6542 rolex gmt

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A tool watch through and through, the GMT-Master was made specifically for commercial airline pilots. And not just any airline, but the reigning airline of the day, Pan Am. As pilots were traveling greater distances they flew over several time zones and encountered a new phenomenon known as jet lag. Pam Am realized that their pilots would need a way to keep track of two time zones simultaneously and called on Rolex to build them a special watch. There are several key design elements to the GMT-Master that not only made the watch super practical for pilots but also made it instantly recognizable. The bezel of the GMT-Master was marked with 24 hours and that, coupled with the extra hour hand on the dial, allowed the watch to display a second time-zone. That supplemental time zone could be set to Greenwich Mean Time GMT — the international civil time standard used during that era — hence the name of the watch.

6542 rolex gmt

First introduced in , the now vintage Rolex GMT-Master, the reference GMT-Master was developed after Pan-Am Airlines made a request for a reliable watch that could simultaneously display two time zones for use on transatlantic flights. By simply rotating the bezel to correspond with the difference in time, the GMT-Master could display a secondary time zone with its hour hand and the accompanying hour markings on the bezel. Due to its multi-time zone capabilities, Rolex named the watch the GMT-Master, a reference to Greenwich Mean Time, the prime basis of standard time used throughout the world. Production of the reference GMT-Master lasted only about six years; and by , Rolex had already introduced an update to their GMT-Master line of watches in the form of the reference Although it was not in production for a very long period of time, the reference possesses a number of unique characteristics that set it apart from the other GMT-Master references, and help make it one of the most interesting and collectible Rolex watches to own. Most obvious among the unique traits of the reference are its lack of crown guards and smaller case diameter. Crown guards were introduced to the GMT-Master line with the reference , and have remained a constant presence ever since. However, because reference was heavily based on the reference Turn-O-Graph, its case was slightly smaller in diameter, and lacked crown guards completely. Additionally, all reference GMT-Master watches were originally fitted with glossy gilt dials. When Rolex first released the reference GMT-Master, it had a bezel insert that was made from Bakelite, with luminous, radium numerals set into its plastic-like material. Although they were significantly more durable, these new aluminum inserts did not have the glowing, radium numerals of their Bakelite predecessors, and significantly altered the overall appearance of the reference GMT-Master. Due to their incredibly brief production period and fragile nature, original Bakelite bezel inserts are considered quite rare, and are highly sought-after by collectors today.

Though, frankly, 6542 rolex gmt, if you ask me which I'd rather own, I'd pick the Most obvious among the unique traits of the reference are its lack of crown guards and smaller case diameter. For those that are — including myself — this is an incredibly special watch.

After doing this job for over seven years now, attending every major auction, every major trade show and meeting many of the major collectors around the world, I think it's fair to say that it takes a lot to get me going these days. For example, in total honesty, there was one watch — one — that got me genuinely excited at Baselworld this year. None at SIHH. That's not to say there weren't many great introductions at both — there certainly were and you can see them here and here , but I'm talking about watches that I found truly thrilling, on a personal level. Today, thanks to a visit from a friend from Japan, I can show you one that absolutely is, and while it has, in its day, raised a few eyebrows, it's a watch I would love to own. I am talking about a Rolex GMT-Master, the very first reference with the famous bakelite bezel, but one of only a small handful known with a white dial.

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The store will not work correctly when cookies are disabled. About Subscribe. Date May Author The Rake. The watch was housed in the classic steel Oyster case, which was 38mm in diameter. This was one of the first sports watches from Rolex and construction-wise, it set the standard for the foreseeable future.

6542 rolex gmt

However, aside from its functionality, the design of the bezel also contributes significantly to the style of the Rolex GMT-Master — particularly when it is in a two-tone colorway. While the fundamental look of the GMT-Master bezel has remained relatively unchanged over the last six decades, there have been important changes to the materials used. Given those characteristics, Bakelite was initially considered a good material choice for the bezel insert for the GMT-Master watch. However, it was soon apparent that Bakelite was too brittle and had a tendency to crack — plus the radioactive glowing numerals set into it also posed a potential health hazard. Therefore, Rolex switched over to non-luminous aluminum bezel inserts for later GMT-Master models in the late s. Furthermore, Rolex service centers also typically replaced any broken Bakelite bezels with aluminum ones. As a result, it is incredibly difficult to find a vintage GMT-Master with its original Bakelite bezel today. Rolex opted to bring the two colors together to make it easier for pilots to differentiate between night and day hours for reference time — the red portion contained the daylight hours while the blue section had the nighttime ones. Although the ref.

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For example, in total honesty, there was one watch — one — that got me genuinely excited at Baselworld this year. When he posted the article on his own blog, and then onto the Vintage Rolex Forum, his work was met with the staunch skepticism for which the vintage Rolex community is known. After all, we know there was such a thing as an Albino Explorer and an Albino Daytona. He obliged, and that is how you are seeing these photographs. Sorry, we are unable to display this content. The luminous index and hands react when exposed to UV light. Please check your connection. In addition to being the very first GMT-Master watch that Rolex ever manufactured, the reference possesses a lot of unique characteristics that collectively help to set it apart from later-era, GMT-Master references. You may also like. A tool watch through and through, the GMT-Master was made specifically for commercial airline pilots. Part of the reason being that for years, it was unclear if the white GMT actually existed or not. The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. For those that are — including myself — this is an incredibly special watch. He is widely considered a pioneer in the industry for bringing transparency and innovation to a once-considered stagnant industry. You may also like.

First introduced in , the now vintage Rolex GMT-Master, the reference GMT-Master was developed after Pan-Am Airlines made a request for a reliable watch that could simultaneously display two time zones for use on transatlantic flights. By simply rotating the bezel to correspond with the difference in time, the GMT-Master could display a secondary time zone with its hour hand and the accompanying hour markings on the bezel. Due to its multi-time zone capabilities, Rolex named the watch the GMT-Master, a reference to Greenwich Mean Time, the prime basis of standard time used throughout the world.

You may think you've just uncovered the almighty vintage Rolex sport watch, but until the global thought-leaders agree a watch is real, it's just not. Paul is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest research and developments in the watch industry and e-commerce, and regularly engages with other professionals in the industry. More from. CASE: The case is in good condition for its age. The document you see below is strange, to say the least. Read this Next. First came the Caliber , then the Caliber , and finally the Caliber Alongside running the premier retailer of pre-owned Rolex watches, Paul is a prominent Rolex watch collector himself amassing one of the largest private collections of rare timepieces. Please enter numbers only Amount must be higher than the starting bid Amount must be higher than the current bid. You can see feedback from his peers here. Therefore, Rolex quickly replaced it with a metal bezel insert in