Rolex 'GMT-Tropical' Bracelet Watch
Stainless Steel

Model: GMT
Reference:1675
Date: 1959 ('IV 59' - Fourth quarter 1959)
Movement: Automatic, cal.1560, numbered 'D21343'
Dial: Original gilt dial, with tropical patina (evenly faded from original black to chocolate brown), gilt outer minute track, luminous triangle, baton and dot hour markers, date aperture at the 3 o'clock position, steel hands with luminous inserts, red GMT pointer hand
Case: Stainless steel, rotating bezel with the original blue/red steel insert, pointed crown guards, screw-down Oyster crown and case-back, numbered '504822', and bearing the model reference and date code to the inner case '1675' & 'IV 59'
Bracelet: None
Size: 40mm
Accompaniments: None
Notes: Originally Black when new, Rolex ‘gilt’ dials were produced in the mid-1950s until around 1967, characterised by gold-toned text and a high-gloss, mirror-like finish achieved through a galvanic process. This labour-intensive, multi-step technique applied a black lacquer over a gold-plated brass base, which showed through as metallic gold printing for the text and markers. They were used on iconic models like the Submariner, Explorer, and GMT-Master, and are now highly sought-after by collectors for their rich, vintage aesthetic.
Our example has an attractive, even ‘tropical’ patina, which, after much fading, is now presenting as a soft brown/gold tone