Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II: the colorful comeback of a legend

The famous airline was looking for a watch that allowed pilots to efficiently deal with the time zones they juggle with on a daily basis. In a broader sense, this product sought to meet the needs of intercontinental travelers or senior executives who wanted to have both their “home” time and the time of the city where their company’s headquarters were displayed on their dial through an added hour hand that made a full rotation every 24 hours.

This is a very popular watch whose signature red and blue turning bezel has been an icon for a long time now. It has, nevertheless, evolved over the years and its diameter and adjusting functions, amongst others, have even been slightly modified in order to adapt the watch to market demand. Since Cerachrom® bezels were created in 2005 the famous GMT-Master II with its iconic bezel disappeared from collections to the disappointment of fans who considered the watch to have a unique aura. This year, the manufacture’s R+D Department has managed to recreate this iconic instrument with a white gold 40-mm case and, above all, a one-piece blue and red bidirectional turning Cerachrom® bezel.

Initially developed in blue and black, this procedure allowed for two different and perfectly separated colors to appear in a one-piece component. The process was later on improved to create this tone of red which is very difficult to obtain with ceramic. This is a sober technical achievement but it certainly illustrates that the brand with the crown logo can master every field of work.

This new version of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II is driven by the in-house, self-winding 3186 caliber which is a COSC-certified chronometer. It displays the hour and the date with a “cyclops” lens over it. It also features a 24-hour, red hand with a luminous triangle at the tip which displays a second time zone from the center. The timepiece is furthermore water resistant to 100 meters thanks to its patented screwed Triplock winding crown. It features a white gold folding clasp with polished and satin-brushed links and thus belongs to the range of prestigious watches which is very much appreciated by collectors.