Rolex GMT Master II – The Collections Historical Evolution | Bob's Watches

Rolex GMT Master II – The Collections Historical Evolution | Bob's Watches The GMT Master II history began in the 1950s with the introduction of the first GMT Master reference 6542 in 1954. Developed as a pilot’s watch and traveler’s companion, the watch includes a 24-hour bezel and a dedicated hand on the dial. Home and local time are presented simultaneously, making the GMT Master a must-have for any jet-setting collector. While the original GMT’s dual-time capabilities were certainly impressive, the series was discontinued and replaced around the early 1980s with the GMT Master II collection. It remains in production today and boasts an intriguing history that began with the first ref. 16760, aka “Fat Lady” or “Sophia Loren.” With the GMT Master II, the 24-hour hand became independent of the other hands. The wearer could now adjust the extra hand on the dial without disturbing the current time displayed on the dial. This upgrade added a new time zone to the GMT series’ timekeeping ability with a total of two time zones shown on the dial and a third on the bezel. The independent hand required a fatter movement and case, hence the interesting nickname of the ref. 16760 “Fat Lady.” However, it didn’t take Rolex long to refine the new movement’s design to provide a sleeker profile on the wrist via the 16760’s successor ref. 16710. This edition of the GMT Master II is, perhaps, one of the most prevalent on the used Rolex market because it enjoyed an incredibly succ