Golfer Scottie Scheffler spotted wearing a Rolex

When Scottie Scheffler slipped on the Green Jacket at Augusta National in April 2022, the cameras caught more than a champion's smile — on his wrist sat a Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126711CHNR, the watch the collector world calls 'Rootbeer.' Few settings could be more fitting: a historic ceremony, a first major, and one of Rolex's most historically resonant references.

The GMT-Master II 126711CHNR made its debut at Baselworld 2018, representing a meaningful evolution of the GMT line. It is built on the 40 mm Oystersteel case paired with 18k Everose gold crown guards, middle links, and bezel — a first for the GMT-Master II family. The bidirectional rotatable bezel carries a two-tone brown/black Cerachrom insert, a ceramic composite that is effectively scratch-proof and UV-resistant. Inside sits Rolex's in-house Calibre 3285, a generation-leap movement featuring the Chronergy escapement, a 70-hour power reserve, and a independently adjustable GMT hand for tracking a second time zone. The dial is lacquered black with applied hour markers and Chromalight luminescence.

The 'Rootbeer' nickname traces directly to the original GMT-Master ref. 16753 of the late 1970s and early 1980s, which wore a brown/gold bezel and dial combination that collectors compared to the color of the American soft drink. The 126711CHNR reinterprets that spirit with modern materials rather than a literal replica — the black dial replaces the original's brown, yet the warm Everose gold and chocolate-hued bezel unmistakably echo the vintage aesthetic. That lineage gives the reference strong emotional pull among collectors who remember the original but want contemporary reliability.

Scheffler's association with Rolex is well established — the brand sponsors the PGA Tour and counts numerous elite players among its ambassadors. Wearing the 126711CHNR at the Masters ceremony rather than a more formal dress watch says something about the golfer: this is a sports-rooted reference worn confidently in a formal context, which is precisely the versatility Rolex designed into the two-tone GMT line.

On the market, the GMT-Master II 126711CHNR carries an official retail price of approximately $17,100 USD. Secondary market demand has kept grey-market premiums persistent, with examples regularly trading between $21,000 and $24,000 depending on condition and documentation — a reflection of enduring collector appetite for the 'Rootbeer' name and the Cerachrom-era execution of it.