Rolex GMT Yellow Gold

Buying Advice

About Yellow Gold Rolex GMT-Master II Watches

Yellow gold has been part of the GMT-Master since the 1970s and it covers two quite different watches: solid 18k gold throughout, and two-tone Rolesor pairing Oystersteel with gold. Both get called a gold GMT, they sit tens of thousands of dollars apart, and the distinction is the first thing to establish. WatchGuys carries pre-owned and unworn examples across both, each backed by the WatchGuys 2 Year Warranty. For the full model history, nickname reference, and generation timeline, see our GMT-Master reference breakdown, or browse the complete Rolex GMT-Master II collection.

Full Gold or Two-Tone?

The reference number settles it, and it is worth learning to read. On modern GMT-Master II references the final digit before the bezel code gives the material: 8 means solid 18k yellow gold and 3 means yellow Rolesor, the two-tone configuration. So 126718GRNR is solid gold and 126713GRNR is two-tone. On Rolesor the Oystersteel case carries an 18k gold bezel, crown, crown guards, and centre bracelet links, which reads as gold from a distance while keeping most of the watch in steel. Full gold means case, bezel, and every bracelet link are 18k. The weight difference is immediate in the hand and the price difference is substantial. Compare the finishes in our gold Rolex and two-tone Rolex collections.

The Current Gold References

Rolex brought yellow gold back into the modern ceramic GMT-Master II line in 2024 for the model's seventieth anniversary. Reference 126718GRNR is the solid 18k yellow gold version with the grey and black Cerachrom bezel collectors call the Bruce Wayne, and reference 126713GRNR is its two-tone Rolesor counterpart. Both run Caliber 3285 with roughly a 70-hour power reserve and the independently adjustable 24-hour hand. In 2025 Rolex added a Tiger Iron stone dial version of the 126718GRNR, which is the configuration driving the strongest prices in the category by a wide margin. Before those, reference 116718LN covered solid yellow gold with a black Cerachrom bezel, offered with black and green dials.

Yellow Gold Before Cerachrom

Gold GMT-Masters go back much further than the ceramic era. The five-digit references introduced solid gold and two-tone configurations with aluminium bezel inserts, and those watches wear quite differently: slimmer cases, aluminium that fades and marks rather than resisting both, and dial variants including Serti configurations with gem-set hour markers that never carried over into modern production. Aluminium inserts on gold GMTs are also where originality matters most, since a replaced insert affects value materially and honest fading is treated as character rather than damage. Browse the wider category in our vintage Rolex collection.

The Bezel Question in Gold

Bezel colour drives GMT pricing more than almost anything else, and the options in yellow gold are narrower than in steel. The Pepsi in red and blue has been produced in white gold rather than yellow in the modern era. The Batman in black and blue and the Sprite in green and black are steel configurations. What yellow gold actually offers is the grey and black Bruce Wayne on current production, black on the outgoing 116718LN, and the brown and black Root Beer palette that has been associated with gold and two-tone GMTs since the 1970s. If a specific bezel colour is what you are after, check it exists in gold before setting your heart on it, because several of the best-known ones do not.

Where the Root Beer Fits

Some of the most collected yellow gold GMTs are Root Beers, and they have their own dedicated page rather than being covered in depth here. The brown and black palette runs through two-tone yellow gold references from the 1970s onward, and the modern revival moved to Everose gold rather than yellow. So a vintage two-tone Root Beer is a yellow gold watch while the current one is not, which trips up buyers regularly. Our Rolex Root Beer collection covers the full lineage across both eras, including the Tiger Eye dial variants and the Clint Eastwood association.

