ROLEX

Brand: Rolex
Model: GMT Master
Year: 1963
Reference: 1675
Dial: Brown
Case No.: 877XXX
Movement: Automatic winding
Cal: Rolex 1560
Material: Steel
Bracelet-Strap: Steel
Size: 40 mm
Notes: Steel automatic watch, date window at three o'clock. Brown dial, gold graphics, 'under line' dial. Bi-directional blue-red veered bezel. Mercedes hands with luminescent material. Bracelet 'jubilee' Made in U.S.A. Steel 'cornino' case, screw-down case back, domed plexi crystal.

First introduced in 1959, the Ref. 1675 replaced the first GMT-Master Ref. 6542, a milestone for Rolex. The innovations in the model were the presence of a metal bezel insert, different from the previous bakelite insert which was more delicate, and crown protectors were added to ensure greater robustness, as well as an updated 1560 calibre. Once again, Rolex decided to aim for the solidity and durability of its timepieces, famously making it its workhorse. With a production run of 21 years, the Ref. 1675 was presented under numerous dial variants, some rarer and others more common.

The earliest examples of the reference had a shiny black dial, with or without a minute track. References from the early 1960s featured an “underline” on the dial, with a single or double “Swiss” designation at the bottom of the dial. According to many accredited scholars and collectors, the “underlining” signifies the transition from radium to tritium as a luminescent material.
This timepiece is one of the rarest variants of the first production of the reference. Dating from around 1962, serial number 877 thousand, it corresponds to the typical configuration witnessed. The present timepiece features a dial with a ‘stardust’ effect and a patina with a flavour of another era. The crown protectors are pointed. Pointed crown guards were used by Rolex for a very short time, until they were replaced by more rounded ones. Adding to its attractiveness is a bezel with pink/blue toning. A unique timepiece.