Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1967 Reference No: 1675; inside caseback additionally stamped 1675 and II.67 Movement No: D’979’331 Case No: 1’682’818 Model Name: GMT-Master "Mark 0" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1575, 26 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex riveted Oyster bracelet, reference 7206, end links stamped 58, max approx. overall length 195mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, stamped I.69 Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, and movement signed.
Catalogue Essay
In production for more than 20 years, from 1959 to 1980, the Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675 was the highly successful and more robust replacement for the first GMT-Master model reference 6542. First produced with “glossy” dials with gilt printing, Rolex switched to the use of matte dials as early as the 1.6 million serial number (circa 1967). While it has never been confirmed by Rolex exactly why the shift was made, matte dials are believed to be less expensive to manufacture, more robust, and less reflective.
The earliest matte dials fitted to cases bearing the 1.6 million serial number are known to collectors as the “Mark 0” type dial. These dials are printed in the exact same manner as the final version of the glossy gilt dial, known as “Type C”, with all the same characteristics. As Rolex scholarship is always evolving, the “Mark 1” dial was previously thought to be the earliest iteration, but the uncovering of the early iteration led to a new additional classification. These early “Mark 0” dials are paired with the small GMT hand seen on galvanic dial, gilt printing 1675s.
Transitional references in Rolex’s past catalogue are amongst the most interesting and sought-after examples across all models. They are the ones that redefine scholarship and demonstrate how young this collecting category really is. This extremely early matte dial 1675 is a premium example, with all the characteristics of the recently discovered “Mark 0” variant. Highly collectable and preserved in phenomenal condition with a beautiful dial and, in our opinion, unpolished case, the present 1675 from an important collector is a rare opportunity to obtain a coveted reference.
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.
Ref. 1675; inside caseback additionally stamped 1675 and II.67 A highly interesting, extremely well-preserved, and early stainless steel dual-time wristwatch with “Mark 0” matte dial, date, and bracelet
Circa 1967 39mm Diameter Case, dial, and movement signed.
