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The Rolex GMT-Master: A Chronology
Origin
Once the “World’s Most Experienced Airline” before it went bust in 1991, Pan American World Airways (more famously, “Pan Am”) asked Rolex to develop a watch for its pilots that would display multiple time zones at a glance, to better manage jet lag. This relationship bore fruit in the GMT-Master of 1954, which also became popular among globetrotting business travellers, pilots in the military, and astronauts.
GMT-Master Chronology
- The first GMT-Master, the official watch of Pan Am.
- In 38mm steel case, water resistant to 50m, it featured a blue/red (“Pepsi”) bakelite bezel insert with 24-hour markings in luminescent radium paint.
- As the bakelite was wont to crack, Rolex replaced it with an aluminium bezel two years into production.
- Nicknamed “Pussy Galore” for the character who wore it in the Jame Bond movie Goldfinger (1964).
- Several movements were used: cal. 1036, 1065, 1066. With non-independent GMT hand, a second time zone was tracked by working the b-directional rotating bezel.
- Identifying traits: No crown guards, the red GMT hand is needle-thin with small triangle pointer and the dial simply reads “Officially Certified Chronometer”.
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- In 40mm case, it’s the first Rolex sports watch to be made available with Oyster and Jubilee bracelets.
- Driven by cal. 1565. From 1965, it used cal. 1575 which raised the beat rate slightly from 18,000vph to 19,600vph.
- From 1971, cal. 1575 was modified to incorporate hacking.
- Tritium is the luminescent material on the dial markers
- Variants: ref. 1675/8 in solid gold, ref. 1675/3 in steel/gold.
- Identifying traits: Along with a larger case, the presence of crown guards; in the 1970s, the GMT hand was changed to one with a larger triangle pointer; the dial reads “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”.
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- New movement, cal. 3075 features higher beat rate of 28,800vph, hacking and quickset date.
- Tritium markers.
- Increased pressure resistance from 50m to 100m
- This reference two dial variants: matte and glossy. The former are very rare as they are often swapped for glossy dials during servicing.
- Variants: ref. 16753 in steel/yellow gold; ref. 16758 in yellow gold with sapphire crystal.
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- The first GMT-Master II, distinguished from the I model in concurrent production by having independent hour and 24-hour hands.
- Driven by hacking self-winding cal. 3085 that beats at 28,800vph. The hour hand can be set independently in one-hour jumps to reflect local time, without affecting the 24-hour and minute hands. As a result, the GMT-Master II can track three time zones when used with its rotating bezel.
- Nicknamed “Fat Lady” for its thicker case and thicker crown guards. Dial is protected by sapphire crystal.
- Only available in steel and only with black/red ‘Coke’ bezel.
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- An update for the GMT-Master I, it replaces the ref. 16750.
- Sapphire crystal instead of acrylic, and from 1998, Luminova was used in place of tritium.
- Uses a more robust movement, the cal. 3175 movement with balance bridge. Differentiating it from the GMT-Master II model however, is its continued lack of independent hour/GMT hands.
- Only in steel, in two bezel options: blue/red and black.
- Identifying traits: the last “GMT-Master” with directly-linked hour/GMT hands, fronted by sapphire crystal glass.
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- Offered alongside an updated GMT-Master (ref. 16700) this second edition of the GMT-Master II replaces ref. 16760.
- 3185 movement with balance bridge beating at 28,800vph. From 2007, movement was upgraded to cal. 3186 with Parachrom hairspring.
- From 1998, Luminova was used in place of tritium. From 2000, SuperLuminova was used.
- Sapphire crystal, anodized aluminium bezel with 120 clicks.
- Three bezel configurations: Coke, Pepsi, black.
- Variants: 16718 solid yellow gold, 16713 steel/yellow gold “Eye of the Tiger”
- Identifying traits: from 2003, the lugs are not drilled through, and a crown is laser-etched onto the sapphire crystal.
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- Features carried over: water resistance to 100m, self-winding cal. 3186 beating at 28,800vph, sapphire crystal, Superluminova.
- Identifying traits: changes compared to 16710 include ceramic bezel, larger Triplock crown, ‘maxi’ dial enlarged hour markers and broader hands, Rolex engraving on bezel inner chapter ring, polished bracelet centre links.
- Scratch-proof and impervious to UV rays, the ceramic bezel rotates over 24 clicks instead of 120, with number markings PVD coated in gold (for gold, gold/steel models) or platinum (steel models).
- From 2016: deviation of within +/-2 seconds per day is guaranteed for five years.
- Variants:
- 2013 GMT-Master II ref. 116710BLNR with 2-colour Cerachrom bezel insert in blue and black with blue GMT hand. Rolex achieved a world’s first with this bezel, in creating a single-piece ceramic component sporting two colours.
- 2014 GMT-Master II ref. 116719BLRO in white gold, with blue/rouge bezel and black dial.
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- In particular, ref. 126710BLRO is the latest Pepsi, with blue/red ceramic bezel, black dial, cased in 40mm stainless steel.
- Uses the cal. 3285 movement featuring Parachrom hairspring as well as Chronergy escapement that increases the power reserve by more than 45%, to 70 hours.
- Also released in the same year:
- 126715CHNR in rose gold, and ref. 126711CHNR in rose gold/steel; both with brown/black (“root beer”) ceramic bezel.
- To distinguish the steel cased ref. 126710BLRO Pepsi from the white gold ref. 116719BLRO introduced in 2014, the latter now sports a blue dial.
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