20 Rolex Nicknames Explained: From Batman to Pink Panther to Triple Six

When it comes to Rolex, nicknames for its watches are almost as plentiful as the watches themselves – and often so esoteric that even avid watch enthusiasts can be perplexed by them. Can you tell a Kermit from a Hulk, for example? Or a John Player from a John Mayer? And would you be able to identify a Thunderbird or a Texano in the rare chance you’d come across one these days? Rolex’s legions of fans have been bestowing colorful and often esoteric nicknames on its most noteworthy watches for decades, and there are more of them than you probably even realize. Here’s a mostly alphabetical primer on the top 20 Rolex nicknames you’re likely to hear (and maybe even use) regularly in today’s buzzing watch-enthusiast community. 

Batman

GMT-Master II Ref. 116710BLNR

Debuting in 2013, this Rolex GMT-Master II reference garnered the nickname “Batman” for its first-of-its-kind bicolor Cerachrom bezel in shades of blue and black, which undoubtedly brought to mind for many enthusiasts the signature colors of DC Comics’ dark-garbed guardian of Gotham City. This “Batman” moniker is now applied primarily to the model on the three-link Oyster bracelet. 

Batgirl

GMT-Master II Ref. 126710BLNR

As alluded to directly above, the “Batgirl” name has been applied to the Ref. 126710BLNR of the aforementioned GMT-Master II, introduced in 2019, which differs from the original “Batman” only in its choice of a Jubilee bracelet rather than an Oyster. Is one more masculine than the other? That is certainly debatable, but apparently the difference in bracelet was enough to move Rolexophiles to name this one separately.

Big Red 

Daytona Ref. 6263 and 6265

The “Big Red” versions of Rolex’s Daytona made their debut in the 1970s. These references are regarded as part of the “Paul Newman” family of rare Daytonas (details below), distinguished by the bright red “Daytona” text that appears above the subdial at 6 o’clock, a detail that didn’t appear on all contemporary Daytonas of this period. 

Bruce Wayne

GMT-Master II Ref. 126710GRNR

More than 10 years after the debut of “Batman” came a GMT-Master that would ultimately become associated with the hero’s alter ego, millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne. The Ref. 126710GRNR (the initials signify “grey” and “noir”) was unveiled in 2024, with a bicolor black-and-grey GMT bezel that was seen as more “restrained” than its blue-black predecessor — i.e., Batman in his quieter secret identity rather than in full-on night mission mode. 

Bumblebee

GMT-Master II Ref. 126713GRNR

Yellow and black are certainly colors found on bumblebees in nature, but it’s likely that one of the less hyped Rolex nicknames was bestowed by fans of the Transformers film series and the giant shape-shifting robot of that name, whose metallic color scheme is similar to the two-tone steel-and-gold treatment of this GMT-Master II, introduced in 2023. Yellow gold is used for the Jubilee bracelet’s center links and the numerals of the 24-hour bezel, while the dial and the “night” sector of the bezel are in black. Like the “Bruce Wayne,” the bezel’s other half is a subtly gradient gray. 

Coke

GMT-Master Ref. 16760 (aka “Fat Lady”) and 16710

In 1983, the long-running original GMT-Master series was joined (and eventually replaced) by the GMT-Master II, which added a subtle but technically sophisticated upgrade: it decoupled the arrow-tipped GMT hand from the main (local time) hour hand, enabling the user to independently adjust the latter in one-hour increments without interfering with the seconds, minutes, or GMT hands, resulting in an easier adjustment of the local time and the ability to read a third time zone on the rotating bezel in addition to a second one. The first model in this new series was also significant as the first “Coke” GMT-Master, named for its black-and-red bezel with white numerals that evoked the logo of Coca-Cola. This now-classic reference also carries the nicknames “Fat Lady” and the slightly more flattering “Sophia Loren” for its thicker case to accommodate a new movement. 

Hulk

Submariner Ref. 116610LV

One of the two uber-collectible green-tinted Submariners, the “Hulk” Ref. 116610LV was unveiled in 2010, enticing fans and collectors with its bold combination of a green dial with a matching green unidirectional divers’ bezel, a colorway that evoked Marvel’s emerald-skinned man-monster. It was one of the first Rolex models to use Cerachrom, a proprietary Rolex ceramic alloy, for its bezel, and was discontinued 10 years after its release, making existing models very valuable on the secondary market. Will “Hulk Smash” auction records? Stay tuned.

