Watch reference library
Rolex GMT-Master II 116710BLNR “Batman”
Produced 2013 to 2019. Discontinued.
Photos from Moda's watch desk
A real 116710BLNR photographed by Moda's watch desk. Serial numbers are blurred. Tap a photo for the full size.
Specifications
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case material
- Oystersteel (904L steel)
- Bezel
- Bidirectional, blue and black two-color Cerachrom insert with 24-hour graduations
- Dial
- Black, with a blue 24-hour hand
- Movement
- Rolex calibre 3186, automatic, with a Parachrom hairspring
- Water resistance
- 100 meters
- Crystal
- Sapphire, with Cyclops lens over the date
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock folding safety clasp and 5mm Easylink comfort extension Part number, lug width and links
The story
Rolex introduced the 116710BLNR at Baselworld in 2013 as a new version of the steel GMT-Master II, which until then had been offered only with an all-black ceramic bezel. Its bezel insert was the first single piece of ceramic made in two colors, with blue and black splitting the 24-hour scale into day and night, something Rolex had to develop and patent a process for. The insert starts as an all-blue porous ceramic piece, and black is added to the top half before it is finished. Collectors named the watch Batman for that blue and black bezel.
Apart from the bezel and the 24-hour hand, which turned blue to match where the all-black model's was green, the 116710BLNR shares the 40mm Oyster case and bracelet of the all-black GMT-Master II. It runs on the calibre 3186, an automatic movement with a Parachrom hairspring and a date, and it came on a three-piece-link Oyster bracelet with an Oysterlock folding clasp and a 5mm Easylink extension. The case is water resistant to 100 meters, and the sapphire crystal carries a Cyclops lens over the date.
Rolex discontinued the 116710BLNR in 2019 and replaced it at Baselworld that year with the 126710BLNR, which moved to the Jubilee bracelet, slightly reshaped the lugs to suit it, and switched to the calibre 3285 with a 70-hour power reserve.
What to check before you buy
Production ran from 2013 to 2019, so every 116710BLNR on the market is a secondary-market watch, and the papers carry more weight than the serial. Watches from this era use Rolex's random serials, engraved on the rehaut at 6 o'clock, which do not reveal a production year on their own, so a dated warranty card or original receipt is what tells you when the watch was sold. Check that the serial on the rehaut matches the card.
Do not rely on the bracelet alone to tell this watch apart from its successor. The 126710BLNR launched on a Jubilee bracelet in 2019, but Rolex added an Oyster bracelet option for it in 2021, so an Oyster-bracelet Batman can be either reference. The warranty card names the reference, and the movement differs: calibre 3186 here, calibre 3285 in the 126710BLNR.
The Cerachrom insert does not fade the way old aluminum GMT bezels did, but ceramic can chip at the edge after a hard knock, so look over the bezel closely under good light. Rolex recommends servicing roughly every 10 years depending on the model and how it is worn, and the earliest examples are past that point, so ask for the service history.
Buying or selling a 116710BLNR?
Moda is always buying. Text photos to (605) 521-2821 for a fast offer, or start on the Moda Watches page. For any deal with a stranger, Moda's middleman service inspects the watch before money changes hands. For live market pricing on this reference, Moda-lytics tracks real Rolex sales data.
Common questions
Why is the 116710BLNR called the Batman?
Collectors gave it the nickname for its blue and black ceramic bezel. It was the first GMT-Master II with a blue and black bezel.
What was new about the bezel?
It was the first ceramic bezel insert made as a single piece in two colors. Rolex patented the process, which starts with an all-blue porous ceramic insert and adds black to the top half.
How is the 116710BLNR different from the 126710BLNR?
The 126710BLNR, introduced in 2019, uses the calibre 3285 with a 70-hour power reserve in place of the calibre 3186, launched on a Jubilee bracelet instead of the Oyster, and has slightly reshaped lugs. Rolex later offered the 126710BLNR on an Oyster bracelet too, starting in 2021.
When was the 116710BLNR made?
Rolex introduced it at Baselworld in 2013 and discontinued it in 2019, when the 126710BLNR replaced it.
Why is the 24-hour hand blue?
Rolex colored it blue to match the bezel. On the all-black ceramic GMT-Master II it was green.