Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675 - 'Eagle Beak' W/ 'OCC' Dial Unpolished

The Rolex GMT-Master is one of the most historic and iconic watches the brand ever produced. Its origin dates back to a commission request by Pan American World Airways in the early 50’s for their fleet of pilots who needed access to different time zones.

These pieces would feature a similar design to another watch that Rolex was developing around that time, the Submariner, but would include a fourth hand running on 24-hr time, and a bi-colored bezel insert to represent AM/PM times. Those colors, naturally, would be the PanAm colors: Red & Blue. Thus, in 1953, the Ref. 6542 GMT-Master was born. These early pieces were ultimately, fragile arguably flawed in some ways, and were therefor succeeded by the updated Reference 1675 in 1959.

These pieces introduced a larger case size with crown-guards and a bi-colored blue + red bezel insert made of aluminum. The Ref. 1675 underwent many small changes over its 21-year production run, with a slew of dial, bezel, bracelet, and hand variations. You know, Rolex stuff.

The example that we have here is a truly special and rare example dating to circa 1959. For a very short time, the 1675 case features very stylized crown guards along with the gorgeous wide lug chamfers that we all know and love. Within the case, a stunning gloss black 'gilt' dial with a 'chapter' ring and a shorter form of text on the bottom half of the dial that reads: "Officially Certified Chronometer" rather than the later (and current) "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified." Additionally, the red 24-hr GMT hand has a small arrow rather than the larger and more pronounced tip that subsequent examples have.

The condition of this example is fantastic. The case remains unpolished, with clear and defined crown guards and lug chamfers and just normal signs of wear present throughout. Inside, that black 'gilt' dial retains a glossy surface and clear text throughout. There is some faint 'crazing' visible in certain light under inspecting with a loupe. It is even and attractive and suits the overall condition of the watch beautifully.

And then, of course, there is that gorgeous 'Pepsi' bezel insert. It remains rich in color and shows a gentle fade on the blue half and a very light fade to the lower red half. It shows wear consistent with that of the rest of the watch. It also comes fitted to a period-correct 'rivet' Oyster bracelet with a signed blade clasp.

All of these small details amount to a piece that not only has a wearing experience different than any modern GMT-Master, but even later variants of the very same Reference. Its fair to say that watches from this era, in this overall condition do not surface often... and collectors tend to hang onto fantastic examples like this, so this is an excellent opportunity to snag one.