6 of the best Pepsi bezel watches

Jamie Weiss

What’s the most iconic bezel colour combination? I think we all know the one that springs to mind. Pepsi bezel watches have garnered a special place in the world of horology, captivating watch enthusiasts with their distinctive and iconic design. Named after the cola brand’s red and blue logo and made famous by the Rolex GMT-Master – one of the world’s most coveted timepieces – these watches feature a bicolour bezel that not only adds a vibrant visual element but often serves a practical purpose, allowing wearers to track multiple time zones effortlessly, or utilising the different colours to differentiate elapsed time for dive watches… Or sometimes, it’s just for the vibe. Either way, the Pepsi bezel design has become a classic look, transcending trends and remaining a sought-after look. Here are some of the best Pepsi bezel watches on the market, at a variety of price points.

A quick history

The Pepsi bezel colours and format were initiated by the original Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542, which is also responsible for birthing the term ‘GMT watch‘. The GMT-Master itself owes its genesis to the now-defunct American airline Pan Am, who in 1954 commissioned the watch from Rolex for their pilots: since pilots constantly travel between multiple time zones, they needed a watch that could display their time at home (or a reference time, such as UTC/GMT) and be easily set to a new local time when they landed, without disturbing the home time displayed.

The red and blue colours on the GMT-Master’s bicolour bezel were actually chosen to reflect Pan Am corporate colours rather than reference the popular drinks brand – the “Pepsi” name was entirely coined by enthusiasts, who have also popularised similarly drinks-themed nicknames for other colour combinations, such as “Coke” for black and red (as debuted on the first GMT-Master II ref. 16760), “Root Beer” for brown and gold (first seen on the GMT-Master ref. 1675/3) and more recently, “Sprite” for black and green (as seen on the left-handed GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR). However, it’s the term “Pepsi” for red and blue bezels that has proven to be the most enduring. But not all Pepsis are Rolexes – here are a few other cool Pepsi bezel watches.

Casio Duro MDV107D-1A3

While the Pepsi bezel design made its debut on a GMT watch and most Pepsi watches you’ll find are indeed GMT watches, these days, the colour combination has found its way to other types of timepieces. Case in point, the Casio Duro: a cheap-and-cheerful dive watch that offers GMT-Master vibes at a fraction of the price tag and without the complication. Famously worn by Bill Gates, the Duro is an unpretentious, robust quartz-powered diver with a unidirectional bezel and 200 metres of water resistance. It’s perfect for those who just want a sip of Pepsi, as it were. Price: US$146 from the Time+Tide Shop

Timex Q Reissue

The Timex Q Reissue also ranks as one of the most affordable Pepsi bezel watches on the market. While not technically a GMT watch as it lacks a second hour hand, you can still use its bezel to track another time zone. The addition of a navy blue dial to match the blue half of its Pepsi bezel gives this Q a bit of visual differentiation, and a quartz movement keeps the price and the fuss down. With its hidden lugs, it also gives off a bit of an integrated bracelet look as well – very on-trend. Price: US$189

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Pogue SSC947

Itself a homage to the original Seiko ref. 6139 “Pogue” chronograph, so-named as it was worn by Colonel William Pogue during the Skylab 4 space mission, you’d also describe this Prospex Speedtimer Pogue as having a Pepsi bezel – demonstrating that not all Pepsi bezel watches need to be GMTs or divers. These Pepsi colours are contrasted by a striking yellow sunburst dial just like the ref. 6139, but this modern chronograph diverts from the original by featuring three subdials as well as a solar-powered quartz movement. Price: US$700

Baltic Aquascaphe GMT

The Baltic Aquascaphe GMT is another stand-out affordable piece in the Pepsi category that merges vintage design with modern GMT functionality. A caller-style GMT much like the original GMT-Master, it goes hard on retro vibes, with a pronounced domed crystal and a sapphire bezel insert. While on balance, the red portion of its bezel leans more orange, you’d still definitely call this a Pepsi bezel watch. It also leans into its dive watch origins, available on either a Tropic-style strap or a beads-of-rice bracelet. Price: US$1,047 from the Time+Tide Shop

Tudor Black Bay GMT

It’s perhaps not surprising that Rolex’s sister brand Tudor would also offer a take on a Pepsi bezel, although this Black Bay GMT mixes things up with an opaline dial. Paired with white luminous hour markers and snowflake hands, it looks distinctly more vintage than modern GMT-Masters, with a matte anodised aluminium blue and burgundy bezel insert adding such a pop to the watch’s aesthetic and personality. It’s also more water-resistant than its Rolex counterpart at 200 metres and boasts a similarly COSC-certified movement. Price: US$4,375

Rolex GMT-Master II

While I’ve mostly written this buying guide with affordable Pepsi bezel watches in mind, you can’t talk about Pepsi alternatives without discussing the OG. The original GMT-Master ref. 6542 had a Bakelite bezel: the Pepsi model currently in Rolex’s catalogue, the GMT-Master II ref. 126710, instead features a ‘Cerachrom’ bicolour ceramic bezel insert, which is much more durable and scratch-resistant. Housed in a 40mm 904L stainless steel case, it’s available on either an Oyster or Jubilee bracelet and is powered by the calibre 3285, which has a Chronergy escapement and a 70-hour power reserve. While this Rollie is much more expensive than the other watches on this list (and near impossible to score at retail anyway), the original is still the best. Price: US$10,700