812
Rolex
Ref. 116748 SA
GMT-Master II
A fine and very rare yellow gold, sapphire and diamond-set dual time wristwatch with center seconds, date, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box
Full-Cataloguing
Heavy, robust and lavishly set with either a diamond-sapphire, or diamond-sapphire-ruby bezel, reference 116748 reinterprets the original SARU, providing a dressy alternative to the classic stainless steel GMT- Master II. It is important to note that very few examples of reference 116748 were fitted with the diamond-sapphire bezel. According to our research, less than six examples have surfaced on the market so far.
John Goldberger's Opinion
This GMT-Master II is fitted with baguette sapphires and diamonds to the bezel. Offered in pristine condition, with guarantee, sales tag, fitted presentation box and outer packaging, this watch is as good as it gets in terms of modern GMT models.
Rolex is particularly skilled at selecting, and setting the very best stones. This is particularly apparent as the sapphires are very well matched and display a wonderful sky blue hue.
The present wristwatch is from the first generation of the diamond-set GMT-Master II as the lugs are not embellished with diamonds, which is the more sought-after variant, and much rarer to find on the market than the version enriched with full diamond-set lugs.
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.