Rolex’s New GMT Master II Is the Brand’s Unexpected Left-Handed Watch

The new ref. 126720VTNR features a reconfigured dial with left-hand crown and date wheel, plus a bezel in a brand-new colorway.

By Oren Hartov

Published April 12, 2022

Well here’s a watch no one saw coming: the Rolex GMT Master II ref. 126720VTNR, a left-handed model in a green-and-black colorway. The Crown will, of course, periodically update its flagship models with iterative references on years that don’t necessarily correspond to key anniversaries. However, Rolex has never released a left-hand model for mainstream production before — and certainly not in a GMT Master II.

Let’s see what this new southpaw Rolex is all about, shall we?

Check out all our coverage from Watches & Wonders here.

The new Rolex for southpaws…or is it?

One might think that putting the winding crown and date on the left side of a watch means it’s a timepiece specifically geared toward lefties. But is that truly the case, so to speak?

Righties, think about how you wear your watch — on your left wrist, where the crown (especially a chunky Rolex Triplock crown) digs into your hand. So while lefties are going to love the new ref. 126720VTNR, it’s just as appropriate for right-handed wearers.

The new GMT Master II comes in an entirely new colorway

While we’ve had black-and-blue “Batman” GMTs before, we’ve yet to see a black-and-green bezel insert, which is new for this model. (Using this bi-directional bezel in conjunction with the matching 4th hand, one can keep track of the time in two time zones.)

Really, the only important question is: what nickname is this new watch going to take on? “Hulk” is already taken. “Evil Kermit,” perhaps?

It still uses the automatic Rolex Calibre 3285 movement

Rolex admits on its site that reconfiguring the GMT Master II in a lefty configuration necessitated changes: “Adjustments were needed to move the winding crown to the left side of the watch case and the date aperture to 9 o’clock.” But clearly, the maison was able to utilize the same caliber that’s been powering the latest-gen GMT Master II without much of a problem.

This movement, released in 2018, represents some of the best in Rolex engineering: it’s equipped with a Parachrom hairspring and 70 hours of power reserve.

This new Rolex is available right away, with either an Oyster or Jubilee bracelet

Rolex tends to release a new model or colorway on a single bracelet type, but the new ref. 126720VTNR is available on both steel Oyster or Jubilee bracelets right from the drop, for the same price: CHF 10,500. (USD pricing is TBD at the moment.)

The New Left-Handed Rolex GMT Master II, at a glance

Reference: 126720VTNR
Model Case: Oyster, 40 mm, Oystersteel
Diameter: 40mm
Material: Oystersteel
Movement: 3285 Movement
Pricing: CHF 10’500

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