Named after the famous Pepsi red and blue colors, the Pepsi Bezel is a popular design in the watch world. It was made popular by Rolex, but many watch companies started to make similar designs, giving the design their own unique features.
The first watch with the bi-color bezel style was by Rolex. Released in 1955, the Rolex GMT-Master watch was created by the brand after Pan American Airways requested a watch for its flight crew—a timepiece with dual time tracking, a watch that could easily distinguish between day and night of second time zones.
The first Rolex GMT watch was a Ref. 6542 (nicknames the GMT Master “Pussy Galore”). You can check out photos and specs of the watch on the Phillips website, which sold a rare model for CHF300,000, which is roughly $320,000.
Rolex eventually released other color combinations of the watch, like red and black (called “Coke), and black and blue (nicknamed “Batman”). One of the more recent versions of the Pepsi watch was revealed in 2018 when Rolex released the GMT-Master II, an updated GMT with the brand’s patented Oystersteel and the Jubilee bracelet.
You can read more about the history of the different GMT Master models here.
Table of Contents
Best Pepsi Bezel Watches
Q Timex Reissue 38mm Stainless Steel
This 38mm quartz watch was first released by Timex in 1979. According to Timex, this one is a complete recreation, with every detail staying true to the original.
Some of the main features of this dive watch-inspired stainless steel timepiece include a woven stainless steel bracelet, a rotating blue top ring, and luminous paint. At the back of the watch is a functional battery hatch. The water resistance is up to 50m.
There are two dial colors available (blue and white), and there is a day/date window at 3 o’clock. Timex also released other non-Pepsi color combinations: blue and orange with a blue dial, and green and black, with a black dial.
Citizen ProMaster Aqualand (BN2038-01L)
Let us head on over to another excellent sport Pepsi dial watch from Citizen with their Aqualand timepiece. This dive watch features an auto-start dive mode, rapid ascent alarm, night light, and power reserve indicator.
The Aqualand utilizes Japanese-quartz movement and features Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology that allows the watch to be powered by any light source. The watch comes with a blue polyurethane strap with standard buckle closure.
The Aqualand also comes with a date display and a depth-in-ring meter tracker. Of course, for you to fully appreciate these features, the Aqualand needs to deliver substantial water resistance and does so with its 200-meter water resistance rating.
Invicta 29176 Pro Diver Men’s Automatic
Invicta has a wide collection of Pro-Diver watches, which include this Pepsi-inspired bezel.
The Invicta Pro Diver 29176 is a 42mm automatic watch with a stainless steel case and band. This model, which is water-resistant to 200m, has a unidirectional aluminum bezel and a metal dial, as well as a screw-down crown. There is a date window at 3 o’clock.
A YouTube review of the watch says that for the price, this watch is better than a Seiko SKX (which is about twice the price), as it has the same features.
Orient Mako II
This two-tone model by Japanese brand Orient is a 41.5mm watch with a deep blue sunburst dial and applied markers. The Orient Mako has been one of the brand’s best-selling series since it was introduced in the mid-2000s. It has received excellent reviews, with experts saying that it’s one of the best affordable mechanical dive watches on the market.
This Orient Mako II is an updated model, now with an aluminum-insert 120-clicks bezel (the previous model had 60). It has a water resistance of up to 200m and has a screw-down crown. The sword-style hour and minute hands are made of polished metal and filled with lume.
You can take a closer look at the Mako II on the TBWS blog, which talks about the blue dial/bezel model.
Deep Blue Nato Diver Automatic
See on Deep Blue | See on JomaShop
Deep Blue is known for its dive watches and is considered one of the most affordable and functional Professional grade Dive Watches on the market.
This brand is a popular watch used by professionals, so aside from the attractive design, customers also enjoy a reliable and accurate timepiece. You can learn more about the company here.
The Nato Diver 300 (having a water resistance of up to 300m) has a mechanical movement with a stainless steel case, SuperLuminova on the hour markers and hands, a screw-down crown, a unidirectional bezel, and a helium release valve at 10 o’clock. There is also a day/date window at 3 o’clock.
Other versions of the watch are available here.
Mathey-Tissot Vintage Pepsi Black Dial
Mathey-Tissot is a Swiss watch company that has been around since the late 19th century. The brand (which is not associated with Swiss watchmaker Tissot), makes both mechanical and quartz watches.
This 42mm Mathey-Tissot quartz watch has a stainless steel case and bracelet, a black dial, and a unidirectional stainless steel bezel.
This model also has luminous hands and markers and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and is water-resistant to up to 100m.
See other Pepsi dial versions by Mathey-Tissot on JomaShop.
Davosa Professional Ternos GMT
See on Davosa | Read Amazon Reviews
Swiss watchmaker Davosa has different versions of this watch under the Professional line, one of which has a Pepsi bezel.
The Davosa Professional Ternos GMT is a 42mm stainless steel analog watch with a bracelet strap. It has luminous hands and markers, a unidirectional bezel, and a date window at 3 o’clock.
