Actor Tom Selleck spotted wearing a Rolex

For eight seasons between 1980 and 1988, CBS viewers watched Thomas Magnum navigate Hawaii's criminal underworld in a Ferrari 308 and a Detroit Tigers cap — and, consistently on his wrist, a stainless-steel Rolex GMT-Master 'Pepsi' reference 16750. The pairing of watch and character became so inseparable that the ref. 16750 is now as much a piece of television history as it is horological heritage.

The GMT-Master 16750 represents a significant technical step in the model's evolution. Rolex introduced it in 1981 as the direct successor to the ref. 1675, and its most consequential upgrade was the switch from acrylic to sapphire crystal — a change that dramatically improved legibility and scratch resistance. The movement is the Calibre 3075, a refinement of the 3035 base with the addition of a quick-set date mechanism, allowing the date to be set independently without cycling through the hours hand. Case diameter held at 40mm in Oyster steel, with the iconic two-tone red-and-blue ceramic-free aluminum bezel insert that earned the 'Pepsi' nickname from collectors decades ago.

Among GMT-Master collectors, the 16750 occupies a sweet spot. It lacks the exotic appeal of the earlier 1675 'MK' dial variations, yet its sapphire crystal and quick-set functionality make it a genuinely practical daily wearer — something Selleck's Magnum embodied on screen every episode. The 'Pepsi' colorway itself carries weight: Rolex introduced the red-and-blue bezel specifically for Pan American World Airways pilots navigating multiple time zones, grounding the watch in serious professional aviation history.

Tom Selleck wore the GMT-Master 16750 as Magnum throughout nearly the entire production run of the series — a casting choice, whether deliberate or incidental, that aligned perfectly with Magnum's character: a Vietnam veteran private investigator with taste and resourcefulness. The watch read as aspirational yet earned, never ostentatious.

On today's grey market, a clean Rolex GMT-Master ref. 16750 in steel with the Pepsi bezel trades at approximately $21,000, a figure supported by the model's strong collector demand and its direct screen association with one of the most-watched television series of the 1980s. For buyers who want Pepsi GMT history with usable mechanics, the 16750 remains a compelling acquisition.