Anyone who gets into Rolex quickly encounters a language of its own: people hunt for a “Pepsi”, sell a “Hulk” and debate the “Batgirl”. Rolex officially uses none of these names — they come from the collector community and usually describe colours or stories. For buyers they are useful nonetheless, because behind every nickname lies a specific reference. Here are the most important ones.
GMT-Master: the bezel colours
- “Pepsi”: red and blue bezel, named after the soft drink’s colours. Classic on the GMT-Master and GMT-Master II, for example the 16710 and the current 126710BLRO.
- “Batman”: black and blue bezel, introduced with the 116710BLNR, today as the 126710BLNR.
- “Batgirl”: the same black and blue watch, but on the Jubilee instead of the Oyster bracelet.
- “Coke”: red and black bezel, for example as a variant of the 16710.
- “Root Beer”: brown and gold bezel, on vintage models and today on the 126711CHNR in steel and Everose gold.
- “Sprite”: green and black bezel with the crown on the left side, the 126720VTNR.
Submariner: shades of green and blue
- “Kermit”: green aluminium bezel, black dial — the 16610LV for the Submariner’s 50th anniversary.
- “Hulk”: green ceramic bezel and green dial, the 116610LV.
- “Starbucks” or “Cermit”: green ceramic bezel with a black dial, the current 126610LV.
- “Smurf”: blue bezel and blue dial in white gold, the 116619LB.
- “Bluesy”: steel and yellow gold with blue, for example 116613LB and 126613LB.
- “James Bond”: the early Submariner 6538 with the big crown, worn by Sean Connery in the first Bond film.
Daytona: dials with a story
- “Paul Newman”: vintage Daytonas with an Art Deco-style “exotic” dial, named after the actor who wore one. The most famous Daytonas of all.
- “Panda”: white dial with black sub-dials — the name used for the current steel Daytona with a white dial.
- “Reverse Panda”: the other way round, a black dial with light sub-dials.
- “John Mayer”: the yellow gold Daytona 116508 with a green dial, made famous by the musician.
Datejust, Oyster Perpetual and Explorer
- “Wimbledon”: Datejust with a slate dial and green Roman numerals — in the colours of the tennis tournament Rolex has partnered for decades. For example as the 126334 or 126300.
- “Tiffany”: Oyster Perpetual with a turquoise dial such as the 124300 — named after the New York jeweller’s signature shade.
- “Polar”: Explorer II with a white dial, for example the 16570 and 216570.
- “Steve McQueen” or “Freccione”: the vintage Explorer II 1655 with its orange arrow hand. It carries the first name even though the actor probably never wore one.
Sea-Dweller and Day-Date
- “Double Red”: early Sea-Dweller 1665 with two red lines of text on the dial.
- “President”: the Day-Date on the bracelet of the same name — the bracelet gave the whole watch its name.
Why nicknames help when buying — and where to be careful
Nicknames are a handy shortcut, but not a precise designation. “Pepsi” can mean a vintage GMT from 1970 or a current ceramic GMT — two completely different watches, with a different movement, crystal and price level. Always search and compare by reference number. And be wary if a listing advertises only the nickname but leaves out the reference. On Bestwrist you will find all the models mentioned via their model pages — from verified dealers, with escrow payment and buyer protection.