Why is the GMTII ceramic Pepsi bezel now a hit?!?

[soundwave]

No, the bezel colors are still a turn off imo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Lt Virgil Hilts

Therefore, one can only ask; how much more extreme the current frenzy, would be, had Rolex achieved the same universal acceptance of their new red and blue bezel?
.

i dont think any watch has universal acceptance. I dont like the SS daytona C for example and i cant stand aluminum bezel Rolex's of any color. The problem is that people somehow have an expectation they have to to like every watch and something is "wrong" with it if they dont. Its a weird way to approach watch collecting. There are tons of watches i dont like or wouldn't wear but they are perfectly fine watches all the same.

[Speedbird-1]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

i dont think any watch has universal acceptance. I dont like the SS daytona C for example and i cant stand aluminum bezel Rolex's of any color. The problem is that people somehow have an expectation they have to to like every watch and something is "wrong" with it if they dont. Its a weird way to approach watch collecting. There are tons of watches i dont like or wouldn't wear but they are perfectly fine watches all the same.

a. I'm not a collector.
b. I'm not saying the 'weird' colours are wrong, its just that the consensus seems to be that they're just....'not quite right'.

Witness this perpetual discussion.

I think that maybe some, just some, owners, maybe, just maybe in denial, and that if, say, a nice 'properly coloured' Coke was released, the 'mauve and pink'
version values might, just might,.... plummet!
Then perhaps we could all afford/obtain one, and suffer the 'iffy' hues anyway.

Choosing the 'right light' and digitally enhancing the colours to augment the argument, is just not Cricket...is it?
Something I would NEVER , EVER do!

[DJRikki]

Originally Posted by eonflux

My opinion of the purple/pink bezel still hasn't changed.
Would prefer the blue of the BLNR and a real red.

I do like the new movement, longer minute hand, and Jubilee.

This ^

Saw them at Basel side by side and the colour is way off, anyone who says different is lying to themselves.

[sithjedi333]

Originally Posted by HL65

The colors are reminiscent of the original 6542 Bakelite IMHO. So I think Rolex knows what they are doing as they’ve been doing it for a wee bit of time now successfully and better than most.

That's a very interesting point that explains a lot. I hadn't thought of that but it makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

[Duey]

Originally Posted by Lt Virgil Hilts

a. I'm not a collector.
b. I'm not saying the 'weird' colours are wrong, its just that the consensus seems to be that they're just....'not quite right'.

Witness this perpetual discussion.

I think that maybe some, just some, owners, maybe, just maybe in denial, and that if, say, a nice 'properly coloured' Coke was released, the 'mauve and pink'
version values might, just might,.... plummet!
Then perhaps we could all afford/obtain one, and suffer the 'iffy' hues anyway.

Choosing the 'right light' and digitally enhancing the colours to augment the argument, is just not Cricket...is it?
Something I would NEVER , EVER do!

(In Denial) Love it

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by Duey

I love the colors in natural light the best. People want to try with all their might to pretend that the color is not naturally purple and cranberry but it is under direct UV sunlight. It has nothing to do with sunglasses or lenses. It's simply the true colors from the manufacturing process that Rolex uses. That's what makes it so special. If you keep it in the shade you can get the blue and red to come out.

Must be because I’m not in California then because I’m not in direct sunlight for 90% of my life.

Typically I’m indoors, in a car or there is a cloud somewhere. If it’s high noon and sunny I stay out of the sun with my pasty white skin.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Must be because I’m not in California then because I’m not in direct sunlight for 90% of my life.

Typically I’m indoors, in a car or there is a cloud somewhere. If it’s high noon and sunny I stay out of the sun with my pasty white skin.

Yeah also many folks are lucky to work outside so much in the sun, thought most of us were office type guys.

[CRM114]

Originally Posted by padi56

Have to agree and very overhyped for what it is,but today internet hype sells watches to the hype collector, bet the grey market is laughing all the way to the bank.Where today many of these overhyped watches seem to end up as on the grey seems to be no shortage.Myself cannot see why the hype over a slither of ceramic,if ceramic is the be all end all why has it taken so long to appear in today's so called high end brands it's been around since the mid 1960s with brands like Rado.

I rarely disagree with what you write Padi, but to attribute the talk of the release of an SS BLRO in ceramic as new-collector hype (or that it's over-hyped) is off base I believe, as it doesn't take into account a couple things.

First, the complete absence of a BLRO GMT Master in Rolex's catalogue for 10 years. They had quit making them back in 2007, and the BLRO is the original, iconic GMT Master colors always available since 1954 until then.

Second, the GMT Master is hugely popular in the Pro Series lineup and has always been. Certainly moreso than the Sub in it's early days when sport diving was in its infancy and before they invented the Sub Date. Even into the 80's, and granted I was running in aviation circles, I saw far more GMT Masters in BLRO, LN, and eventually Coke itinerations around than dive watches, and Sub 1680s weren't exactly flying off the shelves to any great degree back then.

To chalk it up to hype, I believe you're underestimating the SS BLRO's historic popularity and the amount of people who have been waiting 10 years for it to re-appear, not necessarily because anyone is all hyped-up about ceramic thinking it's the greatest thing ever..nobody can control how Rolex chooses to re-invent it's materials.. but because it's a SS BLRO no matter how they make it. It's one of Rolex's most instantly-recognizable watches for as long as most everyone here has been alive.

It's always been a hit that never had an absence until 2007 until 2018, and it's not as if it was discontinued due to low sales or demand, it was due to Rolex transitioning to ceramic. Given that, it would be amazing/surprising if there wasn't a huge demand for it now that it's back. Entirely predictable for a watch with a large, historic following.

