Rolex Nicknames Explained: Pepsi, Batman, Hulk and More

Walk into any watch conversation and you will hear collectors talk about a Pepsi, a Hulk, or a Panda. Rolex has never officially used these names — they were invented by collectors, and they stuck. Here is what each one actually means, and which strap fits it.

GMT-Master II nicknames

The GMT-Master II is the most nicknamed Rolex of all, because collectors name it after the two-tone bezel colours.

  • Pepsi — red and blue bezel. The original, dating back to the 1950s; today the 126710BLRO.
  • Batman — black and blue bezel, on an Oyster bracelet (116710BLNR).
  • Batgirl — the same black and blue bezel, but on a Jubilee bracelet (126710BLNR). Same watch, different bracelet, different nickname.
  • Root Beer — brown and black bezel (126711CHNR), echoing the vintage two-tone references.
  • Sprite — green and black bezel (126720VTNR), and the first left-handed GMT with the crown at 9 o'clock.
  • Coke — red and black bezel, most associated with the 16710.

All GMT-Master II references take a 20mm strap. Shop GMT-Master II straps →

Submariner nicknames

The Submariner nicknames mostly come down to green — and getting them mixed up is common, because the difference is often just the dial.

  • Kermit — green bezel with a black dial (16610LV), released for the Submariner's 50th anniversary.
  • Hulk — green bezel and green dial (116610LV). All green, hence the name.
  • Starbucks — the 2020 green bezel with black dial (126610LV). Also called the Cermit. This is the 41mm case.
  • Smurf — white gold with a blue dial and blue bezel (116619LB).
  • Bluesy — two-tone steel and gold with a blue dial and bezel.

Watch the lug width here: the older 40mm Submariners (Kermit, Hulk, Bluesy, Smurf) take a 20mm strap, while the 41mm models from 2020 onward — including the Starbucks — take 21mm. Shop Submariner straps →

Daytona nicknames

  • Panda — a white dial with black sub-dials, like a panda's face (116500LN).
  • Reverse Panda — the inverse: a black dial with white sub-dials.
  • Platona — the platinum Daytona with its distinctive ice-blue dial (116506).

Daytonas take a 20mm strap. Shop Daytona straps →

Other names worth knowing

  • Green Glass / GV — the Milgauss with its green-tinted sapphire crystal (116400GV). GV stands for glace verte, French for green glass. Shop Milgauss straps →
  • President — the Day-Date, named after the bracelet designed for it.
  • Polar — the Explorer II with a white dial.
  • Wimbledon — the Datejust with a slate dial and green Roman numerals.

Why the nickname matters when buying a strap

Nicknames are fun, but they are also practical shorthand — right up until they are not. Two watches can share a nickname family and still take different strap widths, which is exactly the trap with the Submariner: a Hulk needs 20mm, a Starbucks needs 21mm.

If you know your nickname but not your lug width, our Find Your Fit tool will tell you in seconds — you can search by model or nickname.

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