Yellow Gold GMT Price

The range is wide because it spans two materials and five decades. Two-tone references sit at the accessible end, with the vintage 16713 generally trading between roughly $15,000 and $23,000 and the current 126713GRNR above that. Solid gold moves up sharply: the outgoing 116718LN generally runs in the mid thirties to mid forties, and the current 126718GRNR carries a retail figure around $50,000 with secondary asking prices considerably higher. The 2025 Tiger Iron dial version is the outlier, with market prices reported near double retail on the strength of dial rarity and the full gold build. Vintage solid gold references vary enormously with condition and bezel originality. For live market context, see our Rolex Market Report.

Full Gold, Two-Tone, or Steel?

Two-tone is the value position and by some distance the most overlooked. You get a genuine gold bezel, crown, and centre links at a price much closer to steel than to solid gold, and on a GMT the bezel is the part everyone looks at anyway. Solid gold gives you the weight, the full precious metal content, and a watch that reads unmistakably as gold rather than as an accented steel watch. Steel remains the deepest resale market and the most liquid. If you want the gold look without solid gold money, Rolesor is the answer most buyers should be considering more seriously than they do. Compare against the alternatives in our steel and yellow gold Rolex and stainless steel Rolex collections.

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Why Buy a Yellow Gold GMT From WatchGuys

Two watches described identically as gold GMTs can differ by fifty thousand dollars depending on whether the gold is throughout or on the bezel and centre links only. Add aluminium bezel inserts on the earlier references, where originality moves value significantly, and this is a category where the listing description does a lot of work.

Common Questions

Yellow Gold GMT FAQ

• What Is the Difference Between a Full Gold and Two-Tone GMT?

  Solid gold means the case, bezel, and every bracelet link are 18k. Two-tone Rolesor means an Oystersteel case and bracelet with 18k gold on the bezel, crown, crown guards, and centre links. The reference number tells you which: on modern references the digit before the bezel code is 8 for solid gold and 3 for Rolesor, so 126718GRNR is solid and 126713GRNR is two-tone. The weight difference is immediate and the price difference is substantial.

• Which Rolex GMT References Are Yellow Gold?

  In current production, 126718GRNR in solid gold and 126713GRNR in two-tone, both with the grey and black Cerachrom bezel and Caliber 3285. Before those, 116718LN covered solid gold with a black ceramic bezel in black and green dial versions. Earlier still, the five-digit and four-digit references offered solid gold and two-tone configurations with aluminium bezels, including the two-tone Root Beers.

• How Much Is a Yellow Gold GMT-Master II?

  Two-tone sits at the accessible end, with the vintage 16713 generally between roughly $15,000 and $23,000 and the current 126713GRNR above that. Solid gold moves up sharply: the 116718LN generally runs mid thirties to mid forties, and the current 126718GRNR carries retail around $50,000 with secondary asks considerably higher. The 2025 Tiger Iron dial version has been reported near double retail on dial rarity alone.

• Is the Root Beer a Yellow Gold GMT?

  The vintage ones are, the current one is not, and this catches buyers out regularly. The brown and black palette ran through two-tone yellow gold references from the 1970s onward, but when Rolex revived it in ceramic the gold used was Everose rather than yellow. So a vintage two-tone Root Beer is a yellow gold watch while the modern 126711CHNR and 126715CHNR are rose gold. Our Root Beer collection covers the full lineage across both eras.

• Which Bezel Colours Come in Yellow Gold?

  Fewer than in steel, which surprises people. The Pepsi has been produced in white gold rather than yellow in the modern era, and the Batman and Sprite are steel configurations. Yellow gold offers the grey and black Bruce Wayne palette on current production, black on the outgoing 116718LN, and the brown and black Root Beer scheme on vintage two-tone references. If a specific bezel colour matters to you, confirm it exists in gold before committing.

• Does a Gold GMT Hold Value Better Than Steel?

  Not usually, and it is worth being clear about. Steel GMT references carry the deepest demand and the most liquid resale market, so they hold percentage value well and sell quickly. Gold gives you precious metal content that sets a floor under the price, but the buyer pool is smaller and pieces take longer to move. The exception is rare dial configurations in gold, where scarcity rather than metal drives the premium.

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