The Top 5 Watches to Take on Vacation: The Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN

There’s no such thing as the perfect watch. Let’s get that out of the way before we start.

Obviously the pursuit of making one is what has been driving the industry forward all this time, but as yet, that elusive timepiece acknowledged by all as the best there is or has ever been still hasn’t materialized. 

However…some models come closer than others.

What Does a Watch Have to Have to be (Near) Perfect?

The list of attributes a timepiece would need to possess in order to have a chance of being considered perfect is a long and somewhat nebulous one; which is why no one model has ever managed it.

Elements such as superior craftsmanship and build quality are a given. Performance is another, encompassing factors such as precision, reliability and complications.  

Comfort and wearability have to be brought into account too. A perfect watch is one you can wear, after all.

But then you get into the more indefinable aspects. The style, the aesthetics, the proportions. Things that lean more heavily on personal taste than anything quantifiable. And perhaps more than any of those things, there’s the emotional connection. That is something which will likely be unique to each person and another reason why there’s no such thing as perfect.

The Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN 

We put the last all-black bezeled Rolex GMT-Master II at the number one spot on our Best Vacation Watches list because it embodied more of the above characteristics than any other model which came to mind.

To begin with, it’s a Rolex, so things like build quality, accuracy, reliability and craftsmanship can just be taken for granted. 

As for complications, aside from maybe a chronograph, a dual time zone has to be among the most practical day-to-day functions a watch can have.

But traits such as its comfort and wearability actually link in with its aesthetics. And to explain that, we need to know a bit more about the watch.

The debut example of the first of the six-digit GMT-Master II series arrived in 2005 as a 50^th anniversary celebration for the father of all travel watches.

The ref. 116718LN was an all-gold piece with either a black or green dial. The Rolesor version arrived the following year, the ref. 116713LN, available with black dial only. 

Both were massively well received, and represented a major (for Rolex, anyway) redesign of the old classic.

Although they stuck with the time-honored 40mm diameter, the models introduced the Super Case to the range; a fuller, more robust look which gave the impression of larger overall dimensions. To balance it all out, the watches came with Maxi dials, with fatter hands and hour markers. They also had the Triplock crown first invented for the Sea-Dweller, although the water resistance was still quoted as 100m. More significant than any of that, however, was the debut of Rolex’s new ceramic bezel material, Cerachrom. 

Chockful of benefits, Cerachrom is not only scratch and fade resistant it also has a unique glow that the previous aluminum inserts lacked, marking a visual demarcation point between vintage and modern Rolex. Incredibly strong and with its engraved numerals coated in platinum, these new bezels were made to look as good as new pretty much forever.

Yet, it wasn’t all wine and roses. The one thing the brand was unable to do at that point was add two colors to Cerachrom. They did, in fact, claim it was ‘impossible’. That sort of begs the question; why choose the GMT-Master II, a watch whose trademark throughout its life has been its iconic twin color bezels, to launch it? Whatever the reason (and we now know it was not impossible at all), the initial examples of this new generation of the watch came with all-black surrounds. And with the much-anticipated steel reference, the ref. 116710LN, completing the trio in 2007, it meant the collection had more than a passing resemblance to that other tool watch legend, the Submariner. 

The Plus Points

Of course, that’s not the worst thing in the world. Nearly every other brand on Earth has been trying to make watches that look like the Submariner since the 1950s.

But the GMT has a number of little touches which set it apart. And together they mean it adds up to, arguably, the closest thing to a perfect vacation watch there is.

Firstly, its visual proportions are beautiful. Even with the Super Case, the ref. 116710LN has slimmer lugs than the equivalent Submariner of the time, the ref. 116610. It also has a flatter case back, not needing the extra bulk that comes with the Sub’s deeper depth rating. That makes it a more comfortable all-day wear. Its bezel numerals are larger, so there’s some subtle extra wrist presence, and the Triplock crown’s bigger size over the former Twinlock brings balance too.

The dial has a couple of added pinches of interest as well. Rather than sterile all-white text, here the model signature is picked out in green, as is the second hour hand. It’s restrained but substantial.

Inside, the power was provided by the Cal. 3186. A tighter, more efficient upgrade on the previous Cal. 3185, it also brought the Parachrom Bleu hairspring to the GMT-Master range. And securing it all was a revamped Oyster bracelet. Not only was this made with all solid links, it had the Easylink extension clasp for the first time so wearers could quickly lengthen the bracelet for comfort. 

The Perfect Vacation Watch?

Clearly these things are all relative. But let’s look at the points in the ref. 116710LN’s favor.

You’re on vacation. You only want to bring one watch. That watch needs to do multiple duties and work with multiple outfits. Relaxing in and out of the pool? Check. Having a casual lunch? Check. Going sightseeing? Heading to the beach? Dressing up for dinner? Check. Check. Check.

What’s more, you need that watch to keep going. Well, Rolex’s Cal. 31XX family is recognized as possibly the finest mass-produced mechanical watch movement series ever made. 

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You need it to be accurate. Rolex have their own Superlative Chronometer certification which guarantees a variation of just +2/-2 seconds a day. Plus, it is always helpful to keep an eye on the time back home—just the job for the little green arrow worming its way around the dial.

You also don’t want your watch drawing unwanted attention. The black bezeled model flies under the radar far more than its bicolored stablemates; winning admiration without necessarily turning heads in the same way a Pepsi or a Batman might.

And then there’s the price. A recently discontinued, steel Rolex sports watch, one which introduced so many new factors and marked the final appearance of others, must sell for astronomical amounts on the secondary market. Right?

Actually, no. You can easily pick up outstanding examples of this important chapter in the brand’s history for less than $15,000. 

For all those reasons, while we can’t proclaim the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN a perfect watch, or even the perfect vacation watch, it’s pretty damn near.