The Rolex GMT-Master II 16713 is the yellow Rolesor GMT-Master II made from 1989 to about 2007: a 40 mm case in stainless steel and 18 ct yellow gold, a bidirectional 24-hour bezel with an aluminium insert in black or in brown and gold, a sapphire crystal, and the calibre 3185 with an independently adjustable 12-hour hand, the feature that makes a GMT-Master a GMT-Master II. The brown-dial version is the one collectors call the Root Beer, a nickname that passed to the Everose 126711CHNR in 2018. This guide covers the specifications, the two bezel and dial combinations, how the 16713 differs from the GMT-Master 16753 before it and the ceramic 116713LN after it, how it compares with the steel 16710, how it wears, dealer prices in 2026 and what to check before buying a watch that is now 19 to 37 years old. Bizak & Co. sources the 16713 to order; the GMT-Master II collection lists the configurations we can seek.
Last reviewed on October 4, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.
Rolex GMT-Master II 16713 specifications
| Attribute | 16713 |
|---|---|
| Case | 40 mm stainless steel with 18 ct yellow gold bezel and crown, about 12 mm thick, roughly 47 mm lug to lug, 20 mm lug width; screw-down Twinlock crown with crown guards; drilled lug holes on examples made before about 2003 |
| Bezel | Bidirectional 24-hour, yellow gold bezel with anodised aluminium insert, black or brown-and-gold |
| Movement | Calibre 3185, automatic, about 50 hours power reserve, chronometer certified, independently adjustable 12-hour hand and 24-hour hand; calibre 3186 in the final production run |
| Dial | Black with yellow gold surrounds and hands, or brown with gold surrounds and hands; tritium lume to about 1998, then Luminova and Super-LumiNova; date at 3 with Cyclops |
| Crystal | Sapphire with Cyclops |
| Bracelet | Jubilee with yellow gold centre links and concealed Crownclasp, or Oyster with yellow gold centre links and folding Oysterlock clasp; solid end links from about 2000 |
| Water resistance | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Production | 1989 to about 2007; preceded by the GMT-Master 16753, replaced by the 116713LN |
Sources: the Rolex GMT-Master II collection page for the current successors, and Rolex watch care and service for service intervals and the parts policy that governs older references.
What makes the 16713 a GMT-Master II rather than a GMT-Master?
The first GMT-Masters, from the 6542 of 1955 through the 1675 and the 16750 and 16753 of the 1980s, had a 24-hour hand locked to the main hour hand. To read a second time zone the wearer turned the bezel. The GMT-Master II, introduced in 1983 with the 16760 and brought to the full range in 1989 with the 16710 in steel, the 16718 in gold and the 16713 in Rolesor, added a 12-hour hand that jumps in one-hour steps from the first crown position while the 24-hour hand and minutes stay put. Set the 24-hour hand to home time, turn the bezel to a third zone, and jump the local hour on arrival. The 16713 therefore shows three time zones to the 16753's two, with the same case size and the same aluminium bezel. The GMT-Master 1675 guide covers the single-hand original if you prefer it.
Black or Root Beer: which 16713?
| Black dial, black insert | Brown dial, brown and gold insert | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Gold surrounds and hands on black; the quieter two-tone GMT | Brown dial with gold tones throughout; the one called the Root Beer |
| Insert ageing | Black fades toward grey and shows scratches | Brown fades toward tan and the gold half dulls; even fade is prized |
| Nickname | None in common use | Root Beer, following the brown 1675/3 and 16753 of the 1970s and 1980s |
| Secondary demand | Steady; easier to source | Higher; the one most buyers ask for by name |
Both combinations share the case, movement and bracelets. The black version is the easier watch to wear every day and the easier one to find; the Root Beer is the collector's choice and usually costs more for an equivalent example. Our watch nicknames guide traces where the Root Beer name came from.
16713 vs 16710 vs 116713LN: which GMT-Master II?
| 16713 | 16710 | 116713LN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal | Yellow Rolesor | Steel | Yellow Rolesor |
| Years | 1989 to about 2007 | 1989 to about 2007 | About 2007 to about 2018 |
| Case | 40 mm, slim lugs | 40 mm, slim lugs | 40 mm "super case" with broad lugs and a maxi dial |
| Bezel insert | Aluminium, black or brown and gold | Aluminium, black, red and blue (Pepsi) or red and black (Coke) | Black Cerachrom ceramic with gold-coated numerals |
| Movement | 3185, then 3186 | 3185, then 3186 | 3186 |
| Clasp | Crownclasp or Oysterlock, hollow links | Oysterlock or Crownclasp, hollow links | Oysterlock with Easylink, solid links |
The 16710 is the steel twin with the famous red-and-blue insert; the Pepsi GMT-Master II guide covers that lineage. The 116713LN is the same two-tone idea a generation on, with a ceramic bezel that does not fade, a heavier case and bracelet, and no Root Beer option. The 16713 is the lightest of the three and the only one with the slim 1990s case, which is the reason to choose it. The current Rolesor GMT is the Everose 126711CHNR, which carries the Root Beer name today with a brown and black ceramic bezel and the calibre 3285.
How does the GMT-Master II 16713 wear?
