Mercia Watches

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About

Pan Am Airways – gone but not forgotten. They may have unfortunately gone out of business in 1991, but the world famous airline’s legacy remains, at least in the world of watch collecting.

 

That legacy is the Rolex GMT Master watch. Designed in partnership with Pan Am, it was introduced in 1955 and issued to their long-haul crews for use by pilots and navigators. In the days before satellite navigation and other modern travel conveniences, the GMT Master came with the complication of the extra hour hand that always showed the time in GMT – the universal time that is standard for navigation and meteorology.

 

The rotatable 24-hour bezel meant that the watch could be offset so that the correct time could be read, whatever the time zone, invaluable for long-haul flying and accurate measurement of routes. In fact, the GMT Master II allows the user to tell the time in three different time zones, two simultaneously.

 

In the 1980s, Rolex introduced the GMT Master II, which was manufactured for a while alongside the old GMT Master. It differs from the original in that the hour hand can be adjusted without disrupting the movement of the minute and second hands – something that’s impossible with most other wristwatches.

 

A further update to the GMT Master II came in 2005 as part of the fiftieth anniversary of the name. It came in a slightly larger case, a slightly larger crown that matches Rolex’s divers’ watches, and a new scratch-proof bezel. The bracelet is also updated with a new clasp.

 

Only initially available in stainless steel – as it was conceived as a ‘working watch’ – it’s now available in precious metals, which attract a premium price. If you have a GMT Master II for sale, contact the experts at Mercia Watches. We’ve got years of combined experience with the Rolex name, and we’ll give you an honest and accurate valuation.

 

If you’re looking to but a Rolex GMT Master II, or any Rolex watch, speak to us today or visit our shop.