Wristwatch, Rolex GMT Master 6542, 1955

Model: GMT-Master Reference: 6542 Case Material: Stainless steel Bracelet Material: Stanless steel Rolex bracelet, approximate length 200mm Year: Circa 1955 Movement: Automatic, cal. 1065, 25 jewels Case N°: 112'932 Dimensions: 38mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement Among the most historically significant Rolex sports watches ever produced, the reference 6542 occupies a place of singular importance.

Introduced in 1954, it was the first reference of the now legendary GMT-Master, remaining in production until approximately 1959 and establishing a design language that would define Rolex’s dual-time watches for decades to come. Conceived in close connection with Pan American Airways, the model was developed to meet the needs of pilots and crews navigating the increasingly global routes of the jet age. The ability to read two time zones simultaneously was revolutionary: the conventional hour hand indicated local time, while the additional 24-hour hand, read against the graduated bidirectional bezel, displayed a second time zone.

In stainless steel, the reference 6542 was fitted exclusively with the instantly recognisable two-colour red and blue Bakelite bezel, its 24-hour graduation allowing the wearer to distinguish day from night at a glance. Fragile, original examples of these bezels have become among the most coveted components in vintage Rolex collecting. Yet it is the exceptional dial configuration of the present watch that truly sets it apart. Originally executed with the words “GMT-MASTER” in red, the particular pigments employed during the period have naturally faded over the decades, transforming the colour into a remarkably delicate, almost pink hue.

Importantly, the lettering retains its crisp white depth, creating a subtle and highly attractive contrast with the faded red inscription. In the vast majority of surviving examples featuring red “GMT-MASTER” lettering, the red inscription is found without the distinctive white depth, or with the depth itself executed in red.Adding further historical significance is the exceptionally low case number 112'932. Placed within the earliest known 112.xxx serial range of the reference to our knowledge. Few vintage Rolexes capture the pioneering spirit of the 1950s quite like the reference 6542: the first GMT-Master, born from the dawn of intercontinental air travel, and today one of the most passionately collected icons of the Rolex canon.