The 16713 is a 40 mm watch with the slim lugs and hollow-link bracelet of its era, so it wears lighter and smaller than any modern GMT-Master II and sits flat under a cuff. The gold bezel and centre links lift it from tool watch to something that works with a jacket, and the brown Root Beer dial takes that further. On a Jubilee it drapes closely and feels light; on an Oyster it is sturdier and the clasp is simpler. Wrists from about 16 cm to 18.5 cm (6.3 to 7.3 inches) carry it well. The aluminium insert is the part that shows age first: it scratches and fades, which some buyers want and others do not, and a replacement insert from Rolex is a service part rather than an original.
How much is a Rolex GMT-Master II 16713? Dealer prices in 2026
- Retail. Rolex discontinued the 16713 about two decades ago, so there is no current list price. The current Rolesor GMT-Master II's US list price is on the Rolex GMT-Master II page linked above, and it is the figure dealer asks for the 16713 are best read against.
- Secondary market. Through 2025 and 2026, pre-owned black-dial 16713 examples have generally been asked at a clear discount to a new Rolesor GMT-Master II, with full sets, early tritium dials and evenly faded inserts at the top of the range. Root Beer examples have typically been asked above equivalent black ones.
- Bizak catalogue asks. On October 4, 2026 our sourced catalogue listed three pre-owned black-dial 16713 examples at US$11,800, US$12,600 and US$13,577, including an early example with drilled lug holes, all sourced to order. The spread reflects year, condition and what comes with the watch, not three different watches.
Those figures describe what we saw and will move. Ask for a dated quote for the exact year, dial, insert and set; our Rolex price guide explains how to compare quotes.
Is the 16713 a good investment?
It has appreciated slowly and steadily rather than spiked. A discontinued reference with a fixed supply, a slim case that Rolex no longer makes and a nickname that still carries weight is a sound thing to own, and two-tone GMTs have been less volatile than the steel ones because the buyer pool is smaller. The examples that hold value are full sets with an original dial, an original or evenly faded insert, an unpolished case and a bracelet without stretch. Watch-only examples with service dials and fresh inserts are cheaper for a reason. Buy it to wear; if resale matters, ask for a written cash-buy assessment before you commit.
Buying a used 16713: what to check
- Reference and serial. The reference between the lugs at 12 should read 16713 and the serial at 6 should match any papers. Rolex does not reissue papers for this era.
- GMT function. From the first crown position the 12-hour hand should jump in one-hour steps while the 24-hour hand stays put; if both hands move together the watch is either a GMT-Master 16753 or has the wrong movement.
- Dial originality. Tritium dials should read "SWISS - T < 25"; a "SWISS MADE" dial in an early-serial watch is a service replacement. Lume on dial and hands should match in colour.
- Bezel insert. Original inserts have sharper printing and age with the dial; a bright, perfect insert on a 1990s watch is a service part, which is fine if priced as such. Check that the insert sits flat and the bezel clicks cleanly in both directions.
- Case and gold. Sharp lug chamfers and, on pre-2003 examples, drilled lug holes; rounded, soft edges mean repeated polishing. The gold bezel and crown wear faster than steel.
- Bracelet stretch. Hold the watch by the clasp; a Jubilee that sags into a curve is stretched and costly to fix. Gold centre links wear thinner over time.
- Movement and service. A 3185 should run within a few seconds a day; ask for the last service receipt and pressure-test date, and budget for a service if there is no record.
- Price against the band. A full-set 16713 offered well under the market is the single most reliable warning sign.
Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch.
Quick answers
How much is a Rolex GMT-Master II 16713?
Rolex no longer lists it, so dealer asks are read against the current Rolesor GMT-Master II. Bizak's sourced catalogue listed three pre-owned black-dial 16713 examples at US$11,800 to US$13,577 on October 4, 2026, sourced to order.
What years was the Rolex 16713 made?
From 1989 to about 2007, when the 116713LN with a ceramic bezel and the larger super case replaced it.
Is the 16713 the Root Beer?
The brown-dial 16713 with the brown and gold insert is the Root Beer of its generation. The black-dial, black-insert 16713 is the same watch without the nickname, and the name now belongs to the Everose 126711CHNR.
What movement is in the GMT-Master II 16713?
Calibre 3185, with an independently adjustable 12-hour hand and about 50 hours of power reserve; the last examples carry the calibre 3186.
What is the difference between the 16713 and the 16753?
The 16753 is a GMT-Master whose 24-hour hand is locked to the hour hand; the 16713 is a GMT-Master II whose 12-hour hand sets independently, so it shows three time zones rather than two.
Request a GMT-Master II 16713 sourcing quote
Tell us the dial and insert colour, preferred serial range or year, bracelet, condition and whether papers are required, plus your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, papers and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: pre-owned 16713 black dial, pre-owned 16713 with drilled lugs, pre-owned 16713 K series; browse the GMT-Master II collection, the two-tone watches collection, the GMT watches collection, or sell or trade your GMT-Master.
Related reading: GMT-Master II 126711CHNR Root Beer guide · GMT-Master 1675 guide · Pepsi GMT-Master II guide · GMT-Master II Batman guide.
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