38 mm. Diameter
The GMT-Master series is by all means an epitome of the manufacturer’s progressive and ground-breaking method to watchmaking. First launched in 1954, the GMT-Master reference 6542, with its dual-time movement, was designed for airplane pilots to use in their line of work.
The present lot is one of the very rare 18K gold examples of the celebrated GMT-Master reference 6542 and stands out by its attractive Bakelite bezel. This ingenious design features an instantaneously recognizable bakelite bezel with the twenty-four hour luminous numerals painted on the underside, made to glow in any weather condition. Bakelite was Rolex's material of choice, due to its high legibility and low reflectivity. The additional luminous 24-hour tipped hand allowed the viewer to immediately track an additional time zone.
Yet, Rolex also manufactured a very limited number of watches cased in yellow gold, and fitted with a brown bakelite bezel. Due to the immense fragility of these watches, examples fitted with a bakelite insert are extremely rare.