I have said this before. And I will say it again. The GMT Master is my favourite line within Rolex.

For those who like GMT – Phillips HK auction end of May has you extremely well covered.

I was recently in London I had the chance to get a sneak preview of the upcoming HK Sale. While there were many nice GMT’s including a full set 1675 with chronometer papers, and a UAE issued GMT, I fell in love with two other GMTs.

A rare radial dial GMT with the most awesome Fuchsia insert you have ever seen and a very cool double swiss.

---

Lot: 25 Rolex 1961 GMT Master 1675 

Lets start with my absolute favourite: This early 1675  with gilt dial and a killer insert.

Now what makes this watch particularly interesting is the following:

First it is a rare radial dial (not to be confused with rail dial*). Collectors refer to this type of dial because if you look at the lume plots they are placed further towards the centre of the dial than is normally the case. The minute lines are also a little bit longer than on the normal dial 1675. Secondly the watch has a gilt dial and pointed crown guards. Only the very earliest 1675 GMTs have pointed crown guards (cornino) and this being a 1961 GMT – it is absolutely correct.

But if you look at the dial of this particular GMT is its signed t > 25 which is very rare and unusual for a pointed crown guard watch. 

Wait a minute. Pointed crown guards and no chapter ring dial? And 1961 year? What is going on? Surely something is not correct. Let me explain.

Most early 1675s (1959-63) had chapter ring dials and only the swiss signature. However some watches went through a transition period – the dial changed to t>25 and the watch was still gilt and carried a pointed crown guard case. Normally these watches are dated 1963 (I happen to personally own one such 1675). The dial on these 1963 watches are original and correct and born with a pointed crown guard case even though they are t>25. 

Phillips is correct to argue that this watch Lot 25 seems somewhat early (1961 year) for being such a transitional watch and thus there is some probability that this watch carries a replacement dial. However it still could be possible that this watch was born with this dial. Remember this is Rolex.

Even if the watch carries a replacement dial – it is one of the best looking dials I still have ever seen. And my instinct says this dial was born with this watch (though in no way can I prove this). Look at the dial. It seems pretty flawless. Very glossy. No marks on the dial. And the lume on the dial and hands match perfectly.

In a perverse way I almost prefer this dial to the normal chapter ring dial that is more commonly seen on an early 1961 pointed crown guard watch. Why? I find the layout much more attractive. The lume plots placed further inside the dial (radial) gives the watch a very cool look. The great condition of this particular dial also strongly appeals to me (lume plots, glossy dial).

And remember this is still a gilt dial, so even if it is a replacement it is a correct period replacement – meaning still in the era of gilt dials. It is not that Rolex put a matte and white print dial on this watch – which would not be correct at all. The hands (hour and minute) as well as small extended triangle for the second time zone seem correct.

Replacement dial or not – this watch is extremely handsome.

What makes this watch even more awesome is this killer bezel insert.

It is perhaps the best insert I have ever seen. Look at the purple. And the awesome light blue that is slightly faded. It captured my heart the moment I saw this watch. Looking at the watch from the side and near the window at Phillips showed the beauty of this watch. 

Besides the fantastic color (its really an explosion of colors) the bezel also has the fatest font found on the bezel insert – a rarity in itself – also known as Mk1.

The estimate of this watch is a conservative $10-15’ooo. I would buy this watch without hesitation within this range.

---

Lot 286 Rolex 1962/3 GMT Master 1675 double swiss underline

My next pick should not be a surprise for readers of this blog. The double swiss underline is one of the most important and rare GMT watches ever made. Made only for a very short period during 1963 – they are exceedingly rare.

Collectors of Rolex can recognize the double swiss quite quickly as the dial has some unique properties:

• The Rolex coronet is shaped in a peculiar shape- it is more straight on the top (you can almost draw a straight line connecting all the dots).
• The lume plots are placed more towards the centre of the dial much like a radial dial.
• Ofcourse the underline at Chronometer certified (not all – but most double swiss had underline dials)
• The double swiss which can be found way at the bottom of the dial (see below)
• The watch has pointed crown guards which is also correct for this watch
• The serial number should be below 1’ooo’ooo and in the 8-900’ooo range which this watch is with 877 xxx

The example being sold at Phillips stands out for its good clean dial which remains glossy. No spots are scratch marks are visible on the dial. The watch also carries the correct small triangle hand for the second time zone. Additionally the lume plots are in fantastic shape and have a nice beige color. See picture above. The serial Nr of 877 xxx is absolutely correct for this watch.

The estimate of this watch is between $11-18’ooo strikes me as on the conservative side. The double swiss is a very rare bird. For more information on the double swiss GMT please see our detailed report here.

Concluding thoughts

These two GMT watches is the perfect example of where collecting is not only about trophy watches or collectors with deep pockets.

Sure there are some awesome other GMT watches, but these two stand out in my opinion for rarity, condition and just plain coolness. And both for well below $20’ooo (auction estimate).

A perfect example of where an astute collector with a bit of luck can outshine and outsmart the collector with deep pockets that will be focused on other trophy watches.

*Thank you Fabrice and JGLLS for pointing out the difference between radial and rail dials. Rail dials refer to the specific alignment of text writing on the lower part of the dial on SD. Notably seen on sea dwellers 1665 -especially COMEX issued ones. Radial as explained above.