Rolex GMT II Ceramic: BASELWORLD 2013

Best of Baselworld 2013 – The Rolex GMT Master II Batman Black Ceramic Bezel was released with massive fanfare and appreciation. The GMT Master II is one of the most iconic Rolex timepieces. The two tone bezel indicating day and night time is often copied because it provides such easy readability of the 2nd timezone. The large blue GMT hand with triangular tip matches the blue and white coloring on the lower half of the bezel. It indicates with elegance and a minimalistic appeal the second time zone. This is why the GMT II has become the tool watch for performers, athletes, pilots and business travelers alike.

Best of Baselworld 2013

BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN…. It was widely known that Rolex made a splash with its Green Kermit and Hulk timepieces. Rolex GMT II fans have been pleasantly surprised by a refreshing new Rolex lineup at the 2013 Basel World event. Along with its blue-hued brethren, a gorgeous new GMT-Master II Ceramic is dressed for the first time with a rich blue and black combination Cerachrom bezel.

This extremely well-constructed blue and black timepiece was quickly dubbed the “Batman” by collectors because it is the coloring of the famous DC Comics superhero. Interestingly, the Batman was nothing without his gadgets. He wasn’t all powerful like Superman, and didn’t have super speed, super eye-sight or the ability to fly. However, wearing the Rolex Batman may make you feel like you have the tools to take on whatever the world throws at you.

The hour markers and hands are extremely visible both in day and night time. The cyclops lens over the date aperture at the 3 o’clock position makes the date window even more legible from multiple angles.

Recently Rolex updated the Batman with a completely new and more powerful caliber 3285. It continues to have the independent rapid-setting of the 2nd time zone hour hand, instant date, and stop-seconds for precise time setting. However, it has a Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring oscillator and high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers to be able to keep time even if you might be facing a bumpy ride at 30,000 feet.

However, the biggest improvement in the new reference 126710BLNR was the new Power Reserve, with 70 hours of charge to last almost 3 entire days without needing to be reset. Just like other Rolex timepieces, this new, highly efficient and far more powerful caliber was added to its flagship products one at a time. The 2013 model GMT II Batman would have just over 40 hours of power reserve, by comparison.

A few other notable features include the ability to get the GMT Master II with the 5-piece Jubilee Oystersteel band. Like the Oyster band, it has the olding Oysterlock safety clasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link. The Jubilee makes the watch appear more elegant and really pops where wearing it because of its ability to reflect light from so many angles. If you prefer, you can opt for the more subtle Oyster band which has 3 links.

This new model is a stunning addition to the GMT Master family. The all Oystersteel GMT II is listed at $10,550 on the Rolex site but would go for as much as $24,000 in after market.

The new colors, according to Rolex, represent day and night and blend perfectly with the black lacquer dial. No changes were made to the 40mm steel case and oyster steel bracelet. However we have added the Blue Rubber B band above in order to show that the brilliance of the timepiece can be extended by adding the Classic Blue Rubber B band to this new timepiece.

Rubber B has an extensive array of bands to choose from for the Batman. The classic series supports the original folding clasp provided by Rolex. It comes in several colors including Black, White, Orange, Red and Blue. But it also comes with multiple dual color options and special textures including the Swimskin Alligator which looks and feels like real leather but is actually 100% vulcanized rubber. It also has the Classic Ballistic series which has a woven fabric texture which feels like real Kevlar fabric, but it is waterproof and ready for all sports and aquatic activities.

Rubber B is known for its “Blocked Engineering” design which provides its bands with a tight and motionless fit to the GMT Master II case. Each band is custom designed to fit the specific model GMT Master II. Rubber B also offers a Tang Buckle series, if you prefer to have the most popular buckle in the watchmaking world. It also has a Velcro enclosure option which is currently only available in black. Most recently Rubber B launched its NATO strap line that has a double layer strap which protects the skin from the heat of the timepiece even when in the sun. For more information go to our GMT Master II page and select the ultimate watchband.