First Rolex question - ew vs Old - GMT vs Sub

[Keyne]

My wife would like to buy me a Rolex as a gift to celebrate a big promotion. This would be my first Rolex and one I plan to have forever due to its sentimental value and wear daily. I have always liked the Pepsi bezel GMT's and the classic black face submariners but I am wondering if it makes sense to buy a used (2000+ circa GmT or a new Sub)?

When we started looking at watches I was thinking Pepsi GMT all the way... I travel internationally a lot so the GMT features would be great and I like the uniqueness of the Pepsi vs a sub. However, we purchased and returned a GMT circa 2006 and it caused me to think that maybe I would feel more comfortable with a new watch so I know how it has been used and serviced. I plan to keep it for and use it daily for the next 30-40 years (maybe even that is too optimistic?). I am not a huge fan of the new GMT black and black and blue (love the new Pepsi wg but wow $$$$) so a sub sounds like a great altnerative.

Are the older watches reliable enough to last? Better in these circumstances to buy new? I searched the forums to find related topics but couldn't find what I was looking for, so any guidance would be great.