1675, GMT-Master, Fuchsia Bezel, Steel

The 1675 is undoubtedly one of the great pillars of vintage sport Rolex. Born in an era when travel was still romantic and the jet set were a well-heeled few, this was a tool for Pan Am pilots originally. Yet, decades later, it is a reference often defined by its imperfections rather than utility. This particular matte dial 1675 is distinguished by its early Mark 1 'Long E' dial and distinct bezel, which has aged from stark red to a gorgeously vibrant Fuchsia.

The 1675 added the practicality of an aluminum bezel and presided over the transition of gilt to matte dials. It was also the reference that popularized the GMT-Master, where the 6542 was far smaller production and more fragile. Over all production of the 1675, there are roughly 18 known dial variants. This 1969 example is from the early years of the matte dial. It features one of the most exotic twists on the GMT-Master aesthetic, only seen for a few years of production. 

Bezels inserts of the 1675 were made of anodized aluminum, with colors not painted but galvanically applied much like gilt dial text. The era of Fuchsia bezel production used a more purple red as its base and often aged to this more wildly Fuchsia tone. This 'fault' was corrected by late in 69. These bezels are always seen with Mark 1 dials. This Mark 1 dial has aged beautifully, with honey-tone plots and a light even patina. In addition, plots on this dial are domed and from the zinc sulfide era, a hangover of gilt production only seen in the very earliest matte dials within the 1675. 

A Fuchsia GMT-Master perfectly exemplifies Rolex’s unintentional artistry in capturing the passage of time. From the amber zinc sulfide domed Tritium plots to the Fuchsia bezel, this is a tool which has aged gracefully. Yet, charming points of vintage production like the stretch rivet Oyster remain. The Fuchsia 1675 is one of the great accidents from the golden era of Rolex: a purposeful tool then, aged to become highly attractive royalty all these years later. 

This 1675 presents in excellent overall condition. The case sports proud bevels and bezel edges, including deep serial (1969) and reference engravings, with a razor sharp lug bottom edge. There is light surface wear throughout. The Mark 1 dial is comparably original and lovely, with correct 'puffy' lume plots that many would refer to as Zinc Sulfide tritium and no visible damage. The plots have aged to a light amber tone. This was the final year of Rolex manually applying luminous material which was a production bottleneck (replaced later replaced by silk-screen printing) but delivered beautifully domed plots. The bezel is a deep and even fuchsia, with the same color on back. It comes on a (I-69) C&I stretch rivet bracelet. The calibre 1575 has an unknown service history but is running well in spec.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.