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Lot Essay
Rolex GMT Master reference 6542 with bakelite bezel – the earliest and rarest of all GMT models continues to be one of the ultimate prizes for many Rolex sports watch collectors.
The present watch, distinguished by its excellent and largely original overall condition boasts a nicely preserved gloss gilt dial with attractive and evenly aged lumes. The all-important red and blue bakelite bezel insert is equally well preserved, displaying only characterful signs of light wear and even aging over the last 65 years. The interior of the case back is stamped ‘III 59’ for the third quarter of 1959.
Ref. 6542
The GMT-Master reference 6542 is unquestionably a true icon among Rolex’s tool watches. The beautiful red and blue bezel with luminous numerals, created in order to enable the wearer to distinguish between day and night time is used in conjunction with the distinctive additional hour hand with small triangle tip to show Greenwich Meantime, hence the name ‘GMT’. Its functionality and vintage good looks has made the 6542 GMT-Master an eternal favourite for collectors and tastemakers. Introduced in 1954 for the airline ‘Pan Am’, the United States’ largest international air carrier for most of the 20th century, it allowed their pilots to calibrate the exact time in any given time zone. The bakelite bezel is the defining feature of ref. 6542, with an almost three-dimensional effect to the numerals, it gives an aesthetic that is unique to the model. Because it was in production for only a very short time, and also due to its brittle nature, surviving examples are today exceptionally rare. Reference 6542 achieved international cinematic fame when it was seen on the wrist of Honor Blackman’s character ‘Pussy Galore’ in the epic 1964 James Bond film ‘Goldfinger’.
The present watch, distinguished by its excellent and largely original overall condition boasts a nicely preserved gloss gilt dial with attractive and evenly aged lumes. The all-important red and blue bakelite bezel insert is equally well preserved, displaying only characterful signs of light wear and even aging over the last 65 years. The interior of the case back is stamped ‘III 59’ for the third quarter of 1959.
Ref. 6542
The GMT-Master reference 6542 is unquestionably a true icon among Rolex’s tool watches. The beautiful red and blue bezel with luminous numerals, created in order to enable the wearer to distinguish between day and night time is used in conjunction with the distinctive additional hour hand with small triangle tip to show Greenwich Meantime, hence the name ‘GMT’. Its functionality and vintage good looks has made the 6542 GMT-Master an eternal favourite for collectors and tastemakers. Introduced in 1954 for the airline ‘Pan Am’, the United States’ largest international air carrier for most of the 20th century, it allowed their pilots to calibrate the exact time in any given time zone. The bakelite bezel is the defining feature of ref. 6542, with an almost three-dimensional effect to the numerals, it gives an aesthetic that is unique to the model. Because it was in production for only a very short time, and also due to its brittle nature, surviving examples are today exceptionally rare. Reference 6542 achieved international cinematic fame when it was seen on the wrist of Honor Blackman’s character ‘Pussy Galore’ in the epic 1964 James Bond film ‘Goldfinger’.