Quick answer
A replica Rolex GMT-Master II Root Beer copies reference 126711CHNR, a 40 mm two-tone watch in Everose gold and Oystersteel with a brown and black ceramic bezel. Replica prices run from $80 to $600. Under $150, the case is steel with gold plating and the movement is a 2813 family copy with a GMT hand tied to the hour hand. At $350 and up, sellers claim 904L steel, wrapped gold, and a clone 3186 or 3285 movement. No replica contains a Rolex-made calibre. Gold content, movement finish, and water resistance are the parts that differ most.
What the real watch is
Rolex sold the first Root Beer GMT-Master in the 1970s. Reference 1675 used a brown bezel insert and, on some versions, a brown dial. The brown and gold color mix gave the model the Root Beer nickname. Reference 16753 in the 1980s kept the two-tone case and brown bezel.
In 2018 Rolex brought the color back with reference 126711CHNR. Key specs:
- Case: 40 mm, Everose gold and Oystersteel
- Bezel: fixed Cerachrom insert, brown and black, 24 hour scale
- Movement: calibre 3285, automatic, 70 hour power reserve
- Water resistance: 100 m
- Bracelet: Jubilee, Oysterlock clasp
- Dial: black, with the GMT hand in gold
Reference 126715CHNR is the same watch in full Everose gold. Reference 126710 is a steel model and does not use the Root Beer bezel.
Where replicas differ
Bezel insert. Cerachrom is ceramic. Cheap replicas print brown and black paint on aluminum or on a plastic disc. Paint chips at the color split. The split line on a real insert is sharp and sits at 6 and 18 on the 24 hour scale.
Gold. Plated cases show a yellow tone and wear through at the lugs and clasp. Wrapped gold uses a thicker sheet of gold over steel. Weight gives it away. A real two-tone GMT-Master II on a full Jubilee bracelet weighs near 160 g. Plated replicas often sit at 120 g to 135 g.
Movement. A clone 3186 or 3285 copy runs at 28,800 vph and sets the GMT hand through crown position 2. A 2813 copy runs at 21,600 vph and links the GMT hand to the hour hand. That is the fastest test at a counter.
Date and crystal. Check the cyclops magnification. Rolex uses 2.5x. Check the date font and the rehaut engraving line under the crystal.
Water resistance. Replicas are not pressure tested. Rolex rates the real watch at 100 m. Do not swim with a replica.
Market tiers
- $80 to $150: 316L steel, gold plating, 2813 movement, mineral or sapphire crystal, hollow bracelet links.
- $200 to $350: 316L steel, better dial printing, 2824 or 2836 base with a GMT module, solid links.
- $400 to $600: sellers claim 904L steel, wrapped gold, clone 3186 or 3285, AR coated sapphire, and a bracelet with tighter tolerances.
Tier claims come from sellers. Independent testing is rare. Photos on a listing can come from a different unit than the one shipped.
Legal status in the US
Rolex owns the trademarks on the dial, the crown logo, and the name. Sale or import of goods that carry those marks without a license is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. 2320. US Customs and Border Protection seizes shipments. Buying for personal use carries less risk than resale, but the goods remain unlawful to import.