Contemplating The Rolex GMT-Master II “Bruce Wayne” — Nowhere Near As Flamboyant Or Intriguing As Its Namesake Character
Here’s a question that might surprise you: who’s your favorite Bruce Wayne? Your answer doesn’t necessarily also mean he’s your favorite Batman. So, who is it? Is it George Clooney because of his undebatable good looks? Perhaps it’s Robert Pattinson, although, in The Batman, there are just a few scenes in which he plays the orphaned billionaire. Christian Bale is my favorite because of how he plays the role of a selfish, mega-wealthy playboy to give himself a credible cover as Batman. This question arose while contemplating the Rolex GMT-Master II “Bruce Wayne.” On the eve of the GMT-Master’s 70th anniversary, I thought about the watch that shares the catalog with the “Batman” but does so without ever getting me intrigued or even interested — not like how Christian Bale brought Bruce Wayne to life, anyway.
Batman couldn’t and wouldn’t exist without Bruce Wayne, but in the Rolex universe, things have a peculiar and one-of-a-kind logic. And by “Rolex universe,” I don’t just mean “planet Rolex” but also everything that orbits it, including old and new fans, dealers and traders, and what have you. In that universe, Batman and even Batgirl existed before Bruce Wayne appeared. I know these are all nicknames and not given names, but in a way, nicknames are more important than the ones the “parents” give. Most nicknames represent intimacy rather than shaming, you see. A nickname is an expression of love, care, and connection. It’s a name based on appearance, for instance, or characteristics and given after observation and contemplation. Does the nickname “Bruce Wayne” do justice to the GMT-Master II ref. 126710GRNR in the way Christian Bale played the character, or is it nowhere near as memorable?
Contemplating the Rolex GMT-Master II “Bruce Wayne”
Sixty-nine years after the GMT-Master debuted and 42 years after the GMT-Master II did, Rolex presented the GMT-Master II ref. 126710GRNR at Watches and Wonders — €11,450 is the retail price in the Netherlands, and it has a starting price of around €18K on Chrono24. How did you react when you saw the steel watch with the black and gray bezel and green GMT hand? I registered it, but it didn’t hit me like previous versions, including the black and green “Destro” or the previous year’s versions in yellow gold and Rolesor. The watch made me wonder what was new. It looked like something that had been in the catalog for ages. That’s not necessarily bad. Staple products are the backbone of a brand that continuously keeps a revenue stream going and acts as the soul. But I didn’t see or feel a lot of soul in the 126710GRNR.
Furthermore, the moniker “Bruce Wayne” could stem from the understated black and gray attire, but it could also be something else. I see GMT-Master II ref. 126710GRNR as Christian Bale playing Bruce Wayne. The watch tries hard to make you forget about either “Batman” or “Batgirl.” The only thing is that Bale succeeds; the watch doesn’t. Instead, it makes you remember the black and blue models, crave a “Pepsi,” and think about the watch’s predecessor and what could have been all simultaneously.
Remembering the GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN
The predecessor of the 126710GRNR was the 116710LN. This steel 40mm traveler’s watch debuted in 2007. It was the first Rolex with a scratch-resistant ceramic 24-hour bezel insert and the last with a single-colored one, making it an important timepiece. This model was discontinued in 2019, and the 126710GRNR can be seen as its successor. Not only does the 2024 successor have a bicolor bezel, but it also comes with bracelet options and a case with a slimmer profile. The movement is also better. The in-house caliber 3285 is a significant upgrade from the previous caliber 3186 inside the 116710LN. The current movement debuted in 2018 and offers 70 hours of power reserve instead of its predecessor’s 48 — you can thank the more efficient Chronergy escapement and high-capacity barrel for that.
The green GMT hand is one of the characteristic design features that stayed the same. Strangely enough, I didn’t mind the green hand in the old model, but in the new one, I do. Why is that? I blame the gray and black bezel. Despite the monochromatic look, the bezel is more present than a full-black one. Consequently, the green hand fights with it for attention, and I don’t like watching a fight. The color of the hand matches the writing on the dial, but I feel that the words “GMT-Master II” should have been the only green element, and the GMT hand should have been white. But even though this would be a good look, it’s not what my preferred Bruce Wayne would wear.
Bruce Wayne deserves a better watch
When I write that Bruce Wayne deserves a better watch, I don’t mean that in terms of specifications. The latest GMT-Master II models are top-notch watches in functionality, technology, and finishing, and the “Bruce Wayne” is no exception. A toned-down version, which is actually a reborn reference 116710LN, albeit with a white GMT hand instead of a green one, might be my favorite, but it wouldn’t fit my favorite Bruce Wayne. He’s a Bruce Wayne who tries very hard —even obnoxiously at times — to have everybody believe he could never be Batman. He would wear something way more flamboyant than a watch with a gray and black bezel.
“My” Bruce Wayne would wear a GMT-Master II on a Jubilee bracelet with a sharply contrasting black and white Cerachrom bezel — still monochromatic, yes, but also outspoken. I bet that a green GMT hand matching the single green line on the dial will also look ace. Better still, that’s a watch that would make me forget about the “Batman” altogether.
Allow me to end with the following Bruce Wayne/Batman quote: “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” I read this as, “I might act and look extravagantly, but underneath, I’m the business.” And that’s exactly how I envision a Rolex GMT-Master II “Bruce Wayne.”
