Shopping Time: 5 Rare and Collectible Rolex GMT Masters You Can Buy Right Now
We are always scouring the web for the most amazing watches currently available, and each Friday we share five standout pieces with you.
We’ve been bringing you our market analysis showing that Rolex prices are dropping as neophile collectors fall out of the scene after the pandemic. We’ve noted similar trends with prices on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. We’ve also given you advice on how to use market data to better inform your collecting strategies. Today we are looking at some outliers that have held their value: Some very tasty vintage Rolex GMT Masters.
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One of the finer datapoints emerging from our reporting is that, even when a brand is down, specific watches can be up. This is the case with Rolexes that are more rare and special for various reasons. In fact, we recently published a piece on how to identify 11 features that can make a Rolex more rare and, thus, usually more valuable.
A key feature that can up the collectibility of a watch its proximity to the to the original version of that reference.. When we spoke with Rolex expert and vintage dealer Eric Wind recently, he told Robb Report that “Overall I’m still bullish with the first series. Watches are still behind art and cars, but the gap for early versus later [watch models] will continue to grow, just as it has with prints and cars.” With that in mind, we’ve curated some interesting Rolex GMT Masters, including very early Bakelite example and two early solid gold four-digit models. (To learn more about Rolex reference number, check out our guide on buying your first Rolex.)
The Rolex GMT-Master is a cornerstone of the brand’s history, as well as of the entire sport watch genre. The GMT-Master is responsible for delivering one of the most practical complications to a mechanical watch: The ability to track multiple time zones. At the behest of PanAm Airlines at the dawn of the jet-set era, Rolex developed a 24 hour hand with which their pilots could track a second time zone against the now iconic red and blue bicolor bezel. This watch left an indelible impression on the emerging global culture of the 1950s, and impression that persists to this day.
This week, we’re putting a spotlight on the GMT-Master, with a particular focus on its earlier years. Many of these watches represent the best of the collection through its history, and tell a story of innovation along the way. From the GMT-Master’s genesis with the reference 6542, to its solid gold expressions in the ‘70s and ‘80s, these are five of the most desirable, collectible and valuable GMT-Masters available on the market right now.
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1958 Rolex GMT-Master 6542 | $64,450
This is the reference that started it all. The GMT-Master 6542, based on the Turn-O-Graph (Ref. 6202), launched officially in 1955 with a unique bakelite bezel that split the top half in blue and the bottom half in red to denote daylight from night time. These are the colors (BLue and ROuge, or BLRO in Rolex parlance) that would go on to define the collection, and many other GMT watches, to this day. Due to the somewhat brittle nature of the bakelite material, as well as its use of radioactive Strontium 90, the original bezel was replaced with an aluminum insert by the end of the 6542’s short production run, making the surviving original bakelite examples exceptionally rare, sought after, and valuable.
This example, offered by Craft & Tailored, dates to 1958, but it is not entirely original. And yet we feel it is a striking example. It features the smaller lume plots that appeared prior to the larger applications. The case has been skillfully refinished to bring the original chamfer back to life (along the outer top edge of the lugs). The original glossy dial shows signs of age, as you’d expect, with some light “lava” spotting around the 6 o’clock marker. The main modification is the tritium “service bezel,” which also shows its age, but is largely intact. The bright colors have faded to earthy tones, providing a quite unique look to this 6542. While not perfect, this GMT ticks a lot of boxes and looks to have plenty of life left to give.
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1977 Rolex GMT-Master 1675/8 Yellow Gold | $36,500
The 1675 spawned some interesting variations within the reference, none more so than the yellow gold 1675/8, if you ask us. This was not as simple as rendering the case and bracelet in precious metal, but rather, a rework of the entire colorway. This watch paired its yellow gold case and jubilee bracelet with a brown dial and bezel (not bicolor), and even took a step further to rework the hour markers into conical applied indexes, creating what is known as a “nipple dial.” This dramatically changed the personality of the GMT-Master, and suited the new colorway remarkably well. And as you may have guessed from the photo, they age beautifully.
This example on offer from The Keystone is from 1977, and features an early dial as evidenced by the applied gold coronet at 12 o’clock (later productions received an printed crown). The bezel insert and dial have faded in an even manner creating a uniform look throughout, and while there are a few scuffs on the bezel insert, the colors at work more than make up for it, as does its originality. This is a perfect embodiment of a vintage precious metal Rolex.
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1963 Rolex GMT-Master 1675 Double Signed | $32,850
The reference 6542 was in production until 1959 (and received three different calibers in that time) before being replaced by the reference 1675, which would remain in production until 1980. The 1675 is where the GMT-Master found its footing, and while the aluminum bezel wasn’t quite as charming as the bakelite, it presented a far more practical option. This reference received the caliber 1565 when it was released, and also introduced crown guards to the case. Both features would evolve over its lifespan, once again providing collectors and enthusiasts ample ground for hair splitting.
This 1675, offered by Tropical Watch, is a relatively early production example dating to 1963, and features pointed crown guards as well as a double signed dial. This GMT was retailed by Venezuela’s exclusive Rolex dealer, Serpico Y Laino, and is signed as such under the hand stack. This dial also boasts an evenly aging dial with light speckling throughout, and mostly intact puffy hour markers, creating for an overall incredible appearance. The bezel insert is heavily faded, though this is the easiest element of the watch to alter, should the buyer desire. The 24 hour hand is not original, and the case has been refinished, but the dial is the real star of the show here, and the price reflects its shortcomings.
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1984 Rolex GMT-Master 16758 Yellow Gold | $34,500
This is an updated version of the 1675 listed above. This one is fitted with a yellow gold jubilee bracelet, which vastly shifts the personality.
In 1981, Rolex began transitioning the GMT to a 5-digit reference, and introduced modern features such as an updated movement with a quickset date feature. The 16758 reference (seen here) used both matte dials with white gold surrounds and glossy dials, sometimes with “nipple” markers as it transitioned to the 16768 (more on that one later). This generation of GMT was also produced in two-toned (ref. 16753) and in full yellow gold, as seen here.
This specific example is offered by Amsterdam Vintage Watches, and is powered by the updated caliber 3075 with that quick-set date function. This is the final generation to get an acrylic crystal, which absolutely sings against the faded brown dial and bezel insert. It’s a bit of the best of both worlds, and we love vintage references that fall into this timeframe, 1984 in this case. These
still have plenty of life left in them, and this fully crisp case is an excellent example.
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Rolex GMT-Master II 16760 | $29,000
Finally, we enter a transitional period for the GMT. In 1983, Rolex introduced a big update in the reference 16760—the first GMT-Master II. Production of this reference would only last 5 years, and would help set the stage for the next two decades (reference 16710). The 16760 seen here is also known as the ‘Fat Lady’ for its thicker case, and it brought white gold surrounds to the hour indexes, as well as a new bezel colorway. This reference was only offered with a red and black bezel, also known as a “Coke.” It was also offered on both oyster and jubilee bracelets.
This example from Wind Vintage features one of the finest surviving cases we’ve come across. The lines are crisp with the subtle chamfer along the lugs perfectly intact. The case, bracelet, and bezel assembly appear barely used, though age has made itself known in a very subtle manner around the dial and bezel insert. This one comes as a full kit, and is priced on the high end given its condition—but there aren’t many out there in as pristine conditions as this one.
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Please note that we are not affiliated with the sellers of the watches we recommend. We may point out aspects of a listing that we feel are positive, but only you can vet a seller. We can recommend viewing our video “How to Collect It: Vintage Watches” to glean some best practices, however.