Released in 1954, the Rolex GMT-Master is the iconic result of Pan Am and Rolex's collaborative effort to design a watch that could tell the time in two different places at once. With the popularization of commercial flying, the distances flown were only getting greater, which meant pilots crossed time zones during flights more frequently, and hence a need for uniformity across the industry was created. As a result, the aviation industry began to use a standard time-zone to eliminate timing errors and the like. Greenwich Mean Time was decided upon as this standard, and as such, the GMT-Master's fourth hand, the 2nd hour hand, was to stay on Greenwich Mean Time - which is where the name for the watch comes from. Produced between 1954 and 1988, the GMT-Master is perhaps one of Rolex's most iconic models, and its first reference; one of the best known. Produced from 1954 until 1959, the ref. 6542 was a regular Rolex Turn-O-Graph with a modified movement, an additional hour hand, and its famous bi-colored Pepsi bezel. Unfortunately, this bezel, made from an early form of plastic, Bakelite, would famously crack and break due to its fragility, however, the example we have here features an incredibly well-preserved Bakelite bezel without any cracks.

Watch is in excellent overall condition. Case is sharp and exhibits thick chamfers and sharp edges with some age appropriate small marks and scratches. Bezel insert is an original "low-radiation" bakelite version that was was fitted to later production 6542s and watches that were subject to the recall of 1959. The color is somewhat more translucent, and the material used is not nearly as radioactive as the original strontium mixed bezels. It has no cracks and does include any deep scratches. Radium on the dial and hands has abraded in small patches and also discolored to varying degrees. Dial finish is slightly mottled from radiation exposure. Hands feature a "long" neck hour hand and a painted white seconds hand. Luminous hands match in tone with the dial luminous. Dial and hands fluoresce appropriately and give a high reading on geiger counter. The riveted bracelet features 12 links, with minimal stretch.

A truly iconic timepiece that started a revolution within watchmaking and watch collecting, it is difficult to even imagine where Rolex or the modern watch market would be now if it weren't for the influence of the GMT-Master ref. 6542 and its subsequent models.