Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1992 Reference No: 16700 Case No: N472340 Model Name: GMT-Master Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3175, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 205mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee dated February 24, 1993, bezel protector, product literature, calendar, presentation box and outer packaging. Literature: The present watch is illustrated in Rolex GMT-Master Story Volume II by Guido Mondani Editore, pages 186-187.
Catalogue Essay
In production from 1988 to 1999, reference 16700 is a classic GMT-Master. The model most notably featured a sapphire crystal, which was a new introduction to the GMT-Master line at the time. Fitted with an aluminum bezel, it was a decidedly more modern and heftier version of the iconic model.
The present timepiece is distinguished by its impeccable state of preservation. Displaying a beautiful and untouched tritium dial, the present watch is preserved in excellent and crisp condition, with razor sharp edges and crisp bevels. It even retains its original green factory caseback sticker. The numbers between the lugs are crisp, and have never seen intervention before. The bracelet is furthermore incredibly rigid and tight, showing how little (if any) wear the watch has seen throughout its lifespan. Furthermore, the original seal on the clasp remains intact. The present watch is accompanied by its Rolex guarantee, product literature, calendar, presentation box and outer packaging.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.