GMT-Master
1982
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Find me one like thisOriginal matte black dial with luminous markers, Mercedes hands and GMT arrow hand. The reason this model is referred to as the transitional model is due to this reference having an updated calibre movement but retaining the design aesthetics of the old model with matte dial and plexiglass. The dial is signed “Swiss- T<25” referring to the original tritium luminous on the dial & hands. The dial has not been touched and remains in excellent original condition.
The reference 16750 in stainless steel with ‘Pepsi’ bezel. The 7.1 million serial number in-between the lugs denotes the year of production to 1982. The rotating bezel with 24 hour “Pepsi” insert is a Rolex service replacement and is in excellent condition. This “transitional” reference features the updated cal. 3075 movement but still uses a plexiglass crystal. The case and bracelet are in excellent condition having been professionally polished during service.
Rolex Oyster bracelet reference 78360 with clasp code O1 and correct 580 end links. This bracelet is from a slightly earlier period to the watch. Bracelets can be resized on request.
Released in 1954, the GMT-Master resulted from Pan Am and Rolex collaborating on a watch that could tell the time in two different places at once
With the further innovation and popularisation of commercial flying, the distances of flights became greater. This resulted in pilots crossing into different time zones more frequently. Thus, a need for uniformity across the industry was borne as potential issues could arise when communicating with ground teams in a different time zone to the pilots. To eliminate these errors, the aviation industry adopted a standard time-zone, Greenwich Mean Time. As such, the GMT-Master’s fourth hand, the 2nd-hour hand, was to stay on Greenwich Mean Time – which is where the name for the watch comes from.