Who would have thought the advent of flight and the subsequent mastery of it would have concurrently expanded and shrunk the world as we know it today. Jetting off to far-flung locations is no longer a dream but a tangible reality; global connectivity has closed the distance between continents, and what would take weeks to cross the oceans now takes a matter of hours. With the rise of commercial aviation, keeping track of multiple time zones became a necessity for a select few, namely pilots. In this need, Rolex saw and found a mechanical solution in the guise of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master, which housed the dual-time zone complication.
GMT-Master, stainless steel, red and blue Plexiglas insert, 1955, ref. 6542
That fateful year was 1955, when the first Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master reference, the 6542, was unveiled, featuring a bi-directional bicoloured bezel and a 24-hour hand, colloquially known as the GMT hand, as we know it today. The GMT hand completes a full rotation once every 24 hours, and with the bi-directional bezel, the wearer can monitor a second time zone.
Rolex advertisement celebrating the first non-stop transatlantic flight from New York to Moscow operated by Pan Am, during which the captain, C. N. Warren, wore a GMT-Master.
Rolex cemented the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master as a symbol of connection in 1959 when Captain C. N. Warren piloted the Boeing 707 in Pan Am’s first non-stop flight between New York and Moscow. Captain Warren was quoted as saying, “The flight itself was navigated by Rolex.” That same year, eight individuals from the British army regiment embarked on the Pegasus Overland round-the-world expedition. Rolex supported each member with an Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master as they traversed 34 countries across Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa during their 51-week journey.
24-hour hands of different versions of the GMT-Master II
Since then, much like its inimitable Submariner sibling, the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master has transcended its role as a tool watch and become an emblem of the cosmopolitan jet-set life. Over the course of history, the timepiece that shaped aviation has evolved to incorporate Rolex’s technological innovations. After numerous enhancements, including the introduction of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II in 1983 and no fewer than 11 movement updates from the calibre 1036 GMT (1955) to the current calibre 3285, the iconic watch remains at the forefront of adventure in the skies and beyond.
GMT-Master, stainless steel, red and blue bezel insert, 1959, ref. 1675 (above) and GMT-Master II, Oystersteel, red and blue bezel insert, 2018, ref. 126710 BLRO (below)
Rolex and Cortina Watch invite all to step into the history books of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master and GMT-Master II in the thematic Time Zone to Time Zone exhibition. From legendary stories and references to contemporary releases, the exhibition highlights key milestones through a series of thematic panels. It concludes with a short documentary film tracing the journey of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master. The Time Zone to Time Zone exhibition takes place at Paragon, Level 1, Main Atrium, and runs from 24 October to 2 November 2025.
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