Ref. 6542A fine and rare yellow gold dual time wristwatch with sweep center seconds, date, brown lacquer dial and bakelite bezel
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, Ref. 6542
A fine and rare yellow gold dual time wristwatch with sweep center seconds, date, brown lacquer dial and bakelite bezel, Circa 1959
38mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and buckle signedCondition Report
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Manufacturer
:
Rolex
Year
:
Circa 1959
Reference No
:
6542
Movement No
:
DN900521
Case No
:
424'267
Model Name
:
GMT-Master
Material
:
18k yellow gold
Calibre
:
Automatic, cal. 1066, 25 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
:
Leather
Clasp/Buckle
:
18k yellow gold Rolex buckle
Dimensions
:
38mm Diameter
Signed
:
Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
Provenance
:
Phillips Hong Kong, Rolex Milestones, 28 November 2016, lot 811
Provenance
Phillips Hong Kong, Rolex Milestones, 28 November 2016, lot 811
Catalogue Essay
First released in in 1954, the GMT-Master reference 6542 was designed for pilots to use in their line of work. With the rise of international travel in the 1940s and 1950s, Rolex initially created the model for Pan Am airlines to track dual time zones. This ingenious design featured an immediately recognizable bakelite bezel with the twenty-four hour radium numerals painted on the underside, made to glow in any weather condition. Bakelite was Rolex's material of choice, due to its low reflectivity and high readability. The additional luminous 24 hour tipped hand allowed the viewer to immediately track a second time zone.
Given that the GMT-Master was created for specific, work-related purposes, most examples were cased in stainless steel. These watches were worn in the most practical sense and made to withstand the elements. Yet, Rolex also manufactured a very limited number of watches cased in yellow gold, and fitted with a brown bakelite bezel. Due to the immense fragility of these watches, it is incredibly rare to find examples fitted with their original bakelite insert. The fact is even more pertinent as most of the bakelite bezels were recalled by Rolex due to their radium content. The original GMT-Master eventually ceased production in 1959.
The present watch is among the last batch of reference 6542s to be released, is presented in excellent and astounding condition. The bakelite bezel is intact, with hardly any blemishes and the radium is without losses. The brown lacquer dial displays rich tones, and the case is incredibly crisp, with a sharp milled finish to the top of the lugs and a sharp hallmark to the back of the lug.
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Artist Biography
Rolex
Swiss
• 1905
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.
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Ref. 6542
A fine and rare yellow gold dual time wristwatch with sweep center seconds, date, brown lacquer dial and bakelite bezel
