24 July 2026

Rolex Nicknames Explained: How Rolex's Most Famous Watches Got Their Names

By Jeni Honeyman

Rolex deals in reference numbers. The market deals in names.

A reference number tells you exactly what a watch is. A nickname tells you how people recognise it, search for it and talk about it.

Some are rooted in colour. Others emerged through pop culture or collector forums. A few have become so widely used that many people know the nickname long before they learn the reference number.

Not every nickname lasts. The ones below have stuck because they make a complicated catalogue easier to navigate.

The Green Submariners: "Kermit", "Hulk" and "Starbucks"

Rolex's green Submariner story began in 2003 with the Kermit, reference 16610LV. Released to celebrate the Submariner's 50th anniversary, it paired a green aluminium bezel with the familiar black dial. Collectors quickly drew comparisons with Kermit the Frog, giving the watch one of Rolex's earliest and most enduring unofficial nicknames.

Seven years later came the Hulk, reference 116610LV. This wasn't simply another green Submariner. Rolex doubled down, introducing a green ceramic bezel, matching green dial and the broader Super Case. Green from almost every angle, it naturally inherited the name of Marvel's famous superhero. Whether you loved it or hated it, the Hulk had far more presence than the Kermit before it.

When the Hulk was discontinued in 2020, Rolex introduced the Starbucks, reference 126610LV. The formula returned to black dial, green bezel, echoing the original Kermit, but the watch itself moved into a new generation with a 41mm case, slimmer proportions and the Calibre 3235. The darker green bezel reminded collectors of the Starbucks logo, and another nickname entered Rolex vocabulary almost immediately.

Together, the three references tell the story of Rolex's evolving approach to the green Submariner. Kermit introduced the idea, Hulk pushed it to its boldest point, and Starbucks brought it back in a more restrained form.

GMT-Master II "Pepsi"

The Pepsi is probably the easiest Rolex nickname to explain.

Collectors saw the same red and blue colour combination as the Pepsi logo, and the name stuck. It was never an official Rolex designation, but after decades of use it has become almost universal.

The colours weren't chosen to resemble a soft drink. When the GMT-Master launched in the 1950s, the two-tone bezel was designed to distinguish daytime from nighttime hours for pilots tracking a second time zone. Practicality came first; the nickname arrived later.

Unlike many Rolex nicknames, Pepsi doesn't belong to one reference. It has followed the GMT-Master through aluminium bezels, ceramic bezels, different movements and different bracelets. Today, it describes a colour combination rather than a specific watch.

That's part of its longevity. The watches have evolved, but the nickname has never needed to.

GMT-Master II "Batman" and "Batgirl"

The Batman and Batgirl names sit close together, but they tell the story of two generations rather than one.

The Batman arrived in 2013 with reference 116710BLNR, becoming the first Rolex to feature a black and blue Cerachrom bezel produced from a single piece of ceramic. Collectors immediately compared the dark colour palette to Gotham's famous superhero, while the reference itself, BLNR, simply stands for bleu-noir — blue and black in French. Batman was easier to remember, and the nickname quickly took hold.

When Rolex introduced the next-generation 126710BLNR in 2019, it brought more than a new movement. The Calibre 3285 increased the power reserve from approximately 48 to 70 hours, and, for the first time, the watch was paired with a Jubilee bracelet. That single change was enough for collectors to create a second nickname: Batgirl.

The Oyster bracelet eventually returned to the 126710BLNR, but the distinction has remained. Batman is generally used for the Oyster configuration, while Batgirl refers to the Jubilee. Same bezel. Same reference family. Two different personalities.

The popularity of both names says as much about the collector community as it does the watches themselves. Once a nickname becomes widely understood, it often becomes the easiest way to describe a reference without ever mentioning the numbers.

GMT-Master II "Sprite"

The Sprite is one of Rolex's newest nicknames, and unlike Pepsi or Batman, it wasn't born from decades of history.

When the GMT-Master II reference 126720VTNR arrived in 2022, collectors immediately focused on its green and black Cerachrom bezel. The colours reminded many of Sprite's familiar branding, making the nickname an easy fit.

