The Rolex GMT-Master has long been dubbed as one of the most iconic and important timepieces in modern times initially introduced in the 1950s. Developed as a professional tool watch for pilots and jetsetters, the Rolex GMT-Master offered the wearer an additional time zone indicated via an additional hour hand.
The present example Rolex GMT-Master ref. 16758 from circa 1982 is perhaps a luxurious iteration to the coveted professional tool watch. Still encompassing all the necessary practical elements a GMT-Master should have, the 18K yellow gold case offers an entirely different appeal, even more so when paired with a beautiful Jubilee bracelet. Featuring a “chocolate” brown sunburst dial and a “rootbeer” bezel insert, the appeal is further heightened creating a perfect harmony against the 18K yellow gold case. Boasting a nice overall case with thick lugs with an attractive dial, the present example is with no less a desirable GMT-Master to acquire.
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.