Rolex celebrated the 50th anniversary of the GMT-Master by redesigning the GMT-Master II in 2005. The most noticeable change was the introduction of the updated Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert, which replaced the aluminum inserts. Rolex had been using aluminum bezel inserts across many of their sport/tool watches since the 1950s, but these were susceptible to scratching and fading over time from general use. Cerachrom, developed by Rolex, is highly scratch-resistant and impervious to fading from UV light exposure.

The first example, ref. 116718LN, featured an all-black ceramic bezel and a solid 18k yellow gold case and bracelet, with either a black or celebratory green dial commemorating the GMT-Master collection’s 50th anniversary. The Rolesor “two-tone” ref. 116713LN followed in 2006, and the full stainless steel ref. 116710LN debuted in 2007, both with all-black ceramic bezels.

Rolex’s GMT watches, known for their split-colored bezels, introduced the first split-colored ceramic bezel in 2013 with the unveiling of the blue and black ceramic bezel ref. 116710BLNR, eight years after the introduction of ceramic bezel GMTs.

The iconic red and blue bezel, which had personified the GMT-Master since the mid-1950s, returned in 2014 with a ceramic bezel on the solid white gold ref. 116719BLRO. Rumors suggested Rolex had difficulty producing a red ceramic material, leading them to initially keep the red and blue ceramic bezel exclusive to the more limited full white gold version. Rolex eventually introduced a steel version with the red and blue ceramic bezel four years later, in 2018.