Rolex - STYLED. Timeless Watches & How to Wear Them New York Wednesday, December 5, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1965
    Reference No: 1675, inside caseback stamped 1675 and II.65
    Movement No: D57662
    Case No: 1’196’803
    Model Name: GMT-Master, “Fuchsia Tropical”
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels, further stamped "ROW"
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex riveted Oyster bracelet, end links stamped 80, max length 210mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, stamped 1.65
    Dimensions: 39.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.
    Accessories: Accompanied by original punched guarantee, Rolex calendar for 1965 and 1966, Rolex GMT-Master product literature, Bucherer product literature, original hang tag with serial number, inner and outer presentation box.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Rolex GMT-Master’s fascinating history began with Pan American Airways’ collaboration with Rolex to develop a watch that would allow their pilots to simultaneously keep track of time in two time zones. Reference 1675 was introduced in 1960 as the successor to the reference 6542 – the first GMT-Master launched in 1954. The reference 1675 introduced crown guards and a bezel with a metallic insert that was more robust than the 6542’s bakelite bezel, notorious for its fragility even today among the collecting community.

    The present example displays many of the desirable traits of an early iteration of the reference 1675 GMT-Master: a small arrow tipped 24-hour hand, glossy lacquer dial, and gilt printing. A subtle, yet noteworthy detail is the "ROW" stamp found on the automatic 1570 movement – an import code indicating the watch was imported to the American market. Its case has never seen a polishing wheel, retaining all of its original factory finished surfaces, crisp edges, and bevels as the day it left the factory more than 5 decades ago. All these factors would lead the present example to be a remarkable find and a treasure for any vintage Rolex sports watch collector. But those elements pale in comparison to the attractive qualities taken on by this specific wristwatch in the past fifty-three years. The metallic insert has remained extremely vibrant, but has changed color from red to a vivid and consistent fuchsia highly prized by collectors, while the original blue side has become lighter and extremely attractive – in fact, it closely resembles Pantone’s "Reflex Blue", one of the most popular colors designated by Pantone. The impressiveness of the colors on the bezel is only exceeded by the incredible and consistent milk chocolate brown color developed by the dial, still maintaining its original glossy lacquered surface but lightening from its original black to a deep bronze. Thick luminous hour plots that have aged to a pleasing light beige match the pale gold gilt printing still visible on the dial.

    Accompanied by a complete array of Rolex documentation including its original punched guarantee, the magnetic appeal of the present reference 1675 is sure to turn the heads of even the most casual of collectors.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    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.

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109

Ref. 1675, inside caseback stamped 1675 and II.65
A very fine and highly attractive stainless steel dual time wristwatch with “tropical” gilt lacquered dial, bracelet, and original guarantee

Circa 1965
39.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.

Estimate
$25,000 - 50,000 
CHF24,900-49,800
€21,700-43,400
HK$196,000-392,000

Sold for $77,500

Contact Specialist
Paul Boutros
Head of Watches, Americas
+1 212 940 1293
pboutros@phillips.com

STYLED. Timeless Watches & How to Wear Them

New York Auction 5 December 2018