Vintage Rolex GMT-Master 1675 "Two-Tone Nipple Dial" - Vintage of the Week Ep 28 | Bob's Watches

For this episode of Vintage of the Week, we have a striking two-tone nipple dial GMT Master 1675 on an Oyster bracelet. Shop certified used luxury watches: www.bobswatches.com/vintage-rolex-1.html

NAVIGATE THIS VIDEO

00:00 INTRO
00:10 Wrist Check
00:45 Vintage Rolex GMT 1675 Two-Tone Nipple Dial
02:08 Comparison with Root Beer
03:00 Classic Look
03:49 Nipple Hour Markers
03:58 Patina
04:12 Bracelet
04:40 Condition
05:43 Dial
06:08 Bezel
06:26 Rolex Discontinuations
06:48 Crown
07:02 Availability
07:13 Value
07:40 Outro

The Bob's Watches Vintage of the Week series will showcase a different remarkable vintage luxury watch from our inventory each week. Follow along with the series: https://tinyurl.com/5y4hp8dj

The star of today’s installment of VOTW is a charming two-tone GMT Master ref. 1675 circa 1978. What we really love about this watch is the unique nipple dial and the fact that it wears on an Oyster bracelet instead of the Jubilee that we typically see with the 4-digit GMT.


ROLEX 1675 HISTORY

The GMT Master debuted to much acclaim in the 1950s. Rolex initially developed the watch as a tool for pilots, featuring a bi-directional 24-hour bezel and an extra GMT hand for reading a second time zone.

The Rolex GMT was an innovation of its time and played a pivotal role in shaping the aviation watch industry as we know it.

The very first GMT Master ref. 6542, aka “Pussy Galore,” was only produced for a few short years before it was replaced in 1959 by ref. 1675.

Reference 1675 was a smashing success that remained in production for decades before finally retiring from the Rolex lineup around the early 1980s to make room for ref. 16750.


ROLEX 1675 FEATURES

With such a long production run, many iterations of ref. 1675 hit the market, including the striking steel and gold Rolex featured in this video.

A few upgrades were made to the GMT collection with ref. 1675, including the introduction of crown guards, which were initially pointed and then square.

We also saw the distinction “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” on the GMT for the first time.

Reference 1675 features an older-style acrylic crystal, Rolex’s famous waterproof Oyster case with a 50-meter depth rating, Tritium luminescent material, and either a three-piece link Oyster bracelet or a five-piece link Jubilee bracelet.


DIAL

From 1959 until around the mid-1960s, the GMT 1675 was produced with a glossy dial. However, it was eventually replaced by the matte dial with printed luminous hour markers around 1965.

Looking at the GMT hand, it was smaller in the early years of reference 1675’s production. We didn’t start to see the larger arrow hand until around the late 1960s.

Additionally, the dial will also have a chapter ring, depending on the year produced.


MOVEMENTS

Reference 1675 was initially powered by the caliber 1565, which remained in production until around 1964. It beats at a rate of 18,000 bph.

Caliber 1575 joined the GMT lineup in 1965, bringing with it a higher frequency of 19,600 bph and a convenient hacking seconds feature, although that feature wasn’t added until around 1971.


BEZEL

Reference 1675 was also produced with either all-black or two-tone bezels, both featuring 24-hour graduations for dual timekeeping.


OUR EXAMPLE

The handsome GMT Master ref. 1675 featured in our video has a black dial decorated with unique nipple hour markers, named after their coned shape. These hour markers are a little less common and can typically be found on some gold or two-tone GMT Master and Submariner watches.

The Tritium lume on the dial has since aged to a creamy hue, and the dial and hands exhibit a lovely patina.

This Rolex 1675 also features a matching black bezel in excellent condition with only a few signs of wear.

It sits on a stainless steel case that does appear to have been polished at some point. It wears on the sportier three-piece link Oyster bracelet with stainless steel outer links and yellow gold center links.

Interestingly, the yellow gold links have aged some, adding even further to this remarkable watch’s vintage aesthetic.
Lastly, our example of the GMT Master 1675 pilot’s watch relies on the later caliber 1575 Perpetual movement, featuring the hacking seconds function, a jump date mechanism, and automatic winding technology.

What do you think of this exceptional two-tone GMT Master ref. 1675 with a nipple dial? Let us know in the comments below.

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