Rolex GMT-Master, steel, Ref. 1675, circa 1966

Price upon request

Identity

Rolex GMT-Master, Ref. 1675, circa 1966. Automatic movement. Steel Oyster case, 40 mm, crown guards, signed screw-down crown. Bidirectional rotating bezel graduated to 24 hours, blue and red "Pepsi" insert. Matte black dial, tritium indexes without surrounds, as confirmed by the "Swiss – T < 25" marking at 6 o'clock, Mercedes hands, red 24-hour hand, date window at 3 o'clock. Plexiglas crystal with Cyclops lens. Steel Jubilee bracelet, signed Rolex folding clasp.

Horological context

The GMT-Master was introduced by Rolex in 1955 with Ref. 6542, designed at the request of Pan American Airways for its pilots flying transatlantic routes. It established the aesthetic and technical codes that would define this model that would become legendary: Oyster case, additional 24-hour hand, bidirectional rotating two-tone bezel graduated to 24 hours allowing simultaneous reading of a second time zone. Ref. 1675, produced from 1959 to 1980, marks the model's maturity: crown guards, calibre 1565 then 1575, water resistance 50 metres. It was succeeded by Ref. 16750, the first to receive the quickset, then by the GMT-Master II opened in 1983 with Ref. 16760 whose calibre 3085 enabled, for the first time, the independent setting of the hour hand. Technical evolutions followed: the move from plexiglas to sapphire, calibres 3185 then 3186, the generalisation of the Cerachrom ceramic insert from 2005, and water resistance increased to 100 metres.

Character

A fine patina has already worked its effect on the "Pepsi" insert. The colours have softened: the blue has turned pastel, the red has mellowed. The luminous material of the indexes and hands has turned cream, in keeping with the matte black of the dial. On its Jubilee bracelet, the pilot's watch gains the suppleness and the elegance of its five-row links.

Serviced watch. Normal patina and signs of age. Delivered with the brand box and the Contre-Temps 24-month warranty certificate.