ON THE WRIST: Rolex GMT-Master II
MONDAY AUGUST 31, 2026
I will keep this one short because I have already written about the GMT-Master II "Batman". The obvious question is why anyone would buy a left-handed watch. I never thought I would either. Yes, it has Rolex green on it, but that alone was never enough to convince me.
Some people say the VTNR gives them a headache just from looking at it. We have spent decades seeing the crown and date window on the right, so seeing everything reversed just feels wrong. That is exactly why I ended up taking it home.
For years we complained that Rolex kept playing it safe. Another discontinued colour returns. Another familiar design gets slightly bigger. Then they finally release something genuinely different and somehow that became the problem instead.
PRO
Different but good
Involving fun
Feels nicer to wear
CON
Ugly duckling to some
SPECIFICATION
40 mm Diameter
12.2 mm Thickness
100m Water Resistance
70 hours Power Reserve
48 mm Lug to Lug
A$ 20,700
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I am not saying we should be grateful to Rolex for making us watches because we are the ones paying for them. But I do think we should allow them to have a little fun every now and then.
The GMT-Master II has always felt like a substantial watch on my wrist. It wears larger than I would normally like, especially compared to a Datejust or Explorer. The VTNR surprised me because moving the crown and crown guards to the opposite side actually made it more comfortable. They no longer press into my wrist, which I think anyone with a wrist under about 16 centimetres will appreciate.
Before buying it, my biggest concern was that I would eventually grow tired of how strange it looked. Nobody enjoys spending this much money on something they might regret. Once it was on the wrist, though, it simply felt like another steel GMT-Master. The green adds just enough colour without overwhelming the watch and after a few days the reversed layout stopped looking unusual.
The only time it catches me out is when I need to set the time before taking photographs. Years of muscle memory suddenly become useless and everything takes a little longer. I like to think I am simply exercising the other side of my brain. Perhaps the 126720VTNR is good for neuroplasticity after all. Who knew a Rolex could contribute to my cognitive wellbeing?
The VTNR uses the same calibre 3285 found in every modern GMT-Master II, which makes for an interesting discussion. Was Rolex able to rotate the movement by 180 degrees and call it a day, or did they actually have to redesign parts of it to make the crown and date function from the opposite side?
Hodinkee believes it was as simple as rotating the movement. ChatGPT insists there was more engineering involved. I will leave those two to argue amongst themselves because as far as I can tell, Rolex only had to make a new dial, print a reversed date disc and rotate the movement 180 degrees.
The VTNR has certainly lost some of its steam since it was first released. Some collectors seem disappointed that Rolex has not discontinued it yet. These are usually the same people who treat watches like investments first and watches second.
What I like about the VTNR is that it looks unlike anything else in the current Rolex catalogue. If you only plan on owning one GMT-Master II then this probably would not be my first recommendation. A Pepsi or Batman is easier to live with and easier to understand.
If you already own a GMT-Master II and want something that genuinely feels different without stepping into precious metals or off-catalogue pieces, this is probably the most interesting option Rolex makes. There is also something amusing about wearing a left-handed watch on your left wrist. Destro watches existed for practical reasons because the crown stayed out of the way during military use, so despite how unconventional it looks, this is still very much a tool watch.
People call it ugly. Others call it the Shrek GMT. I remember hearing the same things about the Hulk because there was supposedly too much green. Today the 116610LV is regarded as one of Rolex's modern classics. It would not surprise me if people looked back at the VTNR the same way one day.
The crown on the wrong side of the case has somehow made this watch more fun. It stirred more emotion in me than the Batman ever did, which was something I never expected. Perhaps it is because the VTNR feels like a prototype that somehow made it into production. Every time I operate the crown, I have to pause for a second because years of muscle memory suddenly become useless. It is one of the few modern Rolexes that is genuinely unique, not only within the GMT-Master lineup but across the entire collection.
The green GMT-Master is like a Salvador Dalí painting. It may not be beautiful upon first impressions but give it time and it still is deeply bizarre, but a beautifully painted one.