The 1999 Rolex GMT-Master II reference 16710 lands in a particularly interesting period for one of Rolex’s best-known sports watches. Introduced in 1989 as the successor to the thicker 16760 “Fat Lady,” the 16710 brought a slimmer 40mm stainless steel Oyster case, sapphire crystal, and the choice of red-and-blue “Pepsi,” red-and-black “Coke,” or all-black aluminum bezel inserts. It would remain in production until 2007, making it one of the longest-running GMT-Master II references and, for a lot of collectors, the sweet spot between vintage Rolex proportions and modern everyday usability. This late A-serial 1999 example still has all of that classic five-digit Rolex character, including drilled lug holes and the lighter bracelet construction that makes these watches feel noticeably different from their modern counterparts.

Being a late A-serial example, this watch features the newer “SWISS MADE” dial rather than the short-lived “SWISS” dial found on earlier transitional examples. The change reflects Rolex’s move into Super-LumiNova, giving this particular watch an interesting place right around the turn of the millennium. Inside is Rolex’s caliber 3185, an automatic GMT movement with an independently adjustable local hour hand. When traveling, you can jump the conventional hour hand forward or backward without stopping the watch, while the red 24-hour hand remains set to home time. It is a simple feature on paper, but it is one of those complications that makes complete sense the second you actually use it.

What makes a late-1999 16710 so good today is that it feels properly old-school without requiring you to live with a genuinely vintage watch. You get 100 meters of water resistance, a sapphire crystal, a proven automatic movement, and a 40mm case that wears considerably slimmer than the ceramic GMT-Master IIs that followed. At the same time, you still get the aluminum bezel, drilled lugs, and lighter five-digit construction that give the 16710 so much personality. Whether it is wearing a Pepsi, Coke, or black insert, this is Rolex from an era when their sports watches still felt like tool watches. It is thin, comfortable, practical, and just a little rattly in exactly the way an older Rolex should be.