First released in in 1954, the GMT-Master reference 6542 was designed for pilots to use in their line of work. With the rise of international travel in the 1940s and 1950s, Rolex initially created the model for Pan Am airlines to track dual time zones. This ingenious design featured an immediately recognizable bakelite bezel with the twenty-four hour numerals painted on the underside, made to glow in any weather condition. Bakelite was Rolex's original material of choice, due to its low reflectivity and high readability. The additional luminous 24 hour tipped hand allowed the viewer to immediately track a second time zone. These watches were worn in the most practical sense and made to withstand the elements. Thus, it is incredibly hard to find watches in original condition, like the present example. Due to the immense fragility of these watches, it is almost impossible to find examples fitted with their original bakelite insert. The watch is preserved in very original condition with a dial that is very charming. The luminous material of the indexes has aged evenly to an attractive camel hue. The “small arrow” (“freccino”, in Italian) 24-hour hand is another original and appealing detail.

Consigned by the family of the original owner, the family recounts how their uncle who owned the timepiece was an aesthete and man of the world. He was described as a prolific reader of non fiction books, loved autobiographies of historical figures and old Hollywood. He was always home in time to watch Jeopardy and rarely missed an answer. He had an amazing sense of style, was always impeccably dressed. In his younger years, he loved to travel to Mexico and attend bull fights. A lover of arts, he had a fascination for Faberge eggs and had a hobby of creating his own version of them.