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Rolex 3085

Probable

Also the caliber of the Explorer II 16550 and 16570 in their earliest form. The independent hour hand is the single most useful field test on any Rolex GMT: pull the crown to the first position and the LOCAL hour hand should jump in one-hour steps while the 24-hour hand stays put. A watch presented as a GMT-Master II on which the 24-hour hand moves instead is not carrying a 3085 or its successors.

Specifications

Movement manufacturer
Rolex
Production
1983–?
Frequency
28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Winding
automatic
Complications
Centre seconds · Date · Independent local hour hand

Architecture

Automatic with an INDEPENDENTLY adjustable local hour hand alongside a 24-hour hand and date — the caliber that made the GMT-Master II a different watch rather than a different name.

Related calibers

References using this caliber

Provenance of this record

Sources & Evidence

Secondary sourceCollector research

Rolex collector research on caliber transitions, dial generations and case marks

Rolex Forums, VRF and allied collector communities

Accessed
2026-08-18

Cited for

This referenceProbable
Secondary sourceSpecialist publication

Dowling, James M. & Hess, Jeffrey P. — The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches

Schiffer Publishing

Published
2006-01-01

Cited for

This referenceProbable

Last verified: Not yet reviewed