Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Review

THE FIRST LOOK

Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 First Impressions

What hits you the moment you pick up the full gold 16718.

Pick up the Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 and the first thing your hand registers is not the design, it is the mass. This is a solid 18k yellow gold sports watch, and among Rolex watches it sits in that narrow group that feels genuinely heavy before you have even looked at the dial. The gold catches light differently than steel does, warmer and softer, and against a black dial and black aluminum bezel the effect is unmistakably that of an older, more discreet kind of luxury than the ceramic gold GMTs that came later.

What strikes you next is how restrained it is for a gold Rolex. The 40mm case wears its precious metal quietly, and the aluminum bezel insert, matte where a modern Cerachrom bezel would be glossy, gives the whole watch a lived-in, pre-2005 character that many collectors specifically chase. It does not shout. It reads as a serious tool watch that happens to be made of gold, which is exactly the tension that makes the 16718 interesting to handle.

THE WEARING EXPERIENCE

On the Wrist

How the 16718 actually wears, day in and day out.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 wears its 40mm diameter comfortably, but the gold changes the experience in a way the number alone does not tell you. On a 6.5 to 8 inch wrist the case sits well, with the classic GMT proportions that never felt oversized, yet the weight makes its presence known all day. A full gold Oyster or Jubilee bracelet has real heft, and you feel it every time you lift your arm. Some owners love that reassuring density. Others find it fatiguing by evening. There is no neutral here: the 16718 is a watch you are always slightly aware of.

At roughly 12mm thick the case slips under a cuff without drama, which keeps the watch versatile despite the gold. Balance is good on a properly sized bracelet, though a loose fit lets the head swing and exaggerates the weight. Dial up early if you plan to wear it daily: with the bracelet sized correctly the 16718 settles into the wrist and the presence becomes a feature rather than a distraction.

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If the full gold presence and aluminum-bezel character sound like a match, here is what we currently have available in the 16718 and across the GMT-Master II family.

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THE DETAILS

Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Specifications

Case, dial and bezel, and bracelet on the full gold 16718, up close.

Case

The Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 uses a 40mm Oyster case in solid 18k yellow gold, and the finishing follows the era it comes from. Expect predominantly polished surfaces with brushed tops on the lugs, giving the gold a warm, slightly softer look than the sharper finishing on later ceramic references. The screw-down Twinlock crown winds smoothly and threads cleanly, and the screw-down caseback keeps the watch rated to 100m of water resistance, which in practice means it shrugs off rain, hand washing, and a swim, though this is not a dive watch. The gold shows wear more readily than steel, so case sharpness and the crispness of the lug bevels are the first things to inspect on any pre-owned example.

Dial and Bezel

The dial is where the 16718 gets genuinely interesting. The standard configuration is a glossy black dial with applied gold-surround hour markers and Mercedes hands, paired with a black aluminum bezel insert with a 24-hour scale. Because the insert is aluminum rather than ceramic, it can fade and take on character over decades, and early tritium and later Super-LumiNova dials both exist across the production run. The prize variants are the root beer and naturally aged tropical dials, where a black dial has turned warm brown under years of light exposure. These command a real premium and are the reason many collectors seek this exact reference rather than the modern ceramic gold GMT.

Bracelet

The 16718 was offered on both the Oyster and the Jubilee bracelet in solid 18k yellow gold, and the choice changes the watch. The Oyster reads more sporty and substantial, while the five-piece-link Jubilee dresses it up and adds a touch of flex on the wrist. Both use a folding clasp, and both are heavy. The single most important pre-owned checkpoint here is stretch: gold is a soft metal, and decades of daily wear can loosen the links so the bracelet sags. A tired, stretched gold bracelet is expensive to address, so bracelet condition materially affects value on this reference.

EXPERT TIP | Robertino Altieri | WatchGuys CEO

What to Check on a Pre-Owned 16718

"On a gold 16718 I go straight to the bracelet. Hold it horizontal and watch how much it droops. Real stretch on a solid gold bracelet is a costly fix, so I price it in every time. After that I check the case for over-polishing, because soft gold rounds off fast in the wrong hands, and I confirm the dial and insert match the serial-appropriate era. A crisp case, a tight bracelet, and an honest dial are what separate a good 16718 from an average one."

UNDER THE HOOD

Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Movement Review

How the movement performs where it matters: on the wrist, every day.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 runs the automatic Caliber 3185, a COSC-certified chronometer beating at 28,800 vph with roughly a 48-hour power reserve. The defining feature is the independently adjustable 24-hour hand, which lets you jump the local hour hand in one-hour increments without stopping the movement, so crossing time zones is a matter of a few quick crown turns. Late production examples, roughly from 2005 onward, carry the upgraded Caliber 3186 with Rolex's Parachrom hairspring for better resistance to magnetism and shock. In daily wear, a healthy example holds chronometer-grade accuracy of a few seconds per day.

