1972 Rolex GMT-Master "Pepsi" MK2 Matte Dial 1675
Ref: 1675
Specification
Lugs :Â 20mm
Condition :Â Pre-Owned
Box & Papers :Â None
Case Material :Â Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and therefore comes with no Rolex box or Rolex paperwork. The watch comes paired on a Rolex Jubilee bracelet reference "62510 H" from 1983, with 510 end links, 19 links total fitting a 7.5inch wrist, and a well-suited 20mm brown suede strap is also included.. The watch is from Circa. 1972, Rolex service “Pepsi” bezel, MK2 Matte black Tritium dial and is in worn, vintage condition, but overall good as you can see. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
The Watch
Here we have a 1972 Rolex GMT-Master "Pepsi" 1675 with a 40mm stainless steel case, ergonomically shaped with its subtle curve to the lugs making for a very comfortable fit on the wrist. The polished sides transition with the brushed top surface. Crown guards protect the screw-down crown from any knocks. Its bezel has the iconic blue and red “Pepsi” insert which is an official Rolex service bezel, 24-hour numerals radiate the bezel, the red indicates the daytime while the blue signifies the nighttime. The plexiglass crystal sits slightly above the bezel and has the cyclops magnifier over the date at 3 o’clock. The MK2 Matte black dial has Tritium (which has nicely aged) filled discs and batons for hours, Mercedes hands with Tritium infill complete with a sweeping second hand with a lollipop counterbalance, and the red GMT hand has a Tritium-filled arrowhead. On the reverse, a plain coin-edged case back, inside an automatic Rolex Cal. 1570, 26 jewels, beating at 19,800 beats per hour. The watch comes paired on a Rolex Jubilee bracelet reference "62510 H" from 1983, with 510 end links, 19 links total fitting a 7.5inch wrist, and a well-suited 20mm brown suede strap is also included.
Personal Note
I am excited to present this fantastic 1972 Rolex GMT-Master 1675 with an original MK2 matte dial and original tritium hands, it looks incredible on and off the wrist which will come as no surprise to anyone who has tried on these 4-digit Rolex in the past! They are widely considered some of the best that Rolex has produced, the cases wear perfectly and you get so much vintage charm, all priced within the realm of a modern GMT-Master II... I know I'd rather something not being made and far rarer, but to each their own!
The Brand
In 1905, German-born Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis set up a company in London that imported Swiss movements which were installed in British cases and sold to jewellers who put their names on the dials. Recognising the potential for their brand, Wilsdorf created the brand name Rolex in 1908. In 1910, a Rolex became the first wristwatch to carry the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision, awarded by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland. Demand for Rolex watches rose swiftly, and British taxes on the Swiss movements Rolex used prompted Wilsdorf to move the business to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1919. With production costs lowered, Wilsdorf quickly set out to solve the age-old problem of moisture and dust entering a watch case and damaging the movement. The Rolex watchmakers came up with a fully sealed watch case, which Wilsdorf named the Oyster, and released to an appreciative audience in 1926. In 1931, Rolex introduced the first automatic winding wristwatch, giving it the legendary name Oyster Perpetual. In 1945, they released Datejust. The Datejust was the first watch to have the date jump instantaneously at midnight. The 1950s saw a whole lot of releases such as the Air-King (1958), the Explorer (1953), the Submariner (1953), the GMT Master (1955), the Day-Date (1956), the electromagnetic field resistant Milgauss (1956), the Lady-Datejust (1957) and the first Deep Sea model (1960). Wilsdorf’s death in 1960, saw ownership of Rolex S.A. (a collection of sub-companies) passed to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation which was founded by Wilsdorf in 1945, the mission of which is simply to sustain Rolex S.A. indefinitely.