Introduced in what is believed to be the golden age of air travel, the Rolex GMT-Master was released in collaboration with Pan-Am Airways with an aim to develop a timepiece that was capable of displaying two time zones via an extra hour hand and a rotating 24-Hour bezel. The reference 1675 succeeded the first model in 1959 with an upgraded case design featuring crown guards as well as a metallic bezel replacing the fragile bakelite bezel. Early examples of the ref. 1675 featured “glossy” gilt dials similar to its previous model ref. 6542.
The present example from circa 1966 belongs to one of the last examples of “glossy” gilt dials of the reference before its transition to matte dials. Boasting an attractive case with defined lug bevels and crisp case edges, the present ref. 1675 is also presented with an attractive tropical brown dial that has developed through age with lighter shades on the bottom half of the dial.
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.
