If you’ve spent any time around watch collectors, you’ve heard these names thrown around like everyone already knows what they mean. Pepsi. Batman. Hulk. Kermit. They’re shorthand for specific Rolex references, and most of them started with dealers, collectors, or enthusiasts who needed a faster way to describe what they were looking at. Some stuck. A few became so widely used that Rolex itself started referencing them in marketing materials.
Here’s a rundown of the most common ones, where they came from, and what they actually refer to.
The GMT-Master Family
Pepsi
The Pepsi refers to any GMT-Master or GMT-Master II with a red and blue bezel. The color combination matches Pepsi’s branding closely enough that the nickname stuck immediately. The original Pepsi dates to 1955, when Rolex introduced the first GMT-Master for Pan Am pilots. The current Pepsi (ref. 126710BLRO) has a ceramic bezel and runs on the caliber 3285. The two-tone red and blue ceramic was technically difficult to produce, and Rolex didn’t manage it until 2018. Before then, modern Pepsis used aluminum bezels. Both versions are called Pepsi by most collectors, but the aluminum ones from the 1980s and 1990s have a different feel entirely.
Batman
Batman is the black and blue GMT-Master II, first released in 2013 as reference 116710BLNR. The black lower half and blue upper half of the bezel suggested the cape and cowl, and the name followed. The current version (ref. 126710BLNR) moved to a Jubilee bracelet, which split collector opinion when it launched. Some felt it softened the look. Others liked it. The debate still comes up.
Batgirl
Batgirl (ref. 126710BLNR on a Jubilee bracelet) is sometimes used to distinguish the Jubilee-version Batman from the original Oyster-bracelet version. Not everyone uses this term, and plenty of collectors just call both versions Batman. But in listings you’ll see Batgirl applied specifically to the newer bracelet configuration.
Bruce Wayne
The Bruce Wayne is the GMT-Master II in black and gray, ref. 126710GRNR. Black bezel, gray accent. Less flamboyant than the Pepsi or Batman, which is maybe why the alter-ego name fits. It’s one of the newer color combinations and doesn’t show up in pre-owned inventory as often as the older references.
Root Beer
Root Beer covers GMT-Master references with a brown and gold or brown and black bezel combination, typically in two-tone or full gold cases. The warm, earthy color palette is what earns the name. The original Root Beers from the 1970s are popular with collectors who want something a bit different from the more common blue-and-black configurations.
The Submariner Family
Hulk
The Hulk is the ref. 116610LV, a Submariner with a green dial and green bezel. It was produced from 2010 to 2020, when Rolex replaced it with the Kermit (ref. 124060). The Hulk is larger in profile and has more visual presence than most Submariners. When it was discontinued, pre-owned prices jumped. It’s a case where the secondary market reacted faster than anyone predicted.
Kermit
Kermit is the older name for a Submariner with a green bezel and black dial, originally applied to the ref. 16610LV introduced in 2003. After the Hulk was discontinued in 2020, the ref. 124060 was sometimes given the Kermit name too. There’s some debate about which watch properly owns the nickname, but the logic is the same either way: green bezel, black dial.
Starbucks
The Starbucks is the ref. 126610LV, released in 2020, with a green bezel and black dial on an Oyster bracelet. The green-and-black combination is similar to the Starbucks logo, and the name caught on quickly after launch. It replaced the Hulk in Rolex’s lineup and sits at a different price point on the secondary market.
Smurf
The Smurf is the Yacht-Master II ref. 116680, a 44mm watch in stainless steel with a white dial and blue bezel. The name comes from the blue-and-white color scheme. It’s a large watch and a distinct look. Not everyone’s preference, but it has a dedicated following.
The Daytona
Paul Newman Daytona
This one requires a bit more explanation. The Paul Newman nickname refers to early Daytona references with exotic dials featuring contrasting register colors, Art Deco-style fonts, and a distinctive square marker at 6 o’clock. The name comes from the actor Paul Newman, who wore a Daytona with this dial style. When his personal watch (ref. 6239) sold at Phillips auction in 2017 for $17.8 million, it became the most expensive wristwatch sold at auction at the time. The Paul Newman name was already in use among collectors before the sale, but the auction cemented it permanently.
Others Worth Knowing
Thunderbird
The Thunderbird is the Datejust Turn-O-Graph, an older Rolex reference from the 1950s that allowed the bezel to rotate. It gets the name from its connection to the USAF Thunderbirds demonstration team, who wore it in the 1950s. It’s a vintage reference at this point, rarely discussed outside of vintage collector circles.
Stella Dials
Not a nickname for a specific model, but a term for Datejust watches from the 1970s with brightly colored lacquer dials in coral, turquoise, lemon, and similar shades. Stella refers to a particular supplier. These dials are actively collected and significantly more expensive than standard Datejust dials from the same period.
Most of these nicknames started because collectors needed a fast, descriptive shorthand. They’re not official Rolex designations, though a few have crept into the brand’s own communications over the years. When you’re shopping for a specific reference, the nickname can help you confirm you’re looking at the right watch. Just make sure to verify the actual reference number as well, since the names can get applied loosely depending on who’s selling.
View this post on Instagram
We carry a rotating selection of Rolex references at jewelsintime.com, including many of the references mentioned here. If you’re looking for something specific, get in touch.
