What is the Rolex Pepsi?

Among all the fun names enthusiasts have given to Rolex watches over the years, perhaps the most ubiquitous is the Rolex Pepsi. The Rolex Pepsi is the nickname of any Rolex GMT-Master watch with a blue and red bezel. Half blue, half red, and punctuated with white markings, it’s not hard to see the Rolex Pepsi bezel’s resemblance to the soda giant’s famous logo; the trio of colors in circular form —it just works. Adding to the ubiquity of the nickname is that the first Rolex GMT-Master reference from the mid-1950s had a blue/red bezel, making this particular colorway the classic choice among the various bezel color options.

Further Reading:
Rolex Pepsi Production Issues: Rumor or Reality?
Your Go-to Guide to Rolex Nicknames
What is a GMT Watch?

The Rolex Pepsi is also known as the BLRO (short for bleu/rouge, which is French for blue/red). Except for a short seven-year pause in the 2000s, Rolex has consistently offered a GMT-Master with a blue and red bezel. Let’s briefly look at all the Rolex Pepsi watches made throughout the history of the GMT-Master collection.

The First Rolex Pepsi: GMT-Master 6542

The first GMT-Master model, launched in the mid-1950s (Rolex says it officially launched in 1955 but there are examples dated to 1954), was the reference 6542. The stainless steel version featured the now famous red and blue “Pepsi” bezel, which was fashioned from Bakelite and furnished with radium for luminescence. The Bakelite Pepsi bezel didn’t last long on the market and some models even had to be recalled from the US Market by directive of the Atomic Energy Commission. Aside from the recall, Bakelite as a material proved to be a subpar choice for a bezel as it tended to crack.

Therefore, Rolex began swapping out the Bakelite bezel of GMT-Master 6542 watches with aluminum ones, retaining the same red and blue colors. As such, finding a vintage GMT-Master ref. 6542 with the original Pepsi Bakelite bezel today is exceedingly rare.

GMT-Master 1675

Around 1959, Rolex rolled out the second generation model, the GMT-Master 1675. The 1675 was the longest-running reference in the GMT-Master’s history, produced until 1980. While the red and blue “Pepsi” bezel color remained, the reference 1675 featured plenty of upgrades over its predecessor.

For instance, Rolex added crown guards to the case, and as a result, the case grew slightly from 38mm to 40mm — the size that the GMT-Master II remains today. Furthermore, the bezel insert was now fashioned from aluminum, a material Rolex continued to use for the GMT’s bezels until 2005. Since the 1675 was in production for so long, the reference received a few updates over the course of its manufacturing run. For instance, early examples ran on Caliber 1565 while later ones (introduced in the mid-1960s and after) were powered by the higher-beat Caliber 1575. What’s more, dials evolved from gloss ones with gilt details to matte black ones with white text.

Like its forerunner, the steel GMT-Master ref. 1675 was initially equipped with a blue and red Pepsi bezel; it wasn’t until the 1970s that Rolex rolled out an all-black bezel option.

GMT-Master 16750

In 1980, Rolex released the third generation model, the GMT-Master 16750, with a new Caliber 3075 movement that included a quickset date for easier adjustment of the date window independent from the time-telling hands. The new movement required that the hands be placed in a different order: hour/GMT/minute/second (compared to the previous GMT/hour/minute/second).

Looks-wise, the GMT-Master 16750 was largely the same, which is to say a stainless steel case, blue and red Pepsi bezel, black dial, and stainless steel bracelet. Rolex produced the GMT-Master 16750 until about 1988 and some of the later examples (from about 1986 onwards) included white gold applied frames surrounding the hour markers, similar to what we see on modern models.

GMT-Master 16700

The reference 16700 was the very last GMT-Master I reference ever made before the GMT-Master II took over as the hero of the collection. It was manufactured from about 1988 to about 1999 and was exclusively available in stainless steel.

Rolex did offer the choice between the classic Pepsi bezel and an all-black one. One of the most notable upgrades of this particular reference was the addition of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal instead of acrylic crystal.

GMT-Master II 16710

Although reference 16710 was not the first GMT-Master II model, it was the first GMT-Master II Pepsi — that’s because the first GMT-Master II (ref. 16760) was only offered with a black and red “Coke” bezel.

Rolex offered the stainless steel GMT-Master II 16710 with Pepsi, Coke, and all-black bezels, and produced the reference from 1989 until the mid-2000s. You’ll note that this overlaps with the production dates of the GMT-Master 16700; Rolex offered the GMT-Master and GMT-Master II simultaneously for a while, positioning the former as the less expensive alternative of the latter. The biggest difference between GMT-Master 1 and GMT-Master 2 is that the GMT and hour hands on the newer version operate independently from each other, thus allowing the tracking of a third time zone.

The GMT-Master II 16710 belongs to the last aluminum bezel-fitted GMT generation before Rolex switched to Cerachrom ceramic bezels. Rolex discontinued the GMT-Master II 16710 in 2007, and with that, the Pepsi disappeared from the brand’s catalog for seven years.

The First Ceramic Rolex Pepsi: GMT-Master II 116719 BLRO

When Rolex first unveiled Cerachrom ceramic bezels in 2005, the company asserted that it would be impossible to create two-tone variations so it stuck to making all-black bezels for the GMT-Master II line. Thankfully, Rolex did manage to eventually make bi-color Cerachrom bezels.

2014 marked the return of the Rolex Pepsi; however, the famed blue and red bezel was fitted to a white gold GMT-Master II instead of a customary steel model. The GMT-Master II ref. 116719 was not only notable for debuting the Cerachrom Pepsi bezel but it was also the very first white gold GMT-Master ever made. Rumor has it that Rolex chose a white gold model for the blue and red ceramic bezel to keep production levels low since this particular bezel proved challenging to make.

GMT-Master II 126710 BLRO

In 2018, Rolex finally released the highly anticipated GMT-Master II ref. 126710BLRO — a modern stainless steel GMT with a Cerachrom blue and red Pepsi bezel. Powering the watch is the new-gen Caliber 3285 automatic movement with 70 hours of power reserve.

As expected, demand for the watch soared and it quickly became the must-have Rolex of the moment. The GMT-Master II 126710BLRO was initially paired exclusively with a Jubilee bracelet. However, in 2021, Rolex added the sportier Oyster bracelet as an option.

GMT-Master II 126719 BLRO

That same year, Rolex introduced a white gold Pepsi GMT-Master II 126719 to replace the previous generation reference 116719. Rather than sporting a customary black dial, the 126719 housed a blue dial that matched the “night hours” portion of the Pepsi bezel nicely. Other specs remained the same as the steel variant including the Caliber 3285, 40mm case diameter, and 100-meter water resistance rating.

The following year, Rolex rolled out an even more eye-catching dial for the white gold Pepsi — a stunning meteorite dial, which contrasts beautifully with the bi-colored bezel that frames it. It’s important to note that unlike the steel Pepsi, the white gold Pepsi is exclusively fitted with an Oyster bracelet.

The Enduring Appeal of the Rolex Pepsi

The Pepsi remains one of the most popular Rolex watches to date, recognized for its distinct colorway and beloved for its practical multiple-time-zone-indicating feature.

Whether vintage or modern, in steel or white gold, on a Jubilee or Oyster bracelet, the Rolex GMT-Master Pepsi is a favorite among watch collectors. And with looks like these, it’s not hard to see why.

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