ON THE WRIST: Rolex GMT-Master II
MONDAY DECEMBER 1, 2025
Is new better? I absolutely adore 5 digit Rolex for their weight and above all, their dimensions. That is how they became the world’s favourite watch manufacturer. Then the human race grew vertically and horizontally and so did watches.
We have heard it a million times. The GMT Master was made for commercial pilots. The glamour of that has been lost over the years. Now it is a watch for globetrotters. Think Ritz-Carlton, airport lounges and business class.
If we look past the Daytona hype and the Submariner’s long standing history, the GMT Master is actually be the most interesting of the trio. It has the most variety of bezel colours. Blue, red, grey, green, brown. It comes in almost every material except platinum and you get to choose between Oyster or Jubilee. Even the pickiest buyer will find something in this catalogue.
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A 40mm case, which is a good size. It gives designers enough space to create something balanced and proportionate. The dial tells time easily without feeling cluttered, which is impressive considering it has four hands and a date window.
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PRO
Design perfection
Robust, solidity
Desirability
CON
Large and heavy
SPECIFICATION
40 mm Diameter
12.2 mm Thickness
100m Water Resistance
70 hours Power Reserve
48 mm Lug to Lug
A$ 18,800
The 12 clicks on the bezel are silent. Mine is not moving as smoothly as I imagined, which could be due to the breaking in period. Or not.
Aside from the extra GMT hand and the polished centre links, the GMT Master shares a lot with the Submariner. Flat case sides, crown guards, the usual Rolex formula. If you put a grey and black bezel on it, most people would not even notice the difference.
In 2019, Rolex gave the Batman a new heart. Power reserve went up by 22 hours, so now it runs for about three days without wear. Three time zones packed into one watch, running at plus minus two seconds a day. That is quite remarkable when you remind yourself there are hundreds of moving parts inside doing all this underneath.
Rolex has pretty much perfected the GMT Master design. From the shade of blue on the bezel to every single letter on the dial, everything feels deliberate. The clasp, the bracelet, the crown. All tactile, all satisfying. Not just any Swiss. The Swiss at Rolex.
Unfortunately, my bezel has a bit of play. A slight wobble. It does not feel like what a watch at this level should have. I am sure the smart people at Rolex can tighten that up and make the whole thing feel more cohesive.
Date setting is also a bit of a pain. To be fair, that is also an issue with my other GMT, so I am not sure if I can complain here. Maybe I should finally listen to my therapist and work on my patience. Just keep turning the hour hand until the date lines up.
Lastly, this is a professional Rolex. Why does it have polished centre links that attract scratches and dust the moment you leave the store? Is this not supposed to go places and do things?
It is always annoying to say the older watch is better. Just buy the old one then. Yes, but to me, it does not feel the same being the second owner. It could be a Patek Philippe Nautilus and I would still feel that slight disconnect when buying used.
The Batman is a watch I have been waiting for a long time. Now that it is on my wrist, I feel less joy than expected. It does not make me smile like a Daytona does. The GMT Master also wears slightly large on my 15.5 centimetres wrist. So it is back to the drawing board. The search for the perfect weekday watch continues.