Rolex GMT-Master 'Swiss Only'

Why We Love It The Rolex GMT-Master Reference 16700 perfectly represents the bridge between ‘Neo-Vintage’ and 'Contemporary Classic' with its classic case proportions and transitional materials.Its the kind of watch that collectors and enthusiasts alike will look back on in the near future and say 'I wish I had known that was the next big thing..." This particular example is in excellent condition throughout and also comes complete with inner and outer boxes and punched papers, making it a highly desirable example.  We've always enjoyed the 'black on black' GMT-Master variants, which offer a more subtle alternative to the louder "Pepsi" and 'Coke' bezel variations more commonly seen on the market. Best of all, this piece also features a 'Swiss Only' signature just above the 6:00 position, indicative of Rolex's late 90's transition to the modern luxury powerhouse it is today.  Discerning collectors have already begun scooping these limit run examples...  The devil, as always, is in the details! The GMT-Master Story The years following the end of The Second World War saw the world become a much, much smaller place. Advances in aviation technology led to the world’s first nonstop Transatlantic passenger flights between Europe and North America, and the era of the jetsetter began. Along with this new age of travel arose a need for travelers, and more importantly pilots, to have a wristwatch that could display two time zones at once. As a pioneer of transatlantic and transcontinental flight, Pan American Airlines approached Rolex in 1953 looking for a watch specially designed for their pilots, and Rolex agreed to take on the project. The newly designed Submariner became the base for this new watch, and several important complications were 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 a rotating bezel to make tracking a second time zone incredibly simple. When the wearer rotates the bezel so that the numbers around the bezel correspond to a second time zone (such as Greenwich Mean Time, the inspiration for the model’s nomenclature), it allows the watch to track any two time zones in the world at once. Not long after the debut of the GMT-Master at the Basel World Fair in 1954, Pan-Am adopted the GMT Master as its official wristwatch. Decades later, the GMT-Master and its “Pepsi” bezel has become a true icon of the watch world. It is instantly recognizable and eternally stylish – the very best of what Rolex has to offer.