The bezel, however, is only part of the story. Rolex also moved the winding crown to the left-hand side of the case and repositioned the date to nine o'clock, making it the first GMT-Master II to reverse its traditional layout. That unusual architecture generated almost as much discussion as the colour itself.

Available on either Oyster or Jubilee bracelet, the Sprite remains defined by its left-handed configuration. The nickname may describe the bezel, but the watch is remembered for challenging one of Rolex's longest-standing designs.

GMT-Master II "Bruce Wayne"

Bruce Wayne is one of Rolex's cleverer modern nicknames because it only makes sense once Batman already exists.

When Rolex introduced the 126710GRNR, collectors were presented with a GMT-Master II that shared the same overall character as the Batman, but without the blue bezel. The black and grey colour scheme felt quieter, more discreet and less immediately eye-catching. Rather than inventing an entirely unrelated nickname, collectors looked to Batman's alter ego.

The comparison works because the relationship mirrors the watches themselves. Batman is the bold, recognisable public identity. Bruce Wayne is the same character in a more understated form. The names immediately tell enthusiasts where the watch sits within the GMT-Master II family.

Whether on Oyster or Jubilee, the Bruce Wayne has quickly established itself as one of Rolex's most successful modern nicknames. It isn't describing a colour as much as it is describing a personality.

GMT-Master II "Root Beer"

Unlike many Rolex nicknames, Root Beer has genuine history behind it.

The name has been associated with brown and gold GMT-Master references since the 1970s, when collectors began comparing the warm bezel colours to the soft drink. While Rolex has introduced different materials and references over the decades, the nickname has remained attached to the same distinctive colour palette.

Today's 126711CHNR continues that tradition with Everose gold, Oystersteel and a black and brown Cerachrom bezel. Modern materials may have replaced aluminium, but the overall identity remains instantly familiar to anyone who knows earlier Root Beer references.

Its longevity is what makes the nickname notable. Many Rolex names come and go, but Root Beer has survived multiple generations because each new reference still feels connected to the one before it.

GMT-Master II "Zombie"

Zombie is one of Rolex's least certain nicknames, and that's exactly what makes it interesting.

The name is most commonly attached to the 126713GRNR, a yellow Rolesor GMT-Master II with a black and grey Cerachrom bezel. Unlike Pepsi or Batman, there isn't one clear story explaining where Zombie came from. Instead, it emerged alongside several competing suggestions as collectors tried to give the watch an identity of its own.

Names including Guinness, Bumblebee and Wolverine all circulated, inspired by the watch's combination of black, grey and yellow gold. Zombie simply became the nickname that gathered the most momentum through forums, dealers and social media.

Whether it proves as enduring as Pepsi or Root Beer remains to be seen. That uncertainty reflects how Rolex nicknames continue to evolve. Some become part of collecting culture over decades. Others are decided by the market almost overnight.

Cosmograph Daytona "Panda" and "Reverse Panda"

Unlike Pepsi or Batman, Panda isn't unique to Rolex.

Collectors have used the term for decades to describe chronographs with a white dial and contrasting dark sub-dials, resembling the face of a panda. Rolex simply happens to produce the version that dominates today's conversation, making the nickname almost synonymous with the modern Daytona.

The black dial variant is often referred to as the Reverse Panda, reversing the same colour arrangement. While the term isn't used quite as consistently, it has become a useful way of distinguishing the two dial options without quoting reference numbers.

The popularity of both names also shows that Rolex nicknames don't always begin with Rolex itself. Sometimes the wider watch community creates a language first, and Rolex becomes the brand most closely associated with it.

Final Thoughts

Rolex nicknames were never planned by the brand itself.

They emerged naturally as collectors searched for an easier way to describe watches that would otherwise be known only by long reference numbers. Some are rooted in colour, others in popular culture, and a few have evolved through years of conversation between enthusiasts, dealers and collectors.

Some will undoubtedly disappear. Others have become so widely recognised that they're now part of the language surrounding Rolex. They're so firmly embedded that searching many of these nicknames on Rolex's own website will lead you to the watches they're associated with, despite those names never being official Rolex designations.

Rolex created the watches. The market gave them their names.

Rolex Nicknames Explained: How Rolex's Most Famous Watches Got Their Names

We Use Cookies