The GMT Is Back with a Surprise

About two years ago…. Who loves GMT Masters? Probably every Rolex collector out there. But who loves the GMT Masters made between 2009 and 2012? Nobody. I can say with great confidence that the Rolex GMT Master could make the list of the top five vintage sports watches, with ease. I happen to adore that watch. Whether it’s the vintage appeal or the watch’s functionality, there is something about that watch that makes me grin. In my short career of buying and selling vintage wristwatches, I have only owned two GMT’s, a 1966 1675 Pepsi bezel and the “holy grail, ” a 1958 no crown guard with Bakelite bezel. I’ve always wanted to buy one of these pre 1970 GMT Masters and keep it for myself, but as a teen it’s not as easy as it thinks to get the money for one—even with a watch business. To be continued….
            A few months later… I finally had the money to buy a vintage GMT Master! I was unexplainably happy. Remember, a few months had passed and as a young watch-expert-to-be, my taste was constantly changing. Now what I wanted was either a stainless Calatrava 96 or any 1940’s Rolex chronograph. Yes, I didn’t care what chronograph I got as long as it was old and manufactured by Rolex. This is an example of an unknowledgeable collector who thinks he knows everything, but can’t tell the difference between old Rolex chronographs. My change in taste required a magically growing bank account—that’s a hard bank account to get. With the need for more money I continued to buy and sell watches for a little bit longer. Finally, I got that money. At this point I decided to look at what new pieces the constantly changing watch industry had to offer. HERE IT COMES: Rolex GMT Master ii with a blue/black ceramic bezel. This was a dream come true. Rolex had gone for years without producing a, what I call, dual-colored bezel and I guess these years had paid off. I said to myself, “Rolex is back.”           
-Luke Rottman (Executive Editor: thewatchadviser.com)