Tropical 1960 Rolex GMT-Master (Ref. 1675) Gilt "Chapter Ring" Dial & PCG Case

The Rolex GMT-Master, a symbol of sophistication and versatility, has a storied history that dates back to 1954. It all started when Rolex received a request from Pan American Airways (Pan Am) to develop a technical pilot's watch capable of displaying two time zones simultaneously. With the advent of commercial transcontinental flights, Pan Am needed a watch for their long-haul international flight crews that would enable them to keep track of time in multiple locations.

GMT, which stands for Greenwich Mean Time, is the universal time standard that regulates the world's clocks and is the basis for aviation planning and schedules. The Rolex GMT-Master has a fourth 24-hour hand that displays the same time zone as the standard 12-hour hand but on a 24-hour scale. This GMT hand allows wearers to set the watch to GMT or any other time zone and then adjust the offset using the rotating 24-hour bezel to display a second time zone. This remarkable feature makes the Rolex GMT-Master a must-have for anyone who frequently travels across multiple time zones, allowing them to keep track of two time zones with ease and precision.

The first few years of the reference 1675, the second GMT-Master reference to come from Rolex, saw rapid evolution in the model's design. This swift progression resulted in various iterations of the dial and case styles, all of which had minuscule production windows. This has become one of the most celebrated and documented eras for the Rolex GMT-Master and is generally referred to as the Gilt-era for Rolex.