Kermit

Submariner Ref. 16610LV

Before the “Hulk” came the “Kermit,” the Submariner reference that was released in 2003 — and, of course, nicknamed for the beloved Muppets character, Kermit the Frog, who famously lamented that “it’s not easy being green.” Perhaps Rolex agreed, as this watch, which was released to commemorate 50 years since the Submariner’s release in 1953, used green only for the bezel, and black for the dial — unlike the follow-up “Hulk” references, which had both in green for a more monochromatic look. The Rolex “Kermit” was discontinued the same year that the “Hulk” was released. Also, just to be clear, the Rolex “Kermit” has no official licensed connection to the Muppets character, unlike the more recently released Oris watch that uses the same name (and even puts Kermit’s face on the dial).

John Mayer

Daytona Ref. 116508-0013

Singer-songwriter John Mayer has long been known as a serious watch enthusiast, and it’s no surprise that Mayer’s favorite Rolex watch now unofficially bears his name. It’s a Daytona Ref. 116508-0013 in all 18k yellow gold (case and Oyster bracelet) and a very sharp dark green dial, in the iconic tricompax style of the Daytona, with applied yellow-gold hour markers. The bezel is inscribed with the tachymeter scale that speaks to the watch’s racing origins (see “Paul Newman” below). The model launched in 2016 and once Mayer was spotted wearing it (and talking it up in watch media), its popularity took off. 

John Player Special

Daytona Ref. 6241

Considered by many to be a variation of the “Paul Newman” Daytona, described below), the “John Player Special” model, produced in the 1960s, evokes the black-and-gold livery of the John Player Formula 1 racing team with its gold 37mm case and black dial with contrasting golden subdials for the running seconds and chronograph displays. The reference was only produced until 1969, and of these models only about 300 are believed to have been made in this yellow-gold iteration, so they’re highly sought after on the collectors’ market. 

James Bond

Submariner Ref. 6538

This one is pretty self-explanatory when you realize that it is the watch worn by Sean Connery as superspy James Bond in several early films. Connery wore the Submariner Ref. 6538 — which, in those halcyon days predating the era of widespread product placement, may have been from the actor’s personal collection — in the first three Bond movies: Dr. No, From Russia with Love (1963) and Goldfinger (1964). As a former naval officer who often found himself in underwater danger, a Submariner certainly made sense as Bond’s go-to timepiece. In Dr. No, the Sub was mounted on a brown leather strap; in Goldfinger, the same watch (presumably) was attached to a notably thin, striped nylon NATO strap. This Submariner is notable for its oversized 8mm “Big Crown” and its aluminum bezel insert with red triangle marker. Many older, hardcore 007 fans will always regard this Rolex as the quintessential Bond watch despite the Omega Seamaster usurping its title for a younger generation. 

Paul Newman

Daytona Ref. 6239

One of the most valuable watches in the world is named for the legendary actor who helped make it famous. To sum up the tale of one of the most ubiquitous Rolex nicknames, told in more detail here, Newman took up auto racing as a serious hobby in the late ‘60s and was gifted a specific racing-styled watch by his wife Joanne Woodward: a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 with a so-called “exotic” dial, highlighted by some very particular details. Its main dial was an off-white cream color, punctuated by black subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock with square-ended hashmarks and Art Deco-style numerals. (Another rarity: the word “Daytona,” which had begun appearing on some of the dials starting in 1965, appeared in red above the 6 o’clock subdial, as on the “Big Red” model noted above). The actual watch owned by Newman and gifted by Woodward — whose caseback was engraved with her loving but cautionary message, “Drive Carefully - Me.” — became the highest-selling Rolex watch ever at auction, fetching $15.5 million at Phillips in 2017. Vintage “Paul Newman” Daytonas remain exceedingly rare and accordingly expensive. 

Pepsi (aka Pussy Galore)

GMT-Master II Ref. 126710BLRO

The first and, to many, still the quintessential GMT-Master, the Ref. 6452, famously debuted in 1955, introducing the world to the bicolor red-and-blue GMT bezel, which the watch’s legions of fans would later dub the “Pepsi,” a reference to the logo colors of the famous soft drink. (In actuality, the colors — at least the blue — were more likely chosen to reflect the logo of Pan American Airlines, whose pilots Rolex consulted in its development of the model.) The original “Pepsi” also took on another nickname, the “Pussy Galore,” thanks to its being worn in the movie Goldfinger by actress Honor Blackman in that role. After many years off the market, Rolex revived the beloved “Pepsi” bezel, in Cerachrom, with the 2018 release of the Ref. 126710BLRO, a steel model on a Jubilee bracelet. 

