Rolex GMT Master II

Why We Love It Out of the entire Rolex model line, the GMT Master is definitely our favorite here at A/S. Ever since the model was unveiled in 1955, it's been a constant success for Rolex. From the reference 6542 to the famed 1675, to more contemporary versions like this 16710, we love them equally. While the more contemporary references are thicker and a bit less rugged in finishing, one could argue they are more horologically superior thanks to features like a quickset date and a enhanced movement.  The black bezel and glossy black dial give the watch an appropriate contemporary look. White gold surrounds give the piece an element of elegance. Whether worn with jeans and a t-shirt or a suit, a black GMT is simply timeless. The GMT has proven to be a watch that can take on just about anything. If you need something to encompass you during day to day activities, look no further than this 16710.  The Story As the legend goes, Pan-Am approached Rolex in 1953 looking for a watch specially designed for their pilots, and a partnership was quickly formed. A Submariner became the base for this new watch, and several important modifications were made to turn a Sub into the GMT-Master that we know today. Rolex added a date function with a cyclops lens magnifier, GMT complication, and two-colored bezel to provide long-haul pilots with the info they needed as they circumnavigated the globe. The GMT-Master’s 24-hour hand works in conjunction with the rotating bezel to make tracking a second time zone incredibly simple. When the bezel’s triangle is aligned to 12 o’clock, the red arrow hand points to the time on a 24-hour military scale, which in itself is valuable as a day/night indicator (at least if you’re a cave explorer). The usefulness of the complication really shines when the wearer rotates the bezel so that the numbers around the bezel correspond the a 2nd time zone (such as Greenwich Mean Time), allowing the watch to track any two time zones in the world at once.