As many of you may already know, Rolex introduced their very first pilot watch in 1954 with the GMT-Master ref. 6542. The watch was built for Pan Am pilots to keep track of home time and local time simultaneously as they flew around the country and the world. But what you may not know is that alongside the famous inaugural stainless steel GMT-Master watches with the blue and red ?Pepsi? Bakelite bezels, Rolex also made a handful of yellow gold GMT-Master ref. 6542 models. Super rare and super gorgeous, join us as we zero in on this uncommon vintage beauty.
This GMT-Master 6542 Shines Bright in Gold
There are so many fantastic details to highlight on this vintage GMT-Master ref. 6542, which on their own would already excite collectors, but taken all together, this watch is just downright impressive. First up, unlike the more well-known stainless steel varieties, this GMT-Master 6542 is crafted in precious 18k yellow gold. That?s pretty special considering that the GMT-Master was developed as a tool watch. Second, we have the Bakelite bezel, flaunting a rich reddish brown color that complements the yellow gold case perfectly.
When Rolex first debuted the GMT-Master 6542, they used Bakelite material to fashion the bezels along with radium numerals floating inside. Unfortunately, Bakelite proved to be too brittle for the job and had a tendency to shatter.  Rolex quickly replaced them with aluminum bezels in future models.
So, not only is a GMT-Master with a Bakelite bezel alr...