GMT-Master
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date GMT Master is part of the Rolex Professional Watch Collection. It is one of the most iconic models in the Rolex collection, regarded as a status symbol and is popular with travelers and people who need to keep track of the time simultaneously in different areas of the world.
The Rolex GMT Master can display time in two different time zones and the Rolex GMT Master II in three. Using the additional GMT hand (which completes a 24 hour cycle in a single rotation) the GMT Master and the GMT Master II uses a bi-directional rotatable bezel marked zero to twenty three allowing for a second time zone to be displayed with the GMT hand pointing to the bezel hour.
The GMT Master II allows the hour hand to be set independently from the GMT hand, thus allowing a third time zone.
The History of the GMT Master
In 1954 Pan American airlines made a request that Rolex create a watch that would make it easy to tell the time in two different time zones simultaneously. The feature made it easier for pilots to keep track of time while traveling through the several time zones they frequently traversed. The GMT Master, named after Greenwich Mean Time, combines the elegance and precision of the Oyster Perpetual with the practical needs of an airline pilot. Once the GMT Master went into use many other airlines decided to order them for their pilots.
The GMT Master is equipped with a rotatable bezel, divided into 24 segments. A red hour hand allows the wearer to set the time to any two time zones in the world. The original GMT Master included a dark bezel but the problems with pressures and temperatures in the air made it necessary to switch to the now familiar metallic bezel.
Improvements and alterations to the Rolex GMT include the changing of the color of the lettering on the dial from gold to white, the fitting of the watch with a sapphire crystal and the addition of a quick set mechanism, among others.
The early GMT Masters are now highly sought after collector’s items and the watch remains one of the most popular timepieces that Rolex makes. The GMT Master can be purchased with several bezel and cases options. The colorful bezels allow a sporty look and the steel and yellow gold cases, or two toned cases making use of steel and gold, give the watch the classic Rolex touch. The GMT Master is a favorite of pilots, seamen and the military for its combination of usefulness, durability and style. The successor to the GMT, the GMT Master II is now one of the most popular luxury watches in the world.
