Reply With QuoteI guess the usual advice would be to only buy from a reputable dealer.
Also, have a look at the 'fat lady'. Bit chunkier and came with the Coke bezel.
I am toying with the idea of buying a rolex cola gmt.
In the past, I have been very grateful to the forums advice at this point in the discovery / search process.
Not having owned a rolex before, i am worried about picking up a high quality fake or a franken....not sure how to mitigate this. How should i go about this? Please can i ask for some help, advice and opinions.
As an illustration, i saw the one below.
https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/gmt...id10490038.htm
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I guess the usual advice would be to only buy from a reputable dealer.
Also, have a look at the 'fat lady'. Bit chunkier and came with the Coke bezel.
It might not matter to you, but I don’t think that Coke bezel is original to the watch you have linked to. As far as I am aware the 16700 was only sold with black or Pepsi bezel options.
If you are not that bothered about having a faded bezel you could just look for the best condition 16710 you can find, regardless of the colour of the bezel insert and then ask Rolex to fit a new Coke bezel insert for you.
This was some advice handed out to me when I was looking out for a GMT and I ended up with a 16710 GMT11.
The GMT 1675 was made for roughly two decades - 1960 to 1980. The early ones had glossy dials with gilt printing which you'll find from around 1960 until 1966 when the dial was changed to the matte black dials with white lettering. The 1675 model has an acrylic crystal and non quick-set date feature. Beginning around 1972, the 1675 received the hacking seconds hand feature which allows you to stop the sweep seconds hand when the winding crown is pulled all the way out. This is called hacking. The 24-hour hand can not be set independently on this model.
The GMT 16750 replaced the GMT 1675 and started to appear around 1980 and it too has an acrylic crystal like the 1675 model. The 16750 has a different movement than the 1675 and an additional feature not found on the 1675 which is the quick-set date. The early 16750s had a matte dial and appear similar to a 1675. The 24-hour hand can not be set independently on this model like the 1675 model. Around 1984, the 16750 dial was changed to add a glossy dial with gold surround markers which are found on the remainder of the GMT models up to today. Many collectors prefer the 16750 with the matte dial (circa 1980 to 1984) over the glossy dials with the gold surround markers. Additionally, the quick-set date feature found of the 16750s is another plus to many collectors when compared to the 1675 model.
The GMT II, model 16760 was introduced during 1983 and discontinued around 1989 and has a different movement than the previous GMT 1675 and 16750. It features a sapphire crystal and a semi quick-set date feature where the hour hand can be adjusted independently of the 24-hour hand. The case on the 16760 model, also referred to as the "Fat Lady," is larger than the previous models and larger than the GMT 16700 and GMT II 16710 models.
The GMT II 16710 replaced the 16760 around 1989. The 16710 has a case that is a little smaller than than 16760. Production runs from around 1989 through around 2006. Many collectors consider the 16760 vintage due to its age and short production run when compared to the 16710. The internals of the 16760 and 16710 are the same except for the last couple years of the 16710 production which had some minor movement modifications.
The GMT 16700 replaced the GMT 16750 around 1989 and ceased production around 1999. It shares the same movement as the GMT 16750 and also has the quick-set date feature. It was made during the same time period as the 16710 but in lesser quantities than the 16710.
Bezel inserts varied through the years with the GMT 1675 originally available with the red/blue "Pepsi" insert and later during the 1970s, a black insert became an option on this model. The GMT 16750 was available with the "Pepsi" or black insert. The GMT II 16760 was only available with the red/black "Coke" insert. The GMT II 16710 was available with black, "Pepsi" or "Coke" inserts. The GMT 16700 was available with the black insert or the "Pepsi" insert.
In choosing a specific model, you must decide what it is that you want in your GMT. If you want something vintage that has collector value, the 1675 would be a good choice or the 16750 with the quick-set date feature.
If you want a sapphire crystal, the GMT II 16760 is hard to beat with its short production run. The GMT 16700 is also another model to consider with a short production run.
Thank you. As a visual thinker, i had to draw this out... and now understand gbn13’s comment :) On a whim, almost hit the buy button last night - so glad i paused and asked for some help :)
A framework is forming, how about hands and dials? Does anyone have a feel for how they changed with time and model?
Image1555860705.328083.jpg
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Once you have decided or know what watch you are going to buy, do a google asking for a dial image for whatever year of the chosen model.
Take note of layout of the wordings on the dial and the manufacture details such as swiss made or swiss etc or < signs like this> etc. Look at the numbers or little circles and you can soon work out if the dial is original or a service replacement or even a fake.
Also look at the edges, are they sharp or do they have a radius or an oversized chamfer. Again use the pic or an original watch of the correct year to determine this. Do the same for the bracelet and use the serial numbers as the guide.
Do some preliminary searching as a practice, you will soon get the knack of it.
Google is your best mate.
ok, i will give it a go. this is definitely not a product for impulse buys ;)
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The 16710 will give you most flexibility (Black, coke or Pepsi) and although the bezel inserts are only (sic) £55 from Rolex (£37 if they keep your old one), a black bezel 16710 can be hundreds of pounds cheaper than a coke or Pepsi.
I know that Rolex will change inserts, however for me the 16700 was the last true Pepsi and the 16710 was the last of the true Cokes.
This is based purely on Rolex Advertising material of the period, which showed the 16700 with a Pepsi insert and the 16710 as a Coke.
It also makes sense (to me at least) that Rolex would use different inserts to differential the two watches.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Also you can fit a Jubilee onto a 16710 and still be 100% original.
Mine is on a Jubilee with a coke bezel and it looks great.
Thank you. How do you know if a watch is really authentic? Do you do the transaction at a rolex branch, and will they validate for you?
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You are now hitting the difficult bit and everyone has a different view on this.Originally Posted by timc
I always put a Rolex in for a service the day that I buy it and I ask the AD to immediately confirm that the Rolex is genuine and original. I have never had a problem with that.
Some ADs do not take kindly to being asked to confirm authenticity by a stranger because it could turn out messy for them at a later date.
You can take some precautions. Conduct the sale in a bank where there is cctv and get the bank to make the money transfer.
Always make the deal in the sellers house or at his place of work. If they refuse this, run away.
Never ever buy a watch and have it delivered by post, it simply is not worth the risk. Only do a deal F2F.
Finally never assume any documentation is genuine, faking a watch is difficult, faking papers is dead easy and it goes on more than you think, so base you judgement purely on the watch.
Many thanks all, i will do a few dry runs practicing assessing them. If there is one the looks a good candidate, perhaps i can post photo or link for a second opinion, before i pull the trigger.
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