The GMT-Master is an iconic piece from Rolex. Its design has changed little since its creation, and has since greatly influenced the watchmaking world. A fascinating story, which begins in the mid-1950s in the cockpits of the PanAm, to end in the most famous auction rooms for the rarest references. A look back at more than 67 years of the Rolex GMT-Master's career.
Although it does not take up the traditional aesthetic codes of pilot's watches, "flieger" style, the Rolex GMT-Master is indeed an airplane pilot's watch. His career began in the 1950s. At that time, civil aviation was booming, and transcontinental flights were becoming more democratic. Among the most famous companies, there is the Pan American World Airways. PanAm, as they say, then ordered watches from Rolex to allow its pilots to follow two time zones during their transcontinental flights. Initially, this 2nd time zone was to be GMT: Greenwich Mean Time, which is the reference in the aeronautical world, for all documents and communications. Hence the name GMT of the watch and its 4th hand. But pilots quickly got used to using this feature to track their home time zone. A way to be adopted also by all frequent travelers.
The very first GMT-Master was produced in 1954, but officially released in 1955. It is the reference 6542. It is with this model that Rolex responds to the PanAm order. For this, the brand with the crown relies on an already existing model: the Turn-O-Graph, ref 6202. It is the first mass-produced Rolex to use a rotating bezel. Exactly what Rolex needed for its GMT function. Rolex replaces the graduated bezel with a 24-hour bezel, and adds the famous 4th hand that rotates in 24 hours… and voila! The 6542 carries with it the DNA of all the GMT-Masters that will follow. The famous bezel is two-tone red/blue, to differentiate between day and night periods. It is quickly nicknamed "pepsi", in reference to the brand of soda using the same colors. Its insert is made of bakelite. The 4th hand, meanwhile, is bright red and ends with an arrow pointing to the bezel. The date window, placed at 3 o'clock, is surmounted by a magnifying glass, the famous "cyclops". The hour hand is typical of Rolex, with its so-called “Mercedes” shape, while the indexes are also classic, identical to those of the Submariner, released 2 years earlier.
The case measures 39mm in diameter, making it a big watch for its time. Finally, note the absence of the crown guard, one of the few design elements that will change over the years. These are not GMT movements beacause the 4th hand cannot be set independently. For the record, this reference is nicknamed "Pussy Galore", named after the James Bond girl who wore it in the film Goldfinger (1964).
