The Rolex Sprite is part of a line of well-established Rolex watches. It leverages the popularity of the GMT collection while establishing a unique reputation for itself as a modern, sleek, and aesthetically unique piece. This watch is an incredibly novel take on the timeless design of the GMT-Master II, which has enthralled Rolex fans and seasoned collectors for decades.
Rolex Sprite History
As one of the more recent additions to the Rolex lineup, the Rolex Sprite GMT Master ii has a relatively short history. However, this watch has a lineage that goes back to 1955, starting with the release of the Rolex GMT Master line.
This dual time zone watch was originally designed for pilots of Pan American Airways to help them keep track of the time at home and their destination during long-haul trans-Atlantic flights. With the ability to track two time zones simultaneously, it soon became a popular timepiece for frequent flyers and people who needed to track the time in two locations.
The Rolex GMT-Master II series was introduced in the early 1980s, bringing impressive improvements over the older GMT watch. The most notable of these changes was the introduction of an independently adjustable hour hand, which made the watch even more efficient at tracking multiple time zones. Combining this with the rotating bezel meant that the watch could now track an extra time zone in addition to the two that the original GMT watches could track.
Rolex announced the release of the Ref. 126720VTNR in 2022, rejuvenating the GMT Master II series, which now had several other impressive timepieces. The new watch has a vibrant and youthful appeal while catering to left-handed users. Like many of its predecessors, the Rolex GMT-Master II “Sprite” earned its nickname from its visually striking green and black colorway.
Features
The Sprite exhibits many notable attributes that distinguish it from other Rolex GMT watches and other timepieces in the high-end watch category. Everything from the unique left-handed design to its sturdy build and precision movement makes the Sprite stand out in Rolex’s collection.
Materials
The Rolex GMT-Master II Sprite has its casing crafted out of Oyster Steel. This is Rolex’s special steel alloy designed to be extra durable and corrosion-resistant. This attribute allows the watch to maintain its shine even in the harshest environments, so it lasts for a relatively long time.
Like other modern Rolex GMT watches, the Sprite has bezel inserts made from Cerachrom material. This proprietary ceramic material is highly durable, scratch-resistant, and can retain its color for several years. The case has a robust build with a screw-down crown and caseback that delivers an outstanding water resistance of up to 100 meters (330 feet).
Sprite Bezel
Like other Rolex GMT watches, the bezel color is one of the qualities of the Sprite that makes it instantly recognizable. The nickname “Sprite” is a reference to the unique colorway of the watch’s bezel.
This bi-color ceramic bezel comes in striking green and black, serving decorative and practical purposes. The black color indicates nighttime, while the green represents daylight on the 24-hour graduated bezel. This allows the wearer to tell if it's night or day in the second time zone they’re tracking with a glance at the watch's face.
Left-Handed Design
The Rolex Sprite GMT-Master ii was designed specifically for left-handed wearers. Design-wise, this was achieved by switching the crown and the date display from the right to the left. This design quirk sets the Sprite apart from other watches in the GMT series.
For a right-handed user, the left-handed design of this watch will make it seem like you’re wearing a GMT watch upside down. So while it looks identical to the standard Rolex GMT design, the date wheel, dial, and crown are opposite to where you expect them to be. Even the bracelet ends have been swapped to the other side of the case.
Like the regular models, the crown unscrews anti-clockwise instead of clockwise, while the winding is done by turning it in the clockwise direction. To set the time and date, you turn the crown normally in the normal GMT models. While this design might feel unusual if you prefer to wear your watch on the left wrist like most people, it’ll feel right at home on the right wrist of people with dominant left hands.
Case Size & Bracelet
The Rolex GMT-Master II Sprite has the same timeless shape and size as many other GMT Master II watches. It’s a timeless design characterized by a delicate balance between elegance and wrist presence.
The watch has a diameter of 40mm and a lug-to-lug distance of 48mm. These are perfect specs for a mid-range size watch, which makes it suitable for most wrists. It’s visible, but not overwhelming, on smaller wrists; the average size also means those with bigger wrists can still wear it comfortably. With a thickness of just 12mm, this watch maintains a sleek profile that allows it to fit comfortably under your shirt cuff while still guaranteeing the wearer’s comfort.
For this watch, you can choose the Oyster or the Jubilee bracelet depending on your preferences. Of these two, the five-link Jubilee bracelet has a more refined and sophisticated aesthetic. The Oyster is for those who prefer their watches with a sportier bracelet.
Dial
The Sprite maintains the traditional GMT Master II dial layout on a bold, dark background. It’s a common dial color for most GMT watches. The dial features are coated in long-lasting chromalight materials, improving visibility even in dark conditions.
The dark dial is framed by a striking green and black Bezel color, creating a contrast that further improves the dial's legibility. The date is displayed at the three o’clock position. Rolex also included a Cyclops lens over the date window to make it bolder and easier to read. The GMT hand comes in a vibrant green color that matches the Bezel’s green hue.
Price
The Sprite is a highly coveted luxury tool watch, reflected in its high price point. A brand-new Rolex Sprite for sale will cost as much as $11,050 from an authorized retailer. However, due to the popularity of this watch and the limited production number, you still have to get on a waitlist to get your hands on a Rolex Sprite for sale.
The price range for this timepiece is approximately $20,000 to $30,000 in the secondary watch market. Left-handed watch models are highly collectible pieces due to their rarity. This is the first ever left-handed GMT model released by Rolex.
References with unusual features like this will likely enjoy considerable future demand (especially when they become vintage models). Watchmakers tend to pull the plug on watches like this early, and a short production run will only add to the collectible value of this timepiece. These attributes make the watch a valuable investment piece for collectors who can afford it.
Conclusion
With over 90% of the population being right-handed, a left-handed timepiece will always be an outlier, catering to a relatively small market. Left-handed users will love models like the Sprite because it is practical, while a few right-handed users might just get one because they want a unique piece in their collection. Regardless of your reasons for buying one, the Rolex GMT-Master II 126720 VTNR is one of the most talked-about Rolex GMT watches right now. The unique features and active buzz around this timepiece make it a potential investment piece that’s likely to yield good returns at some point in the future.
