Vintage Rolex GMT-Master 16753 "Root Beer" - Vintage of the Week Episode 38 | Bob's Watches

This episode of Vintage of the Week features a special edition of the two-tone Rolex GMT Master ref. 16753 - aka the Rolex Root Beer. Shop: https://www.bobswatches.com/vintage-r...

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00:00 INTRO
00:22 Wrist Check
00:40 Rolex 16753 Root Beer History
01:21 Features
01:50 Bracelet
02:11 Date
02:42 Box & Papers
02:57 Case
03:08 Rolex Rootbeer Bezel
03:14 Nipple Dial & Hands
03:28 Bracelet
03:39 Clasp
04:08 Condition
04:38 Availability
04:46 OUTRO

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The Vintage of the Week series showcases a different remarkable vintage watch from our inventory, diving deep into its history, condition, and features that make them unique.

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THE ROLEX GMT MASTER REF. 16753

Rolex developed the GMT Master in the 1950s. Transatlantic flight was in its infancy, and the Pan American Company needed a dual-time watch to issue their pilots – and the GMT Master was born.

With its reliable Perpetual movement with automatic winding, 24-hour bezel, and dedicated GMT hand, the GMT Master has since become the watch after which all GMT watches are measured.

It is legendary.

Ref. 6542 – aka the Pussy Galore – was the first reference in the series. It features a blue and red bezel nicknamed the “Pepsi” bezel, a crown without guards, and a 50-meter depth rating.

Ref. 1675 followed in 1959, introducing several notable upgrades to the series, including crown guards, new COSC text on the dial, and two new movements – the caliber 1565 and 1575.

Ref. 1675 kept the same 50-meter depth rating and sports an acrylic crystal and Tritium lume. Ref. 1675 also notably had two-tone or all-black bezel options and was produced in all-gold or two-tone steel and yellow gold.

Ref. 16750 came to market in 1981, including the two-tone ref. 16753. With this model, the GMT Master was upgraded to a 100-meter depth rating and the 3000-series movements.

The GMT Master 16750 also introduced the series to the Quickset function, which allows the wearer to set the date with a simple twist of the crown instead of advancing the crown past midnight.

The 5-digit GMT was produced with several dial variations, including either matte or glossy on the stainless steel variant and with a brown nipple dial on the two-tone ref. 16753

Rolex discontinued ref. 16753 in the late 1980s to make way for ref. 16700.

There was some overlap between the GMT Master and GMT Master II, which introduced the series to an independent GMT hand. However, Rolex would ultimately retire the original GMT Master around 1999.

THE ROLEX ROOTBEER

While most GMT Master watches feature black, blue, or red hues on the bezel, ref. 16753 sports a stunning brown and cream insert.

The colorway is inherently retro and pairs well with the warmer tones of the two-tone bracelet and case. Rolex also produced the 16753 GMT with a matching brown dial decorated with either regular luminous hour markers or faceted yellow-gold nipple hour markers.

The Rolex Root Beer GMT with nipple hour markers is one of the most collectible editions of the iconic watch.

Rolex still produces the Root Beer GMT. However, the watch now features Everose instead of the classic steel and yellow gold. Additionally, the bezel is now presented in Rolex’s patented "Cerachrom" and features a black and brown insert instead of brown and cream.

NICKNAMES

The Root Beer is also known in many watch-collecting circles as the Clint Eastwood Rolex because the legendary actor wore the watch on his wrist regularly.

He even donned the Rolex Root Beer on screen in the films Firefox (1982), Tightrope (1984), and In The Line of Fire (1993).

THE MOVEMENT

Reference 16753 was the first two-tone GMT Master to use a 3000 series movement. The caliber 3075 replaced the caliber 1575, bringing with it a higher frequency of 28,800 bph and the Quickset function. It also inherited the hacking seconds upgrade afforded to its predecessor, which stops the seconds hand while setting the time.

ROLEX ROOT BEER PRICE

Ref. 16753 resells for around $12k. It’s a reasonably competitive price considering its all-steel counterpart, ref. 16750, trades hands for anywhere between $13k and $14k. While gold is usually more valuable, the price difference can be attributed to the popularity of stainless steel Rolex sports watches.

What do you think of the iconic Rolex Root Beer? Let us know in the comments below.

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