Why the Rolex GMT Master II is a globetrotter's best friend

There’s nothing in the world quite like a Rolex. When we talk about intrinsic and extrinsic value, timepieces from Rolex are very hard to beat. Dare I say it, Rolex are, in a way, second to none.

These pieces embody the exact tenets of what I think justifies a “good watch”. Whether it's sitting on your lucky wrist or gazing alluringly through a shopfront display, the way a Rolex looks is impeccable, and how it feels on the wrist is just superb.

There’s a certain quality about a Rolex that is very hard to come by, even in watch costing tens or even hundreds of thousands more than that of a Rolex. Which brings me to the GMT-Master II Reference 126710BLRO, which watch cognoscenti have nicknamed the ‘Pepsi’ due to the beautiful deep blue and supple red of the bezel.

Arguably the most acclaimed Rolex release at this year’s Baselworld watch bacchanalia, the $11,750 Pepsi is a wonderful combination of actual real-world usability and stunning style, which looks and feels far more expensive than it really is.

One of its stand-out features is the bi-directional 24-hour rotating bezel which enables you to keep track of your home time in one time zone, while displaying your local time with the main hour hand, set easily through the winding crown.

The 40mm case is forged from Rolex’s famous Oystersteel material. This type of steel is known as a superalloy, used commonly in aerospace industries, meaning high levels of resistance, exceptional finishing as well as being able to survive in harsh environments.

Strapped to your wrist at 38,000ft sipping a glass of Veuve Clicquot Brut, or helping you juggle two schedules when bleary eyed and jet-lagged? The 126710BLRO has got you covered.

The deep black dial and distinctive Jubilee bracelet round off what I think is a very subtle, very inconspicuous package, and relives the notable era of Rolex really finding its feet way back during the 1940s.

The appeal of the 126710BLRO Pepsi is such that buying one at retail, let alone finding one, is becoming next to impossible. There's a huge shift towards steel Rolexes, and the Pepsi is already an iconic representation of this breed.

Dimitri Tsilioris

Dimitri Tsilioris is a Sydney-based watch writer enthralled by the intricate world of tiny mechanisms, who suspects he’ll never find the ‘perfect’ watch but will never give upon searching for it.