This watch also has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and a water resistance of up to 100m.
You can learn more about Davosa in our Watch Review article about the brand here.
Seiko SKX009
This Seiko watch is often called the most affordable dive watch. Slightly more affordable than the PADI model we’re featuring below, this is a mechanical, automatic winding watch.
This model is similar to another famous Seiko watch, the SKX007, but this model has the Pepsi bezel.
The Seiko SKX009 is a 42.8mm stainless steel diver’s analog watch, with a stainless steel bracelet (there’s also a rubber band option, the SKX009K), a Hardlex crystal, and a three-fold clasp with safety closure. There’s a day/date window at 3 o’clock, and the hands and indexes are luminous. This one’s also water-resistant to 200m.
Seiko 5 Sports Open Heart
Seiko has many Pepsi bezel watches, and this one could probably have one of the most unique in terms of design. The Seiko 5 Sports Open Heart watch is a 44mm timepiece with a stainless steel strap and bracelet.
On the black dial, at 9 o’clock, is an open heart feature where you can see a part of the inner workings of the watch. This one also has a unique shape—the dial itself is round, but the steel has round edges, making it a cushion watch.
Seiko Prospex PADI Chronograph Solar Diver (SSC663P1)
This watch is from a partnership of Seiko and PADI, or the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (also known as the world’s largest diving network and scuba diver training organization).
The Seiko Prospex PADI is a popular dive watch by the Japanese brand. This one—the Seiko PADI SSC663P1—is a stainless steel model with a silicon band. It has water resistance to 200m, with hands and indexes powered by Lumibrite, and a chronograph (up to 60 minutes in 1/5 second increments).
Seiko released a number of PADI watches along with the SSC663P1, with a number of Pepsi bezel choices like this Prospex X Padi SRPA21J1 that made our list of top dive watches under $500.
Visit Seiko to see the different available models.
Steinhart GMT-OCEAN One 39
Steinhart, a German company, has only been around since 2001. The brand has a reputation for making more affordable (but still relatively pricey) versions of iconic watches.
We included this brand in our Homage vs Replica watch article, featuring the Steinhart Ocean 1, which is a popular homage to another Rolex icon—the Submariner.
This model with a Pepsi bezel is another homage watch to the Rolex GMT. Steinhart boasts that this watch has an “excellent cost-performance ratio”—it’s currently priced at €510 on its website (around $575).
This one’s smaller at 39mm, with luminous hands and markers. The case is a 316L stainless steel, with an aluminum bezel in blue and red. You can check out this article by TBWS, which took the watch for a test drive, and detailed its strength and weaknesses. The review says that the watch is “a heck of a value proposition. ”
Yema Superman GMT
Yema is a French watchmaker founded in 1948. The company may not be as popular as its Swiss and Japanese counterparts, but the brand is a respected name among watch aficionados and experts. You can check out some of their most popular watches here.
One of the brand’s most popular creations is Superman. This watch was used by professionals–from French Air Force pilots to divers. The popular Superman has a blue dial and a black bezel, but it also has a Pepsi bezel option.
The Superman Heritage GMT is a 29m watch with a blue and red bezel, with a sapphire domed crystal, a Super Luminova C1 finish, and a water resistance to 300m.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer GMT
The Tag Heuer Aquaracer is a 43mm stainless steel dive watch with a Pepsi GMT function bezel.
The Aquaracer GMT watch has a sunray-brushed dial that has distinct horizontal lines, with luminous hands and applied index markers, allowing the wearer to read it easily underwater. The crown is screw-down stainless steel and the Calibre 7 Automatic movement with a power reserve of up to 46 hours.
This Aquaracer, which is water-resistant to 300m, has three times the water-resistance of the Rolex GMT Master II.
Early this year, Tag Heuer released the latest version of the watch—the Aquaracer GMT, which has a blue and black bezel.
Tudor Black Bay GMT
This Tudor watch is a 41mm with a stainless steel case and bracelet. It has a screw-down winding crown, a black domed dial, and a domed sapphire crystal. The watch is powered by the Manufacture Calibre MT5652 (COSC) movement and has a power reserve of up to 70 hours.
The Tudor website has two different strap options: a brown leather and a fabric strap. The brand describes the Pepsi bezel as having matte burgundy and blue colors. The watch is waterproof to 200m.
This is the Pepsi bezel watch that is often compared to the Rolex GMT Master II. While it is relatively cheaper and easier to get, they have many similarities in terms of design and function.
Rolex GMT-Master II
This watch is the reason why the rest of the models in this collection were made. The Rolex GMT, or its latest release the GMT-Master II, this watch was introduced in 1982 with improved models, like a new movement that promises ease of use and a high-technology ceramic (formerly Plexiglas).
This 40mm Oystersteel watch, which runs on caliber 3285, has the classic bidirectional and rotatable bezel. It can display the local time (or the reference time) or the local time of an alternative time zone.
But obtaining the watch could be very difficult, as the waiting list is long (could take years) but you can still find second-hand models.