[Jeffreyc87]

Originally Posted by Lt Virgil Hilts

Because of the extended debate surrounding the colours of the new 'Pepsi' from day one, and the almost universal love for all the 'original' GMT bezel hues.
One can only come to the conclusion that for a lot of people the current shades of
Blue and Red aren't, 'quite right'.

Therefore, one can only ask; how much more extreme the current frenzy, would be, had Rolex achieved the same universal acceptance of their new red and blue bezel?

Maybe it's a good thing, that, for many potential purchasers, Geneva didn't
appear to get it 'quite right' first time.
Heaven knows what the waiting list and prices might be if they had!

Me, I'll wait, and continue to endlessly admire the elegant beauty and colour, of my 16710.
'Coke', of course......."Its the real thing".

I love the 5 digit version....the only "issue" I have with the older Pepsi/Coke models is the very small crown. Not sure why Rolex decided to use a smaller crown on the GMT models vs the sub models from the same era?

[CRM114]

Originally Posted by Jeffreyc87

I love the 5 digit version....the only "issue" I have with the older Pepsi/Coke models is the very small crown. Not sure why Rolex decided to use a smaller crown on the GMT models vs the sub models from the same era?

Because it was a twinlock vs. triplock crown.

It wasn't that Rolex decided to use a smaller crown on the GMT, because the GMT Master was derived from the Datejust (it's not a Sub with a different bezel). It's that Rolex put a larger crown on the Sub compared to others because it's a dive watch, theoretically I suppose, for easier manipulation in watery/slippery situations back when people actually went diving with them.

New GMT Masters use the same triplock crown as the Sub.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by CRM114

I rarely disagree with what you write Padi, but to attribute the talk of the release of an SS BLRO in ceramic as new-collector hype (or that it's over-hyped) is off base I believe, as it doesn't take into account a couple things.

First, the complete absence of a BLRO GMT Master in Rolex's catalogue for 10 years. They had quit making them back in 2007, and the BLRO is the original, iconic GMT Master colors always available since 1954 until then.

Second, the GMT Master is hugely popular in the Pro Series lineup and has always been. Certainly moreso than the Sub in it's early days when sport diving was in its infancy and before they invented the Sub Date. Even into the 80's, and granted I was running in aviation circles, I saw far more GMT Masters in BLRO, LN, and eventually Coke itinerations around than dive watches, and Sub 1680s weren't exactly flying off the shelves to any great degree back then.

To chalk it up to hype, I believe you're underestimating the SS BLRO's historic popularity and the amount of people who have been waiting 10 years for it to re-appear, not necessarily because anyone is all hyped-up about ceramic thinking it's the greatest thing ever..nobody can control how Rolex chooses to re-invent it's materials.. but because it's a SS BLRO no matter how they make it. It's one of Rolex's most instantly-recognizable watches for as long as most everyone here has been alive.

It's always been a hit that never had an absence until 2007 until 2018, and it's not as if it was discontinued due to low sales or demand, it was due to Rolex transitioning to ceramic. Given that, it would be amazing/surprising if there wasn't a huge demand for it now that it's back. Entirely predictable for a watch with a large, historic following.

I agree and fully expect it to remain the hardest SS Rolex model to source at retail for the next few years. This itself is ironic because people were angry they made it in WG but it was easy to source. Now Rolex makes it SS but good luck sourcing it.

[Ravager135]

It's a great watch. The bezel color "tone" (whether they are identical to or different from the "original" aluminum Pepsi bezel colors) has no bearing on whether I would buy the reference or not. Ultimately the ceramic Pepsi GMT-Master IIs are what they are and either you like them or you don't. There a ton of differences between every iteration of the GMT-Master (II). The amount of attention drawn to these subtle color differences just seems so immaterial to me.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Ravager135

It's a great watch. The bezel color "tone" (whether they are identical to or different from the "original" aluminum Pepsi bezel colors) has no bearing on whether I would buy the reference or not. Ultimately the ceramic Pepsi GMT-Master IIs are what they are and either you like them or you don't. There a ton of differences between every iteration of the GMT-Master (II). The amount of attention drawn to these subtle color differences just seems so immaterial to me.

FWIW the original was not aluminum and was Bakelite, and these colors are actually closer to the original than the aluminum. It doesnt matter to me either way but if it was trying to be anything from the past that is what is would be.

[Ravager135]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

FWIW the original was not aluminum and was Bakelite, and these colors are actually closer to the original than the aluminum. It doesnt matter to me either way but if it was trying to be anything from the past that is what is would be.

I am aware of the Bakelite bezel, which is why I put "original" in quotations (because as you pointed out, aluminum wasn't really). The Bakelite was very brittle and many didn't survive making examples difficult to come by these days. The GMT hand was also smaller. I think what the stainless steel BLRO is attempting to capture is the spirit of the models that followed, though that is entirely argumentative considering many iterations of the GMT-Master had a blue/red bezel and were available on a Jubilee bracelet including the model you mentioned.

[Speedbird-1]

Just to refresh ALL our memories.
This is Rolex's own image of a 1955 GMT with a 'Plexiglass' bezel.
Nice colours huh?


I'm no expert, but, not too much 'Bakelite' there..........

[UnicoJG]

Great pic and thanks for the refresh!
Sometimes a reminder is needed!

[superstarmar]

it was a hit before it was even released...

[DoctorA]

Originally Posted by liuk3

Peer pressure...

Well said! But it’s working!!