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The Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116759 SANR is one of the most extravagant factory set GMT-Master II references ever produced. It takes one of Rolex’s most recognisable professional sports watches and transforms it into a full precious metal, factory gem set statement piece.
Unveiled during the same era as a trio of highly jewelled GMT-Master II models, the 116759 SANR sits alongside the blue sapphire and ruby-set variants as one of the boldest executions of the white gold GMT-Master II. Unlike an aftermarket customised Rolex, the importance of this watch lies in the fact that the gem setting is factory Rolex. The dial, bezel, case and bracelet were designed to exist this way from the beginning, which is exactly why these examples are so collectible.
The foundation of the watch is still a proper GMT-Master II. The original GMT-Master was created as a pilot’s watch, famously associated with transatlantic travel and the ability to track multiple time zones. On this reference, the functional GMT layout remains, with the 24 hour hand and rotating bezel allowing the wearer to read a second time zone, but the presentation is taken into a completely different world.
The 40mm Oyster case is crafted in 18k white gold and set with diamonds across the lugs and crown guards. The dial is fully pavé set with white diamonds, contrasted by luminescent hour markers and Mercedes style hands, preserving the classic GMT-Master II layout beneath the jewellery execution.
The bezel is one of the defining features of the 116759 SANR. Rather than a standard numbered GMT bezel, it is factory set with 76 white diamonds and 12 black sapphires, with the black sapphires replacing the usual numerals. Even the triangle at 12 o’clock is rendered in black sapphire, giving the watch a monochrome, high contrast appearance that separates it from the more colourful SARU and SA variants.
Powering the watch is the Rolex calibre 3186 automatic movement, the same generation of in-house GMT movement associated with the modern 6 digit GMT-Master II era. It offers independent GMT functionality, a date display and the practicality expected from the model, even if this particular reference is far more likely to be worn as a collector piece than as a conventional travel watch.
This is not a discreet watch, and it is not trying to be. It is Rolex at its most unapologetic: white gold, diamonds, black sapphires, GMT functionality and full factory execution.
Key Features
Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116759 SANR
Year 2007
Factory set Rolex example
18k white gold 40mm Oyster case
Rolex automatic calibre 3186 movement
Factory diamond set crown guards and lugs
Fully pavé factory diamond dial
Luminescent hour markers
Mercedes style hands
Date display with Cyclops lens
Factory set bezel with 76 white diamonds
12 black sapphires replacing the usual bezel numerals
Black sapphire triangle at 12 o’clock
Sapphire crystal
18k white gold Oyster bracelet
Factory diamond set centre links
Original large Rolex inner and outer box
Original warranty card
GMT-Master booklet
Rolex wallet
A Word on Condition
This Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116759 SANR presents extremely well and has the presence you would expect from one of Rolex’s most striking factory gem set sports watches.
The factory diamond dial remains bright and even, with the luminescent plots and hands giving the watch the familiar GMT-Master II identity beneath the jewellery setting. The diamond and black sapphire bezel is the centrepiece of the watch, and the contrast between the white diamonds and black sapphires gives the reference its distinctive SANR character.
The 18k white gold case, lugs, crown guards and Oyster bracelet all present well, with the factory diamond setting giving the watch a far more substantial visual impact than a standard GMT-Master II. Importantly, this is a factory set Rolex, which is the key distinction for collectors. The appeal is not simply that it is an “iced” Rolex, but that it is one of the rare Rolex references made this way by Rolex itself.
Overall, this is a very well presented example of a rare and highly recognisable factory set GMT-Master II.
Accessories / The Set
This watch is sold as a full set with its original large Rolex inner and outer box, original Rolex warranty card, GMT-Master booklet and Rolex wallet.
For a watch like this, the set matters. Factory gem set Rolex sports watches are already rare, but having the original accompanying items adds another layer of confidence and collectability. It helps support the identity of the watch and reinforces that this is not an aftermarket customised example, but a factory set Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116759 SANR.
All purchases are supplied with bespoke Watts On Watches packaging and full purchase documentation.
Why Buy This Watch
Collectors are drawn to the Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116759 SANR because it represents a completely different side of Rolex sports watch collecting.
Most GMT-Master II references are collected for their tool watch heritage, travel function, bezel colours and wearability. This watch still carries that DNA, but it takes it into full precious metal, high jewellery territory. It is the GMT-Master II reimagined as a factory gem set statement piece.
The attraction is simple. This is not an aftermarket diamond Rolex. It is a factory set white gold GMT-Master II with a pavé diamond dial, diamond set bracelet, diamond set case and a diamond and black sapphire bezel. The black sapphire bezel layout gives the watch a sharper and more monochrome look than the more colourful gem set GMT variants, making it one of the most distinctive versions of the 6 digit GMT-Master II.
For Rolex collectors, factory gem set sports watches have become increasingly interesting because they sit outside the usual mainstream conversation. They are rare, expensive when new, produced in very limited numbers and often misunderstood by people who only associate Rolex with classic steel tool watches. That is exactly what makes them appealing.
This is a watch for someone who wants the most unapologetic version of the GMT-Master II. White gold, factory diamonds, black sapphires, box and papers, and the confidence of a Rolex reference that could never be mistaken for anything else.