Baselworld 2018 saw the highly anticipated launch of the latest Rolex novelties. Outsiders of the watch world may not even imagine the tense curiosity and excitement that watch lovers across the globe share before the curtain drops on what are by far the most important and hotly discussed new timepieces in every year: the new models and references by The Crown.
The flagship launch of Baselworld 2018 is a new selection of Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II watches, widely, albeit not officially dubbed “Pepsi” and “Root Beer.” First, we shall look at the former, whereas we will discuss the latter in a separate article.
Cannily named Pepsi after its iconic red and blue colors, not manywatch lovers in the world are familiar with where this color scheme is coming from. You see, Rolex launched its very first GMT-Master watch in 1955, a watch that they had designed specifically for airline pilots. Rolex today doesn’t officially communicate this, but the story goes that it was PanAm airlines that reached out to the watchmaker to have it create a new watch that airline pilots could use to keep track of two separate time zones easily with just one watch.
The solution came in the form of a watch with two hour hands: one that would function as per normal and make a full circle around the dial in 12 hours, as well as a secondary hour hand that would do so in 24 hours. Another detail perhaps not many are familiar with is the fact that, originally, these watches were designed to display the local time with the regular hour hand, and home time (or reference time) with the 24-hour hand.
Now, when one is traveling – irrespective of the fact whether he is a pilot or not, what he has to do is use the GMT-Master II’s ingenious movement feature that allows for the adjusting of this 12-hour hand totally independent from the movement’s other indications. So, to give you an example: coming from Central-Europe, as you land in Los Angeles, you have to adjust your watch by 9 hours “backwards.” Set the crown in the correct position and you’ll be able to adjust the hour hand in one-hour increments (or “jumps”), while the seconds, minutes and the 24-hour hand all keep running and displaying accurate time. Screw the crown back down to ensure water resistance and you’re all set for your adventures in Los Angeles!
The red, 24-hour hand is said to be your “home time” because you don’t change this. The 12-hour hand is your local time because you are likely to check your local time more often than your home time and it simply is more intuitive to check the time with the two main hands at your current location. By contrast, the 24-hour hand was designed like so especially so that you need not think about whether it is morning or evening time back at home – the 24-hour “military time” (as it is called in the United States, mainly) gives you a clear indication whether it is, say, 2AM or 2PM where your loved ones are.
What is new for 2018 with the Pepsi is the fact that this iconic color combination is finally once again available in an Oystersteel timepiece. Re-launched a few years ago, the Cerachrom red-blue bezel Rolex debuted in an all white gold timepiece that, mind you, remains in production and has received a blue dial update.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II “Pepsi” reference 126710BLRO in Oystersteel comes exclusively with a black dial, Rolex Oystersteel case, an Oystersteel Jubilee bracelet and an Oysterlock folding safety clasp. A frequently asked question is whether or not the three-link Oyster bracelet will fit this very model and the official answer is no, meaning that this particular Oystersteel Pepsi cannot physically be fitted with any other bracelet. Nevertheless, although GMT-Master watches had previously been offered on the Jubilee bracelet, this new model marks the first time among modern Rolex watches that the Jubilee is fitted to a sporty piece from the brand.
Another important upgrade introduced in this highly anticipated piece is the introduction of the Rolex 3285 caliber to this reference. This further developed movement boasting 10 patent applications offers an extended, 70-hour long power reserve, a Rolex Chronenergy escapement with optimized energy efficiency, a paramagnetic blue hairspring with Rolex overcoil, a large balance wheel with variable moment of inertia, as well as high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers. Like all Rolex watches today, the new “Pepsi” also comes with a Superlative Chronometer Certification, testifying to the fact that every individual piece has passed the strict in-house quality control procedures, as well as the independent COSC chronometer tests.
After all this said, the new Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II “Pepsi” reference 126710BLRO remains a watch that is to be seen “hands-on” to be truly admired. Its combination of elegance and sporty durability, refined aesthetics and real functionality make it a true Rolex timepiece – yet another one to make the world of watch lovers get exhilarated by excitement.
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