Tropical, Gilt Dial 1675 Rolex GMT-Master

At a collector meetup last year, I encountered a very tan, thin, well-dressed Italian man. He had the kind of skin that let you know he’d spent every day of summer strolling around outside Capri. His glasses were Tom Ford. The calfskin boots he wore had been on foot at least ten years. He spoke…

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Spider Dial 16750 Rolex GMT-Master

Of all the varied types of ageing a watch may exhibit, what collectors call a spider dial must be the most contentious amongst people who really know Rolex. You think Israel v Palestine has some ardent extremists? Walk this GMT into the Hodinkee office and watch a civil war ensue. Every watch journalist has used…

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Tropical ‘Root Beer’ 1675 Two-Tone Rolex GMT-Master

You know that feeling when you go on holiday, come back, and just feel great? Perhaps you’ve been walking around more exploring, or at the beach out in the sun. You’ve lost a bit of weight and are sporting a light tan. You’re still you, just 10% more attractive. This ‘Root Beer’ 1675 is doing…

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1675/8 Rolex GMT-Master

1675/8-Rolex-GMT-Master

Opulence is often said to be distasteful by definition, but a gold nipple dial? C’mon, that’s an exemption many amongst us and I will gladly make. While the GMT-Master was made for the jet set, Rolex recognized early on that its well-heeled, travel-hungry clientelle could afford a little extra aureate. Almost as soon as the…

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Fuchsia, Mk1 Long E 1675 Rolex GMT-Master

Fuchsia-1675-Rolex-GMT-Master

The difference a simple bezel can make is quite extreme. In the 1675, which enjoyed quite a long run, there was a period of a few years where early aluminum bezels were manufactured with a paint composition that would turn from red to this beautiful fuchsia tone over time. They have all been observed in…

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1675/8 ‘President’ Rolex GMT-Master

1675/8-President-Rolex-GMT-Master

For what mass hysteria surrounds steel sport Rolex today, I simply cannot imagine a stronger antidote. For what is not a massive price difference compared to the current secondhand market base GMT-Master II value, this insane vintage reference is on the table: 1978 production in full gold, substantially less common, and brimming with nuance and…

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Tropical Gilt 1675 Rolex GMT-Master

Tropical-1675-Rolex-GMT-Master-Gilt-Dial

As many have pointed out, I have a soft spot for four and five digit Rolex. I could nod toward the charm, immense history, or the fact that I regret letting many go in equal measure as cause. The thing is though, I don’t have to justify it. Everyone loves the 1675, everyone past a…

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Mk5, Pumpkin 1675 Rolex GMT-Master

Mk5-1675-Rolex-GMT-Master

The difference a bezel can make is extreme. In March 2015, I had the opportunity to attend the Geneva Motor Show. What I expected to find there were many Cosmographs, and I did. But what surprised me, more than any concept, was the sheer quantity of Batman GMTs on wrist. No exaggeration—not Coke, not Pepsi,…

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Tropical Gilt 1675 Rolex GMT-Master

1675-Rolex-GMT-Master-Tropical

If you can’t tell by this point, I like 1675s quite a lot. I could nod toward the charm, immense history, or the fact that I regret letting one go a few years back in equal measure as cause. The thing is though, I don’t have to justify it. Everyone loves the 1675, everyone past…

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Well-Preserved ‘Concorde’ 1675/8 NCG Rolex GMT-Master

Concorde-1675-NCG-Rolex-GMT-Master

I was recently quite ashamed to realize that despite featuring many 1675s, I have not yet spilled ink on behalf of my preferred variant. I often lament the retirement of Concorde. Yes, the plane; hear me out. It’s not often technology takes such a defiant step backwards. Particularly at all of humanities’ expense. However, a…

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