Property of an Italian Collector

The present Rolex GMT-Master reference 6542 is a highly evocative example of the very first GMT model ever produced by the manufacture, introduced in the mid-1950s for Pan American World Airways pilots and now considered one of the most iconic and historically important Rolex sports watches.

This early reference is immediately recognizable by its slim profile, the absence of crown guards, and the distinctive bakelite bezel insert that defined the earliest generation of the GMT-Master. The present watch retains its bakelite insert, here professionally restored, preserving the signature aesthetic that made the 6542 a landmark in Rolex’s development of tool watches.

The dial has aged to a rich and attractive tropical brown, the result of a natural and highly sought-after transformation from its original black tone. The luminous hour markers show a later relume, executed with care and sympathetic to the dial’s overall patina. The early-style hands and the prominent GMT indicator further exemplify the design vocabulary unique to the inaugural GMT-Master generation.

Powered by the automatic caliber 1065 and offered on a period-correct Jubilee bracelet, the present 6542 displays the full character and charm of early aviation Rolex watches.

As the reference that inaugurated the GMT-Master lineage, surviving examples remain exceptionally desirable, particularly those retaining a bakelite bezel and exhibiting a tropical dial shaped organically over decades. This watch stands as a compelling, historically significant, and visually captivating representative of Rolex’s pioneering era in dual-time wristwatches.