1981 Rolex GMT-Master (Ref. 16750) Matte Dial "Pepsi"

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 serves as the basis for aviation planning and schedules. The Rolex GMT-Master is equipped with 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 timezone. 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 Rolex ref. 16750 was the third GMT-Master model introduced by the Crown and was the direct successor to the long-running model the ref. 1675. First introduced in 1979 and discontinued in 1988, the ref. 16750 only had a short window of production compared to its constituents, especially considering the very transitional nature of the reference. The most notable upgrade initially introduced with the GMT-Master ref. 16750 was the employment of the Cal. 3035 quickset movement, a first for the GMT at the time. Due to the very transitional nature of this ref. 16750, the 9-year production window is broken into two dial variations, the early matte dial version, and the later glossy dial version.

From 1979 to 1984 the GMT-Master ref. 16750 was solely produced with a matte dial, this variation is most prized by vintage collectors for its very vintage aesthetic, matching the same appearance to the references predecessor ref. 1675 but while featuring the improvements the new reference brings. In the second half of 1984 Rolex introduced the glossy black dials with white gold surrounds across both the Submariner and GMT-Master references, the ref. 16750 included, and marked a massive transition for the watchmaker as a whole.