122
Rolex
Ref. 1675
GMT-Master
An historically important and well-preserved yellow gold dual-time wristwatch with center seconds, date, and bracelet; made for the UAE Ministry of Defense
- Estimate
- $60,000 - 120,000
$63,500
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- 1973
- Reference No
- 1675
- Movement No
- D’561'823
- Case No
- 3'656'959
- Model Name
- GMT-Master
- Material
- 18K yellow gold
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- 18K yellow gold Rolex Jubilee bracelet, end links stamped 54, max length 193mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- 18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp, stamped 1.69
- Dimensions
- 39mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed, case back furthermore stamped with full serial number and UK import marks for 1974
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
Beginning in the 1970s, the United Arab Emirates and its seven Arab nations specially commissioned watches from Rolex to be given as gifts for high-ranking officials, foreign dignitaries, and diplomats. Today, they are coveted treasures sought after by collectors around the world.
One of the rarest of these commission pieces are those bearing the “Desert Eagle”, made upon special request for Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Defense for the United Arab Emirates beginning in 1971, and currently the Ruler of Dubai since 2006. This example was part of a small order of timepieces.
Rendered in polychrome relief printing, the UAE emblem (the Quraysh Hawk) is emblazoned at 6 o’clock, with the Ministry of Defense signature. While the modern emblem shows the colors of the flag within the chest of the hawk, in the 1970s and 1980s, the crest displayed an Arabian sailboat (“dhow”) with two sails – a single sail sailboat is visible on the family emblem of the House of Al Maktoum, one of the ruling families of the UAE.
The present reference 1675 is an extremely rare example of a military-issued Rolex GMT-Master in 18K yellow gold, and is fitted with a luxurious Jubilee bracelet. Underlining its importance, this special Rolex watch features the full serial number engraved inside its case back, as well as UK import marks for 1974.
One of the rarest of these commission pieces are those bearing the “Desert Eagle”, made upon special request for Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Defense for the United Arab Emirates beginning in 1971, and currently the Ruler of Dubai since 2006. This example was part of a small order of timepieces.
Rendered in polychrome relief printing, the UAE emblem (the Quraysh Hawk) is emblazoned at 6 o’clock, with the Ministry of Defense signature. While the modern emblem shows the colors of the flag within the chest of the hawk, in the 1970s and 1980s, the crest displayed an Arabian sailboat (“dhow”) with two sails – a single sail sailboat is visible on the family emblem of the House of Al Maktoum, one of the ruling families of the UAE.
The present reference 1675 is an extremely rare example of a military-issued Rolex GMT-Master in 18K yellow gold, and is fitted with a luxurious Jubilee bracelet. Underlining its importance, this special Rolex watch features the full serial number engraved inside its case back, as well as UK import marks for 1974.
Provenance
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
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