Rolex GMT Master II 16718 with Black "Gilt Dial" — view 1 of 6 — View 1 of 6 · Image: Collectors Corner NY · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Rolex GMT Master II 16718 with Black "Gilt Dial"

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.

Maker / attribution: Rolex (maker)
Date: c. 1991
Historical period: Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
Country of origin: Switzerland
Object type: Wristwatch
Dealer: Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York
Stock no.: Product 8581417697556
Credit line: Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (product 8581417697556)
Catalogue title (original): Rolex GMT Master II 16718 w/Black "Gilt Dial" (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (stock number Product 8581417697556), this is a wristwatch by Rolex, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1991. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Collectors Corner NY

Introduced in 1954, the now cult classic Rolex GMT was initially designed as a pilot's and traveler's watch with its roots tied to Pan Am in the 1950s. The first examples featured a "Pepsi" bezel insert which provided ease of use for deciphering day/night in an alternate time-zone and remains in production to this day. Over the decades, various iterations of the GMT have been released from the "Root Beer" to the blue "Batman." For those who prefer models without color, the transitional 16718 is a striking look with classic Rolex black dial/bezel combination. In recent years, yellow gold Rolex sport watches have seen immense growth in popularity, and for good reason. They simply were not produced in nearly the same quantities as their steel counterparts and their relative values have begun to catch up. This N23X serial GMT Master II, circa 1991 features a black "gilt" dial with beautiful gold lettering. The 18k yellow gold case also feels slim and elegant on the wrist. On a leather strap it feels like it could be just as at home in a black tie as it would a safari in Africa. This reference 16718 houses the caliber 3135 with hacking seconds and the ability to independently move the hour hand, assisting in quicker use of the date wheel. With 30+ years of patina this example displays immense character and is ready to enjoy for decades to come. Explore more of our vintage Rolex watches .

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timeline More wristwatches from this period Earlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Mechanisms mentioned

GMT / dual time — Complication

Record completeness

Maker or attributionRecorded
DateRecorded
Place or countryRecorded
MaterialsNot in source
DimensionsNot in source
Narrative descriptionRecorded
Inscriptions / marksNot in source
ProvenanceNot in source
Several photographsRecorded

Editorial status: Documented — facts as published by the source; not independently verified by Atlas editors.

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Sources & image rights

Record source: Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (opens another website in a new tab).

Image rights: © Collectors Corner NY — dealer photographs; permission required (opens another website in a new tab).

Images are hosted by the Atlas for study and credited to their owner. Rights holders may request correction, credit changes or removal, or grant permission, via the editorial office.

Cite this record

"Rolex GMT Master II 16718 with Black "Gilt Dial"." Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York, Product 8581417697556. Catalogue record in The Horology Atlas, WatchMuseum.org, https://atlas.watchmuseum.org/museum/rolex-gmt-master-ii-16718-with-black-gilt-dial-8f7477.