The Rolex GMT-Master was created to display multiple timezones at once for Pan-Am pilots as they began to operate more transatlantic flights, and became one of the most popular “tool” watches in the aviation industry. The first reference was the 6542, introduced in 1954. Featuring a bakelite bezel (which was used for the first two years of production and then changed to an aluminum bezel) and with no crown guards, it was only in production for a few short years before the new reference 1675 was introduced in 1959.

Reference 1675 was available in stainless steel or 18k yellow gold, and by the 1970’s was available in a metal combination of steel and gold, known as “Rolesor”. In 1971, Rolex introduced the hacking seconds feature to the GMT-Master models, as seen in the present example. The “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” text was also added to the dial. Early 1675 models had a smaller central GMT hand, while later examples from the end of the 1960’s through the end of production featured a larger GMT hand. Production of the reference 1675 ceased in the early 1980’s, and was succeeded by the modern 16750 reference. With such a long span of production, vintage GMT-Master have enjoyed immense popularity.

The present watch is an excellent example from the last decade of reference 1675 production, and features the iconic red and blue “Pepsi” bezel, along with an appealing dark brown “tropical” dial.