Pink Panther

GMT-Master Ref. 1675

The Pink Panther is the name for both a series of films featuring Peter Sellers as an inept French police detective and a series of TV cartoons featuring — well, an animated pink panther. The name also stuck to a very specific and now very rare model of the Rolex GMT-Master, released in the 1960s, which substituted a bright fuschia shade for the traditional “Pepsi” red in the bicolor bezel. 

Root Beer (aka Clint Eastwood)

GMT-Master II Ref. 1675/3, 126711CHNR

One of several soft drink-themed GMT-Master Rolex nicknames, the “Root Beer” has been applied to several models starting with the Ref. 16753 from the 1970s, the first to usher in a brown-and-gold bicolor bezel. The most recent model to be tagged with the sugary moniker is the Ref. 126711CHNR from 2018. The latter is an Oystersteel model with brown and black, rather than brown and gold, as the color sectors in its 24-hour Cerachrom bezel. The earlier “Root Beer” sports another nickname: “Clint Eastwood,” for the legendary tough-guy actor and director who has been spotted wearing one in movies. 

Smurf

Submariner Ref. 116619

For the non Gen-Xers out there, the Smurfs were a ubiquitous pop culture presence in the 1980s. Created by the Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, aka Peyo, these blue-skinned characters who lived in mushrooms and clashed with the evil wizard Gargamel have found their way to TV and movie screens as well as toy boxes and theme parks. The blue dial and bezel of the Submariner Ref. 116619 sparked this nickname, though the model’s white-gold case and bracelet makes it one of the priciest Smurf-related “toys” you could possibly want.

Starbucks

Submariner Ref. 126610LV

Perhaps the most caffeinated of Rolex nicknames has stuck with this Submariner model, whose colors evoke those of the Seattle-based coffee chain, which was rolled out fairly recently, in 2020. Its 41mm case is made of stainless steel (Rolex’s “Oystersteel” alloy, to be precise), its bright green bezel insert is made of Cerachrom, and the watch packs Rolex’s in-house self-winding Caliber 3235. 

Texan (aka Texano)

Oysterquartz Ref. 5100

As detailed in this article, Rolex produced a number of “Oysterquartz” watches in the 1970s, during the so-called Quartz Crisis. The first was the Ref. 5100, a limited edition of 1,000 pieces powered by the Swiss-made Beta-21 quartz movement. That model, the precursor to the "official" Oysterquartz models with Rolex’s own in-house quartz movement, was historically noteworthy in several respects. Its 40mm case was exceptionally large for the era, its chunky dimensions necessary to house the rather large caliber. With both the case and the bracelet made from 18k gold, it was the most expensive watch in Rolex’s catalog at the time. Nicknamed "The Texan,” or "Texano," undoubtedly for its audacious dimensions and material, the Ref. 5100 was also the first Rolex watch to use sapphire for the crystal over the dial, a forward-thinking choice in a period when mineral glass was still in common usage. You also have to love that this is one of the American Rolex nicknames.

Thunderbird

Turn-o-Graph Ref. 1625, 16253, 16263, and 16264

Released the same year as the GMT-Master but never achieving that model’s sustained popularity, the Rolex Turn-o-Graph is nevertheless an important and impactful watch in the Crown’s prestigious portfolio, as the first Rolex tool watch with a rotating bezel. That’s right, before even the Submariner. The first-generation Turn-o-Graph, Ref. 1625, was the one that caught the attention of the United States Air Force aerobatics team, known as the Thunderbirds, who found the bezel’s timing capabilities useful in navigation. Rolex started supplying the watches to the team and the Turn-o-Graph has been nicknamed the “Thunderbird” ever since; for a while, Rolex even referred to it as such, more or less officially, in its marketing efforts for the watch in North America. At one point, Rolex even made a special series with the Thunderbirds’ team logo at 6 o’clock, distributed solely to the pilots. As one might expect, these are among the rarest and most collectible “Thunderbirds” today. 

Triple Six

Sea-Dweller Ref. 16660

The first Rolex Sea-Dweller in 1967, a descendant of the Submariner, was engineered for even more extreme diving with its 500-meter waterproof rating and its helium-release valve for use inside a submerged, pressurized diving bell. In 1978, Rolex amped up that industry-leading water resistance even higher, to 1,220 meters, or 4,000 feet. The “Triple Six” moniker that has clung to that second wave of Sea-Dweller, comes not from the depth rating numbers but from the reference number of the model: 16660. And nowadays, if you’ll pardon the easy pun, you’ll probably have a devil of a time finding one.