Short on time? Introduced at Baselworld 2018, the 126711CHNR mixes Oystersteel with 18k Everose gold and pairs a black dial with a black and brown Cerachrom bezel. It revives the "Root Beer" nickname from the 1970s and runs on the calibre 3285, Rolex's current GMT movement. Two-tone, but cool.
Backstory
Two-tone watches have a reputation problem. For years they were a bit dad-at-a-golf-club. Then the Root Beer came back and quietly changed a lot of minds.
The nickname comes from the 1970s, when Rolex made GMT-Masters with brown and gold bezels the colour of the American soft drink. For decades, "Root Beer" meant a vintage watch. In 2018 Rolex brought the idea back on the 126711CHNR, swapping yellow gold for Everose, its own rose gold alloy.
Key Details
The 40mm case is Oystersteel with an Everose gold bezel and crown. The bracelet is an Oyster with steel outer links and Everose centre links, an Oysterlock clasp and the Easylink extension. Water resistance is 100 metres.
The bezel is the hero: a bidirectional 24-hour ring with a ceramic insert, black on one half and brown on the other. Ceramic doesn't fade like the old aluminium inserts did, so that brown stays rich.
The Movement
The calibre 3285 is Rolex's current GMT movement, with around 70 hours of power reserve and the Chronergy escapement. The important bit is how it handles travel: the local hour hand jumps in one-hour steps on its own, without stopping the watch, while the 24-hour hand keeps your home time. That's what collectors mean by a "true" GMT, and once you've used one, you won't want anything else.
On the Wrist
Everose is the reason this works. It's softer and warmer than yellow gold, so the watch reads as relaxed rather than flashy. With a jacket, it's perfect. With a T-shirt, also perfect. The brown and black bezel gives it a slightly retro feel that suits that 1970s backstory.
The usual two-tone caveat applies: the gold centre links pick up wear faster than steel. It's part of the charm.
Final Thoughts
The Root Beer is one of the most likeable modern Rolex sports watches. It has a real backstory, it's genuinely practical, and it's a two-tone watch that looks good for all the right reasons.
Ours is a 2019 full set, complete with the original white tag. See it here.
