a modern Rolex.
The 16710's thin lugs and sharp bevels are why five-digit fans love it. It's the more elegant watch. Next to a current Rolex it can also look a little small.
The 116710 bracelet is a generation ahead
This is where the 116710 wins without argument. Solid links, a machined Oysterlock clasp, and the Easylink extension that adds about 5mm when your wrist swells in summer. It feels expensive every time you close it.
The 16710 Oyster uses folded links and a stamped clasp, and early ones have hollow end links that rattle. It works fine. It just feels like 1990s Rolex, because it is. The upside is the Jubilee option, which the 116710 never offered.
Dial, lume, and movement
The 116710's Maxi dial has fatter indices and hands, and the LN adds a green GMT hand. Chromalight lume glows blue and outlasts every 16710 lume type through the night.
The 16710 dial changed with its lume. Tritium until about 1998, then a short Luminova period, then Super-LumiNova. Tritium dials often age to a warm cream, which vintage buyers love and modern buyers read as dirty.
Mechanically they're close. The 3186 adds a Parachrom hairspring that handles shocks and magnetism better than the 3185. In daily use you'd struggle to tell them apart.
Own a 16710 or 116710? See what it's worth today.
Send photos and we'll come back with a written offer, paid the same day if you accept.
How the 16710 and 116710 wear
Same diameter, very different presence.
The 16710 wears smaller, flatter, and lighter. The 116710 wears like a modern sport Rolex, with more presence and more weight.
On a 7-inch wrist the 16710 sits more like a 39mm watch. The tapered bracelet and thin lugs let it slide under a shirt cuff, and on a Jubilee it gets close to dressy.
The 116710 fills the wrist. The solid bracelet adds noticeable heft, which some people read as quality and others notice by the end of the day. Its polished center links look great in the display case and pick up hairlines within a week of desk work.
Bezel feel differs too. A healthy 116710 bezel clicks crisply through all 24 positions. A well-worn 16710 bezel can feel loose or skip, which is fixable in service, and it's one of the first things we turn when one lands on the counter.
Rolex 16710 vs 116710 price in September 2026
What each one trades for, where the numbers come from, and what it costs out the door.
As of September 2026, the 16710 averages about $13,300 and the 116710LN about $12,200 on the secondary market, according to WatchCharts. The Batman 116710BLNR sits near $14,300.
That's a reversal. For years the ceramic 116710 was the pricier watch. Demand for neo-vintage aluminum-bezel Rolex has lifted the 16710 above the LN, with Pepsi examples leading.
Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 market price
Variant ranges are WatchGuys pricing from early 2026. Later no-holes examples, original faded inserts, and box and papers sit at the top of each range.
Rolex GMT-Master II 116710 market price
Ranges are WatchGuys pricing from early 2026. Retail figure per WatchCharts.
What the gap costs you out the door
Say you're choosing between a $15,500 Pepsi 16710 and a $12,500 116710LN, both full sets. At the Los Angeles sales tax rate of 9.75 percent, that's $17,011 against $13,719. The tag says $3,000 apart. The real gap is $3,293.
Then look at the exit. A same-day dealer offer on either watch lands below the market average, and ours is no exception. [WatchGuys to confirm a realistic buy offer on a full-set Pepsi 16710 and a full-set 116710LN.] Tax plus that spread is your real cost of ownership, so buy the one you'll keep.
For the wider picture across steel sport models, see our Rolex watch market report.
What collectors should know before buying either GMT
What we look at when each reference comes across the counter.
With a 16710, you're checking that the parts match the year. With a 116710, you're checking that the watch is real and the ceramic is intact.
The 16710 checklist
An 18-year production run means a lot of small running changes. Tritium dials, marked at six o'clock, should wear matching tritium hands that have aged to the same tone.
Solid end links arrived around 2000, drilled lug holes disappeared around 2003, and a small laser-etched crown appeared on the crystal around the same time. A late watch on an early bracelet, or an early watch with a crisp Super-LumiNova dial, has had parts swapped. That isn't always a dealbreaker, but it should be in the price.
The insert needs the hardest look. Faded aftermarket Pepsi and Coke inserts are everywhere. Compare numeral font, spacing, and the triangle at the top against a known genuine insert before you pay a patina premium.
The final 3186-powered 16710s sell above standard examples. Confirm the caliber by opening the caseback, since the dial and case won't tell you.
The 116710 checklist
The 116710 is one of the most counterfeited Rolex references, and good fakes get the ceramic right. Check that the rehaut engraving lines up with the minute track, the serial at six is crisp, and the lume glows blue. Then have the movement inspected.
