The Spark In My Collection That Got Away

When most people think of Rolex, two main models come to mind almost instantaneously; the Submariner, the watch that would come to rule the Oceans, and the GMT-Master, the watch that would take the Skies. This post will focus in on the latter, specifically, a GMT-Master that sparked the love for Rolex in my Father and in myself.

Rolex began production on the GMT-Master in 1955, partnering with Pan Am Airways during the boom of the aviation industry. The goal was to create a watch that would aid commercial pilots during their jaunts around the world. The result was this striking blue and red bezel, and was aided by an arrowhead 4th hand to track a second timezone. Over the years since, and after various new versions and coloured bezels, the “Pepsi” Rolex is still in production today, albeit with slightly different dimensions from its progenitor.

The first Rolex that my Father owned was a GMT Master (pictured above), of which he purchased in the late 90’s and that sparked his love for the brand. When he eventually moved into his reference: 16613 Submariner, he allowed me to become the GMT’s latest protector. I wore that watch everyday and it performed dutifully. I remember how light the watch was, the oyster bracelet being quite jangly in comparison to today’s models. The bright red and deep blue of the bezel still resonate in my memory. It accompanied me on trips to Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand and India, being a faithful partner in my best times, and in my not so best (see below).

We ultimately had to part with the watch for family financial reasons, and at a time where the prices for pre-owned Rolex’s were not as astronomically high as they are today. I never was able to write down the serial number or exact reference number, but after much research I would mark it as a reference: 16750, matte dial and non-white gold indices. These watches are on the pre-owned market for anywhere between $20,000 to $25,000 depending on condition.

It is a dream of mine to one day add another GMT-Master in to my collection, whether I can track down another 16750 or hop down to my local AD and get on a waitlist for a 126710BLRO (pictured below). It is and always will be the Rolex that fits most closely with my personal preferences. For now however, I can only keep looking to the skies and waiting for that opportunity to land.

Image credit: “Rolex”

-Mister Wrist(er)