Then and Now: The Rolex "Pepsi" GMT-Master
I still remember my discussions with my wife about the prospect of buying a vintage Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675. Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master
Some of the watches in the collection are lighter and I'm ready to pull the trigger. 1675 is mine.
The Rolex GMT-Master enjoys a certain lore today, steadily building up over the course of several generations due to its association with the jet age, Pan Am, astronauts, movie shows and, today, celebrities. All of this is fastened to the instantly recognizable Pepsi-colored bezel, blue on top and rouge (BLRO) on the bottom. The watch has changed a lot since it was first introduced in 1954 as reference 6542, and today's GMT-Master II follows the same basic formula. Still, the space between them is enormous, and each has an appeal that seems to cater to a different emotion.
It was found on my dad's wrist shortly after owning the 1675 in 2012 as he helped me get rid of the pickle after some expensive photography equipment was stolen. He will continue to wear the watch for many years.replica watches luxury
Like many vintage items, age is known in unique ways, and watches are no exception. Sometimes it's pretty, sometimes not so pretty. The dial can turn brown, the luminous hour chart turns yellow (or orange, or eggshell…), and of course, the bezel fades in various ways, from ghostly to fuchsia. Vintage Rolex collectors and aficionados love these details, and the dial’s subtle hue change from black to brown can mean a huge premium to its value (at least for some collectors).
It's easy to fall in love with the stories these old watches tell, not just Rolexes. Shop around for any brand with some heritage and you're likely to find romantic stories about their achievements, historical importance, "iconic" sincerity, or the personalities who wore them. While many of these stories drew me (and probably some of you) into the hobby, it was the stories of creation, wear and ownership that kept me here. The concept I discuss in this article about the retro watch of the future.
When I finally got the 1675 back from my dad, I went through an imposter syndrome. The popularity of vintage Rolexes, and this reference in particular, is on the rise. Its image is growing day by day, and for me personally, this watch takes the world from a somewhat nerdy hobby to the realm of fashion and hip culture. The rest of the world is starting to talk about how watches like the 1675 have changed, and I don't exactly consider myself stylish, let alone stylish. After all, that's not why I like this Best replica watches.
As far as watches go, giving up on the 1675 remains one of my biggest regrets. For my own reasons, I'm happy with my favorite watch these days, and I really like the 1675. More importantly, this particular watch connected my dad and me in a way that I didn't fully appreciate at the time. My experience with this watch over the years has largely determined the watch I wear today: a modern watch. Not because I prefer them to their vintage counterparts (which I don't), but because of the wear factor over time, ownership, and experience that largely fuels my passion for watches.
So how does this wearing experience align with the latest version of the GMT, the 126710BLRO? Is a watch, for all intents and purposes, a purgatory of exorbitant resale prices, a culture of watch hype and advertising waitlists? Under all this, surprisingly good. Of course, sacrifices were made, but the plot wasn't lost.
The 1675 enjoys a light feel on the wrist, with a casual feel thanks to the fully brushed bracelet and matte dial, while the 126170 has a very serious feel. Measuring 40mm in diameter and 12mm thick, the steel case measures just under 48mm from lug tip to lug tip and is still very easy to wear. By the way, the same numbers for 1675 are: 39mm, 12.9mm and 47mm. There's not much difference between the two numerically, but visually, it's another story. Some mass has clearly developed around the lugs and the height of the case walls. The 1675 is a more comfortable watch on the wrist, but its quality is a little tricky to pin down.replica Ulysse Nardin Diver Watches
Watches from the 1970s had a "piercing" quality that was best reflected in the sound of the bracelet when putting on and taking off the watch, or any serious wrist movement. You can hear it, you can feel it. You might think of it as a pair of well-dressed jeans. Hollow links, embossed clasps and decades of history are well known here. In contrast, the 126710 feels precision engineered, not only in build quality, but in the way it spreads the watch's weight across the wrist. is clinical. This is the PDK of the 1675s stick.
My biggest complaint (with the exception of PCL of course) is the change in case profiles. The 1675 has a slim case wall that gives way to the belly of the caseback, and a prominent acrylic crystal. Its overall thickness is almost a full millimeter north of 126710, but you'd swear it's thinner, and it all boils down to the case walls. Newer watches have less variance in case wall thickness, making them visually thicker. Still, 12mm is perfectly manageable, but if they had kept that case construction, some of the magic would have lived on not only here, but in many of their modern references. Without further ado, some quick math shows that the ratio of the case wall height to the overall thickness of the watch is: 36.05% for the 1675 and 47.92% for the 126710.replica Tudor Pelagos 39 M25407N
The 126710 uses the new(ish) Rolex 3285 movement, and all the modern flair we've come to expect in recent years. Paraflex this, Chronergy that, with ample power reserve (70 hours) and highest timekeeping accuracy (+/- 2 seconds). It's an impressive sport, to be sure, and does exactly what you want it to without showing off (the Rolex is their best if you ask me). Every day, the newer GMTs are easier to read, easier to use (would the 1675 have a smaller crown?), and more reliably accurate over longer periods of time. It's clearly a great watch from a technical standpoint, which isn't surprising, but that's not how we judge vintage watches, is it.
We don't often think of vintage watches in these terms. They need to be held to different standards when examining their condition, their lives, the stories they tell and their impact on future generations. In this case, modern watches should be considered more frequently. Whether basic or otherwise.
The GMT tells a story from my own life that inspired me to think long-term about the watches I own and wear, buy carefully to collect rather than use, and trends in fashion and culture are fleeting (or at least evolving). To be honest, I love the modern interpretation of this swiss watch replica. What it lacks in fun quirkiness, it makes up for in solid grip and rugged goodness, which gets better with a few dings and scratches.
In a decade or two (or five years), my guess is that the era will find a way to make itself known in this and other modern watches, and some of the glamour we've dedicated to vintage watches today will creep in . With any luck, future generations of GMTs will be easy to buy directly from Rolex.
The GMT-Master is a watch that has come a long way over the past 60 years. It gives us memorable references such as 1675 and continues to build on the concept of 126710. As far as watches go, the connective tissue feels stronger than ever. Is it enough to pull old fashioned diehards over the line? maybe not. It's bigger and flashier, no doubt, but it's not as fancy as some might think. It's a cohesive design, whether taken alone or in the context of its lineage.
The 1675 may have moved away from me, but at the end of the day I'm not that sentimental. It's more appealing in many ways, but the Hyundai BLRO is a straight-through line that retains those experiences and provides a great platform. Regardless of what these two watches say about the state of Rolex in the tool-versus-jewelry debate, to me, they both underscore that fake watch are what we think about making them. Given that, the 126710 is the tool we'd love to make. The polished center link be damned.