Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi” 40mm Black Dial Red & Blue Aluminum Bezel Oyster Bracelet 16710 | 2007 Final Production Year Full Set — Stickers Retained

The Last Aluminum Pepsi Rolex Ever Made — And The Timing Has Never Been More Significant

The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 is the final steel Pepsi GMT-Master II before an 11-year hiatus when Rolex discontinued the steel Pepsi in 2007, leaving a gap that lasted until 2018. The very last GMT-Master II 16710 watches that came out of the factory in 2007 were equipped with the Caliber 3186 movement instead of the Caliber 3185. The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 would also be the last reference to have a Pepsi bezel made from anodized aluminum. The import of that sentence cannot be overstated for collectors evaluating this listing: this 2007 example is from the final production year of the 16710, powered by the final-generation Caliber 3186, and is the last aluminum-bezel Pepsi Rolex ever produced. On April 13, 2026, Rolex officially retired the modern steel Pepsi reference 126710BLRO at Watches & Wonders Geneva. The retirement of the 126710BLRO is a watershed moment. With both the modern ceramic Pepsi and the vintage aluminum Pepsi now permanently discontinued, every remaining example of the 16710 Pepsi represents a finite piece of 71 years of Pepsi GMT history that will never be reproduced.

The 2026 Discontinuation of the Modern Pepsi — Why the 16710 Benefits Directly

When Rolex discontinued the steel Pepsi in 2007 with the ref. 16710, secondary market values climbed steadily throughout the 11-year hiatus, with the 16710 eventually becoming one of the most sought-after GMT references on the pre-owned market. The return of the steel Pepsi in 2018 did nothing to deflate 16710 values — if anything, renewed interest in the colorway elevated all Pepsi references simultaneously. The 126710BLRO now enters that same trajectory: a closed production run, finite supply, and a global collector base that understands exactly what they missed. The pattern is clear and well-documented: when the modern Pepsi was discontinued in 2007, the 16710 appreciated steadily. Now that the ceramic 126710BLRO has also been discontinued, collector attention across the entire Pepsi GMT lineage has sharpened — and the 16710 Pepsi, as the last aluminum-bezel expression of the most historically significant GMT bezel color, is the reference that benefits most directly from that renewed attention.

The 2007 “Final Year” Production — Why This Serial Matters

A 2007 production 16710 Pepsi carries three specific and significant details that distinguish it from every earlier example of the same reference. First, it carries the Caliber 3186 — the movement upgrade that arrived in the very last production run of the 16710, bringing the blue Parachrom hairspring for improved magnetic and thermal resistance. Second, it has blind lug holes — the visible lug holes of earlier production were eliminated around 2003, giving late-production 16710 cases a cleaner, more refined lug profile. Third, it carries the double-serial rehaut engraving — the serial number laser-engraved on the rehaut in addition to between the lugs, a late-production detail introduced from approximately 2006 onward and visible as an additional authentication layer at close inspection. Together, these three details make the 2007 16710 the most mechanically complete, most structurally refined, and most technically current expression of the reference available.

The Retained Caseback Stickers — The Rarest Condition Detail

This example retains the original factory stickers at the caseback — an extraordinarily rare find for a 2007 watch that is now 18 years old. Caseback stickers are typically the first protective accessory to be removed in the first weeks or months of ownership, as everyday handling quickly damages or destroys them. A 16710 Pepsi with original caseback stickers intact signals one of two things: either the watch has had extremely minimal use, or the owner understood the collector value of preserving every original factory detail from day one. In either case, retained factory stickers on an 18-year-old watch represent exactly the kind of condition detail that collector-grade examples command meaningful premiums for — and the kind of detail that becomes rarer every passing year.

904L Oystersteel Case — The Classic Pre-Supercase GMT Profile

The 40mm Oyster case is crafted from 904L stainless steel with the classic pre-Supercase GMT-Master II profile — slimmer lugs, a lighter overall weight, and a more refined wrist presence than the broader Maxi-case architecture of the 116710BLNR generation that followed. The case is sealed with the Twinlock double-waterproofness crown delivering 100 meters of water resistance, and a flat sapphire crystal with the Rolex-engraved rehaut sits over the gloss black dial.

The Red and Blue “Pepsi” Aluminum Bezel — The Living Bezel

The aluminum bezel is the main reason collectors gravitate to the 16710. The aged red and blue look has a character the ceramic bezel cannot replicate. The aluminum bezel is prone to scratching and fading, but many collectors prefer the way it develops a patina over time. Consistent, even fading reads as honest aging. Blotchy or heavily worn sections read as damage, and that difference can shift value by $2,000–$4,000. The red-and-blue aluminum bezel of the 16710 rotates bidirectionally through 120 clicks — twice the number of the modern Cerachrom bezels — and the red half covers daylight hours while the blue half covers nighttime, the same functional logic Pan Am’s pilots relied on in 1954.

Powered by Caliber 3186 — The Most Advanced Movement Ever in the 16710

The very last GMT-Master II 16710 watches were equipped with the Caliber 3186 movement instead of the Caliber 3185. The 3186 features the blue Parachrom hairspring — Rolex’s paramagnetic zirconium-niobium alloy hairspring that is virtually unaffected by magnetic fields and temperature variations, providing meaningfully improved precision and resilience over the conventional Nivarox hairspring of the Caliber 3185. Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with 31 jewels and a 48-hour power reserve, the 3186 is COSC Superlative Chronometer certified with quickset date, hacking seconds, and independently adjustable GMT hour hand.

Condition & What’s Included

This 2007 final-year example is in very good condition with caseback stickers retained. Full set with original Rolex box and papers from San Francisco. Authenticity is fully guaranteed.

Why This Reference Stands Out

The 16710 Pepsi at $15,000–$20,000+ is a strong alternative with character the ceramic version cannot match. This Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi” Black Dial Red Blue Bezel 16710 sold in June 2024 for $21,600. At $15,200 for a 2007 final-year full-set Pepsi with retained caseback stickers — the most significant production year of the reference, the most mechanically advanced Caliber 3186, and the rarest original-condition detail — this listing represents one of the most compelling and most fairly priced 16710 Pepsi acquisitions currently available on the secondary market, in the context of a 2026 collector landscape where both the aluminum and ceramic Pepsi generations are now permanently closed chapters.