1973 Rolex GMT-Master Black 1675 Owned by Doug Flett
Ref: 1675
Specification
Lugs :Â 20mm
Condition :Â Pre-Owned
Box & Papers :Â Service Pouches & Service Records
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 but does have 2 Rolex service pouches, 2005 & 2018 Rolex Service Records, picture of Doug Flett by David Bailey and a note about Doug Flett by his daughter Kathryn Flett. The watch comes paired with a Rolex Service replaced 20mm Rolex 3-link Oyster stainless steel bracelet with a signed folding clasp, all links included. The watch is from Circa. 1973, and is in worn, vintage condition, with Rolex Service replaced matte black dial, hands, bezel and 20mm Rolex 3-link Oyster stainless steel bracelet but overall good as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here -Â https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dSjKbtESMKUKo_CirFVaQ4NRPiNMOb-r?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 2:50Â -Â https://youtu.be/PKbgjCv4U_U
The Watch
Here we have a very special 1973 Rolex GMT-Master Black 1675 Owned by "Doug Flett" and comes directly from the Flett family.
"The Ivor Novello-winning songwriter Doug Flett, treated himself to his Rolex GMT-Master in 1973, after his song âPower To All Our Friendsâ (co-written with his long time song-writing partner Guy Fletcher) had been chosen as the British entry for Eurovision. While âPowerâ went on to come third in the Final, it far outsold Luxembourgâs winning entry and was a No. 1 hit in numerous countries. This portrait of Doug was taken casually by David Bailey during the cover shoot for a 1979 LP by the band Rogue, whose members included Guy Fletcher. Rogueâs biggest hit was âFallen Angelâ â which was also covered by Frankie Valli and was subsequently featured in the Tony and Olivier award-winning smash hit musical âJersey Boys. As a lyricist, Doug Flett co-wrote songs recorded by artists as diverse as Ray Charles, Cliff Richard, Joe Cocker, and Elvis Presley. He died in 2019, aged 83." - Kathryn Flett.
The curvaceous 40mm stainless steel case, is ergonomically shaped with its subtle curve to the drilled lugs making for a very comfortable fit on the wrist, and a lug-to-lug length of 46mm and a case thickness of 12mm give the watch an impressive wrist presence. The polished flanks effortlessly transition with the brushed top surfaces. Crown guards protect the screw-down crown from any knocks. Its bezel is Rolex Service replaced and has a black aluminium 24-hour GMT insert with silver numerals and markings, holding a domed crystal that sits slightly above the bezel and has the Cyclops magnifier over the date at 3 oâclock. The Rolex Service replaced matte black dial has lume-painted discs and batons marking the hours, Rolex Service replaced Mercedes hands are complemented with a lollipop counterbalance sweeping second hand, and the red GMT hand with a lume-filled arrowhead. At noon we have the painted Rolex coronet, âRolex Oyster Perpetualâ underneath and at 6 oâclock âGMT-MASTER Superlative Chronometer Officially Certifiedâ completes this special travelling companion. 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 with a Rolex Service replaced 20mm Rolex 3-link Oyster stainless steel bracelet with a signed folding clasp and comes with 2005 & 2018 Rolex Service Records.
Personal Note
It is far from every day that you get the opportunity to sell such a wonderful watch with an equally wonderful story! This Rolex GMT-Master 1675 was purchased in 1973 by Doug Flett, an Ivor Novello-winning songwriter, after his song âPower To All Our Friendsâ (co-written with his long time song-writing partner Guy Fletcher) had been chosen as the British entry for Eurovision. A great watch to celebrate an incredible achievement in his career, he then wore this watch throughout his life until he passed away in 2019, aged 83. We have this watch from the original family, with a photo of Doug Flett wearing it in 1979 and a letter from his daughter, Kathryn Flett. I would not hesitate to add this watch to your collection.
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 developed 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). Wilsdorfâs 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.