Look for chips on the bezel edge and hairline cracks under a loupe. A cracked Cerachrom insert has to be replaced, and that's a real cost at service.
Watches from around 2010 onward carry random serials, so you can't date them from the serial alone. The warranty card does that job, which is one reason full sets carry a premium.
Risk flag
A Rolex Service Center may replace a tritium dial, original hands, or a faded insert during routine service. On a 16710 that can cost you more than the service itself. Ask in writing for the old parts back before you hand the watch over.
Want to try both on, side by side?
Book a time at our showroom at 613 S Hill St and we'll put a 16710 and a 116710 on your wrist.
16710 or 116710: which GMT-Master II is for you
Match the watch to how you'll actually wear it.
Buy the 16710 if you care about how a watch ages. Buy the 116710 if you care about how it holds up.
Rolex GMT-Master II 16710
Right for collectors, five-digit fans, smaller wrists, and anyone who wants a Rolex Pepsi or Rolex Coke on aluminum. It's the one we'd keep for ourselves.
Rolex GMT-Master II 116710
Right for daily wearers, first-time Rolex buyers, bigger wrists, and anyone who hates scratches. The Rolex 116710LN is the cheapest way into a ceramic GMT-Master II, and the Rolex Batman adds color for about $2,000 more.
Every configuration in play
- 16710 Pepsi
- 16710 Coke
- 16710 black
- 16710 on Jubilee
- 116710LN
- 116710BLNR Batman
Who should look elsewhere
If you want a ceramic Pepsi, neither watch has one. That's the Rolex 126710BLRO, which trades well above both. If you want a Batman on Jubilee with a 70-hour movement, go to the Rolex 126710BLNR.
If you want the look without five-figure pricing, the Tudor Black Bay GMT gives you a Pepsi bezel and the same jumping local hour hand for a fraction of the money.
And if you don't want to think about service history and original parts at all, buy current production. Both of these are pre-owned only, and every one carries its past with it.
Rolex 16710 vs 116710 FAQ
What is the difference between the Rolex 16710 and 116710?
The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710, made from 1989 to 2007, has an aluminum bezel insert in Pepsi, Coke, or black, a slimmer case, and a choice of Oyster or Jubilee bracelet. The 116710, made from 2007 to 2019, has a scratch-resistant Cerachrom ceramic bezel, a broader Super Case, Chromalight lume, the Caliber 3186, and an Oyster bracelet with the Oysterlock clasp. Both are 40mm steel and water resistant to 100 meters.
Is the Rolex 16710 more expensive than the 116710?
On average, yes, as of September 2026. WatchCharts puts the 16710 at about $13,300 and the 116710LN at about $12,200. The 116710BLNR Batman is higher at about $14,300, and a Pepsi 16710 typically sells for $14,000 to $17,000.
Did the Rolex 116710 come in Pepsi or Coke?
No. The 116710 came only as the all-black 116710LN and the blue and black 116710BLNR Batman. The ceramic Pepsi arrived with the 126710BLRO in 2018, and Rolex has not made a steel Coke GMT-Master II since the 16710.
Does the 16710 wear smaller than the 116710?
Yes. Both measure 40mm, but the 16710 has thinner lugs, smaller crown guards, and a lighter tapered bracelet, so it wears closer to 39mm. The 116710's Super Case and solid bracelet make it look and feel larger on the wrist.
Which movement is in the Rolex 16710 and 116710?
Most 16710s use the Rolex Caliber 3185. The final 16710s from around 2007 use the Caliber 3186, the same movement in every 116710. The 3186 adds a Parachrom hairspring for better shock and magnetic resistance. Both movements have an independently adjustable local hour hand.
Can you put a ceramic bezel on a Rolex 16710?
Rolex never made a ceramic insert for the 16710. Aftermarket ceramic inserts exist and fit, but they make the watch non-original and lower its resale value. Keep the original aluminum insert, even if it's faded or scratched.
Is the Rolex 16710 a good investment?
The Rolex 16710 has outpaced the 116710LN recently and now trades above it, driven by demand for aluminum-bezel neo-vintage Rolex. Pepsi examples with original faded inserts perform best. Buy it to wear, since sales tax and dealer spreads mean a short-term flip usually loses money.
Is the Rolex 116710 discontinued?
Yes. Rolex discontinued the 116710LN and 116710BLNR in 2019. The 126710 family replaced it with the Caliber 3285, a 70-hour power reserve, and a Jubilee bracelet option. The 116710 is now available only pre-owned.
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