Rolex Pepsi VS Tudor Pepsi – 126710BLRO VS 79830RB
Baselworld 2018 was an important year for both Tudor and Rolex. Tudor released its first GMT watch – the Tudor Heritage Black Bay GMT 79830RB ”Pepsi” which was met with tons of praise. At the same time, Rolex also released a ”Pepsi” GMT. The GMT-Master II 126710BLRO.
It’s no secret that Tudor and Rolex share a common history and have a close connection with each other. With that said, it becomes extra interesting when both of these brands decided to launch a GMT Pepsi at the same time.
Both the Rolex GMT Pepsi and the Tudor GMT Pepsi provided to be greatly successful. Both models originally had long waiting lists from authorized retailers, but of course, the bigger brother’s list was much longer because of the stronger brand. Today, the 79830RB has no or relatively short waiting lists from official Tudor retailers.
But what is the history behind these models? What are their similarities and differences? You may be surprised that, apart from the fact that they are GMT watches and both feature a blue and red ”Pepsi” bezel, they have more in common than you may think.
Rolex Pepsi VS Tudor Pepsi – History
Rolex’s and Tudor’s relationship goes all the way back to the beginning of Tudor. This doesn’t exactly come as a surprise considering the fact that Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, also founded Tudor. Wilsdorf founded Tudor as a cheaper alternative to Rolex watches back in 1926 but wanted them to still offer the same reliability and quality as Rolex watches.
And the brands have always shared a lot of similarities, which has to do with the fact that Tudor originally used Rolex parts, apart from the movements. Additionally, since, in recent years, Tudor has focused a lot on its ”heritage”, and made ”re-issues/heritage models”, Tudor has technically made reissue models of older Rolex watches – hence why they may look so similar.
Rolex, on the other hand, does not make ”heritage” models. Instead, Rolex improves and refines the building blocks which are rooted in its history. Which the company has done for some 60 years or so now.
GMT and red and blue
The ”Pepsi” bezel has great importance in the history of GMT watches. Why? Because the first-ever GMT wristwatch, which happens to be made by Rolex, features a blue and red bezel. This was the GMT-Master 6542. And what is so interesting is that if you compare the new Tudor GMT Pepsi with Rolex’s first GMT watch, you can see a very obvious resemblance. The modern Rolex Pepsi also shares a lot of similarities as well, but they are not as clear. Again, this is because Rolex’s new GMT Pepsi is not a ”heritage” timepiece, and has evolved a lot in design since the first GMT-Master was released.
The bicolor bezel has become an iconic trait of GMT wristwatches, and 2018 marked the year that Rolex would finally release the Pepsi color scheme for a GMT-Master II made in full stainless steel. The Pepsi GMT-Master II with a Pepsi bezel was available prior to this but exclusively made in white gold, thus limiting it to fewer people.
Tudor’s first GMT watch was released with a slam, and its connection to its history, not to mention Rolex made it oh so much more appealing.
Tudor Pepsi or Rolex Pepsi? 79830RB VS 126710BLRO
Ten years ago, the decision between a Rolex and a Tudor would be pretty much unthinkable. But whilst the price tag between these two watches still is rather substantial, it is a serious decision that many people have.
The GMT-Master II is more than double the price of the Tudor GMT – but that is only if you get It for retail price at an official retailer. The price on the secondhand market for the Rolex GMT-Master II is almost double the retail price.
But can you really compare the Rolex Pepsi with the Tudor Pepsi?
Well, yes, but it’s important to have the price in mind. With the Tudor Pepsi costing so much less, then naturally, you shouldn’t expect the same finish or build quality. However, that is not to say that Tudor Pepsi isn’t great. Because the fact is that it offers great value for money.
A Rolex will always be a Rolex. Built to perfection with no flaws or mistakes whatsoever. It features a ceramic bidirectional GMT bezel which is virtually scratch-proof and which creates a stunning luster. The Tudor GMT, on the other hand, has an aluminum bezel that will both fade and scratch over time. But bear in mind that, at the same time, the Tudor is a heritage model, so it wouldn’t make sense to incorporate modern elements such as the ceramic bezel, into this watch.