Where the 16718 shows its age is the power reserve. At about 48 hours it will not survive a full weekend off the wrist the way a modern Rolex caliber will, so if you rotate watches, expect to reset it after a couple of days idle. That aside, the 3185 and 3186 are proven, robust, and well understood by any competent watchmaker, which keeps service straightforward. Budget for a full service in the general range of several hundred dollars from an independent specialist, more through Rolex, and treat service history as a value factor: a recently serviced 16718 with paperwork is worth paying up for over an unknown-service example.

EXPERT TIP | Robertino Altieri | WatchGuys CEO

Service History Matters More Than You Think

"The 3185 and 3186 are workhorses, so a 16718 that has not been touched in fifteen years is not scary, it just needs service. What I tell buyers is simple: an example with a recent service receipt is worth the premium. You are buying certainty. On a watch this age, unknown service history is the single biggest hidden cost, so factor a full overhaul into your number if the paperwork is not there."

MARKET VALUE

Current Market Snapshot

What the 16718 costs right now on the secondary market.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 sits in a distinctive spot: it is a discontinued full gold sports Rolex whose value is anchored partly by its gold weight and partly by collector demand for the aluminum-bezel era. Black dial examples in good condition have traded broadly in the high $20,000s to mid $30,000s through 2025 and into 2026, with recent auction results clustering in that band and clean dealer examples toward the top of it. Completeness matters: box, papers, and a matching service history push a 16718 to the stronger end of the range.

Root beer and naturally aged tropical dial examples are a different market. Because the aluminum insert and gloss dial can develop warm brown tones over decades, the most attractive aged pieces are genuinely scarce and command a clear premium over standard black dials. For a buyer, the practical takeaway is that condition, dial, and completeness drive price far more than year alone, so buy the best example you can rather than chasing the lowest sticker.

HEAD TO HEAD

How It Compares

The 16718 against the alternatives buyers actually cross-shop.

Rolex 16718 vs. Rolex GMT-Master II 116718LN (Modern Gold Ceramic)

The most direct cross-shop is the modern full gold ceramic successor. The Rolex GMT-Master II 116718LN offers a scratch-proof Cerachrom bezel, a longer power reserve, and a more contemporary maxi case with the newer caliber. The 16718 counters with lighter, thinner proportions, the character of an aluminum insert that can age, and a lower entry price. If you want a gold GMT to wear hard and never worry about the bezel, the modern reference wins. If you want the era, the aluminum patina, and the value, the 16718 wins.

Rolex 16718 vs. Rolex GMT-Master II 126711CHNR (Two-Tone Root Beer)

The other natural comparison is the current two-tone Everose root beer. The Rolex GMT-Master II 126711CHNR is a modern, in-production watch with a ceramic bezel and a mix of steel and rose gold, so it is lighter on the wrist and easier to buy new. The full gold 16718 is heavier, all precious metal, and carries the vintage-adjacent appeal the modern piece cannot replicate. This is a taste and budget decision as much as a spec decision.

Robertino's Take

"The 16718 is the last all-gold GMT on an aluminum bezel, and that is the whole pitch. If you want a modern gold GMT you will beat up and forget about, buy the ceramic 116718LN. But the 16718 has a soul the new ones do not. Find a clean one with a tight bracelet and honest dial, ideally a root beer, and you are holding something the current lineup simply cannot give you."

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Verdict

Is the 16718 worth your money?

Yes, the Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 is worth buying for the right person. It is the last all-gold GMT-Master II on an aluminum bezel, it carries genuine wrist presence, and the Caliber 3185 and 3186 are robust and serviceable for decades to come. It rewards the buyer who values character and era over the polish of a modern ceramic gold GMT.

This watch is perfect for the collector who wants a full gold sports Rolex with vintage-adjacent soul, and especially for the buyer chasing a root beer or naturally aged tropical dial that no current reference can replicate. It is the wrong watch for someone who wants the lightest possible daily wearer, a scratch-proof bezel, or a long power reserve for a rotation. The single strongest reason to buy it is that the aluminum-bezel gold era is finite and finished, and a clean 16718 is one of the more distinctive gold Rolex sports watches you can own. The single most important thing to get right is condition: buy the best case, tightest bracelet, and most honest dial you can find.

Robertino's Take

"I have handled plenty of gold GMTs, and the 16718 is the one I tell collectors to hunt for. It is heavy, it is proud, and it comes from an era Rolex will never return to. Buy condition first: a crisp case and a bracelet with no sag beat a cheaper example every time. Get that right and this is a gold sports Rolex you will never need to apologize for."

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