Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 2019 Reference No: 126719BLRO Case No: 8Y1F7150 Model Name: GMT-Master II Material: 18K white gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3285, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K white gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 205mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Rolex Oyster deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped Rabat dated 25th October 2019, instruction manual, product literature, hang tag, green card holder, outer packaging and fitted presentation box.
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex GMT-Master has long been a collector’s favorite among the lineage of Rolex professional tool watches due to its illustrious heritage and unmissable practicality. Born in the midst of the golden era of air travels, the Rolex GMT-Master was a result of a collaborative effort between Pan-Am Airways and the Swiss manufacturer to create a dual time wristwatch for jetsetters and pilots. Fitted with a 24-Hour bezel insert with an additional hour hand, the practicality of the complication is simple yet highly functional.
Fast forward to modern times, the Rolex GMT-Master remains as one of the most sought after timepieces with its aesthetics remaining very much similar to its first reference, most notably the bi-colored “Pepsi” bezel that many are fond of. In 2014, Rolex shocked the community by releasing their very first GMT-Master II ref. 116719BLRO encased in 18K white gold offering collectors and admirers of the model a subtle touch of luxury. Four years later, the firm released the new ref. 126719BLRO fitted with the newly upgraded cal. 3285 featuring an attractive navy blue dial stepping away from its traditional black dial. Another year later in 2019, the firm released a version with a meteorite dial.
The present example Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126719BLRO from circa 2019 features a desirable navy blue dial. This present well-preserved specimen is surely one to add to any collection of fine professional tool watches.
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.