Both watches feature an in-house made movement – the Tudor with the MT5652 and the Rolex with the 3285. Tudor’s new in-house movement was released at the same time as the watch, but Rolex’s movement is simply an upgrade to the previous 3185, which means it is tried and true. We know that it is a reliable workhorse.
But we can expect that Tudor has taken help from Rolex’s expertise in developing this movement. The Tudor GMT movement isn’t tried and true, and this can be seen with the Tudor GMT date wheel issue that seems to have been raised with some of these watches. Back in the day, the way to distinguish Tudor and Rolex watches was that Rolex watches used in-house movements, whereas Tudor watches used off-the-shelf ETA movements. This is not true anymore as ever since the Tudor brand was relaunched in 2010, the company has worked hard to develop its own in-house movements to prove the brand is strong enough to stand on its own legs.
As you would expect, the Rolex, apart from having been proven, offers better specifications. The Rolex movement incorporates technology such as an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring.
The Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi is made in 904L stainless steel, but Tudor uses the more common 316L steel. This is not a major deal, but the 904L will achieve a luster and shine that the Tudor GMT won’t be able to achieve. But.. at the same time, the Tudor, as a heritage model, is meant to be more of a tool watch with an industrialized look.
The Tudor GMT Pepsi has a 41mm case as it is built on the Heritage Black Bay platform, whereas the Rolex GMT-Master II has a 40mm case. The Tudor is also thicker at about 15mm. The Rolex has a thickness of 12.3mm which allows it to sit slimmer on the wrist. And on the wrist, the Tudor GMT indeed feels more bulky and robust. In the way these watches wear, you can really feel the difference in what the two brands are trying to achieve.
Again, bear in mind that Rolex and Tudor (owned by the same company), very intentionally positions these watches differently in order for them to compete with each other. The GMT-Master II is simply made to be more elegant and luxurious. And this does not only have to do with the price, but rather an intentional design and development strategy. To further reduce the level of sportiness and increase the level of elegance, the Rolex is fitted on a dressy Jubilee bracelet rather than a bulky and robust Oyster bracelet.
The Tudor GMT as a heritage model has a retro look with elements such as the matte textured dial, anodized aluminum bezel, and chamfered lugs. Not to mention the non-existent crown guards case with a big crown. Taken directly from the history of these brands.
With the Rolex, it is possible to identify the similarities with the original, but not as much as with the Tudor.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a GMT watch that is robust, sporty, and has the design of a tool watch, the Tudor GMT Pepsi is certainly the right choice.
If you are looking for a GMT Pepsi that is elegant, refined, and gives a presence of unmistakable luxury, the GMT-Master II 126710BLRO is the watch to choose from. Of course, you can’t go wrong with either of them, but the Tudor Pepsi will leave a much smaller hole in your bank account. At the end of the day, it is not completely fair to compare these two watches without factoring in the price difference, because it is a rather substantial one.
We find that the build quality of these watches is disproportionate to what you are actually getting with the respective brand. But at the same time, bear in mind that Rolex is positioned to be the luxury bigger brother, and Tudor to be a cheaper, yet qualitative alternative. For the Rolex, you are paying much for the brand than you are with the Tudor. And that is also the reason why we think the Tudor GMT offers surprisingly much for the price. There are just not many competitors out there that offer the same quality, history, and finish, with an in-house movement, like Tudor, at this price point.
Previously, we could say that the Rolex watch offers a 5-year warranty whereas the Tudor only has 2, which was the case when both watches were released. But from the 1st of January 2020, Tudor now offers a five-year warranty for all of its watches, so this is not the case anymore. The gap between Tudor and Rolex is closing, but have in mind that Rolex’s goal is not to have Tudor compete with Rolex, and as such, there will always be a major difference in price between them.
Yet despite this, the Rolex is the watch that most people will want. It’s the original and the icon. It has prestige and reputation that Tudor has a long way to go to achieve.
But whatever your decision between the Tudor GMT Pepsi 79830RB or the Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO is, you will not go wrong with either of them.
