Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1980 Reference No: 16753 Movement No: 0'759'534 Case No: 6'719'819 Model Name: GMT-Master Material: 18K yellow gold and stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3075, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold and stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 180mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
Some of the rarest, most historically important and valuable Rolex wristwatches have been sold through the American retailer Tiffany & Co. Few retailers have had a relationship with Rolex like Tiffany & Co. has. The jeweler has proudly emblazoned its logo on a variety of Rolex wristwatches, ranging from the GMT-Master to the Cosmograph Daytona.
This watch, reference 16753, is a rare variant within the GMT family as it is cased in both stainless steel and yellow gold. It has a beautiful brown dial displaying Tiffany & Co, as well as a caramel and chocolate bezel. Collectors dub this model the 'Root Beer'. The present watch features no 'flaking' to the luminous dots, which is extremely rare, as this particular dial is known easily crack over time. The bezel remains vibrant, displaying a sharp gold and light brown colour, giving the watch a very charismatic look. Moreover, there are traces of a number scratched beneath the lug, consistent with other Tiffany & Co. signed pieces from the era.
Founded 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.