About the Watch

One of the most sought-after Rolex models is the GMT-Master. Its origins are strongly related to aviation: Those in charge were looking for a watch that could reflect different time zones when the Pan Am airline started operating transatlantic flights. High accuracy was crucial for pilots at the time, therefore it also had to operate exactly. Rolex therefore created the GMT-Master. Since its introduction in 1954, the GMT-Master has gained popularity among pilots in NASA and the US Air Force in addition to Pan Am flight captains. They were also worn by businessmen who frequently traveled to other time zones. This is due to the fact that jet lag is easier to manage if you can observe both local time and home time simultaneously - a welcome psychological effect. The fourth hand is a characteristic feature of this watch. It is a second hour hand with a triangular tip. It does not rotate once every 12 hours, but only once every 24 hours completely over the dial. This second hour hand does not show the time on the normal dial of the watch, but on a bezel around the dial. Accordingly, this bezel also has a 24 hour scale. The "normal" 12-hour hand can be adjusted in one-hour jumps without affecting the display of minutes, seconds and the 24-hour hand. Thus, the wearer of this watch is able to quickly switch to a new, local time zone by means of this quick adjustment of the "normal" hour hand, without the watch stopping and while the 24 hour hand continues to display the home time.

About the Brand

Known the world over, Rolex is a benchmark for prestige and quality in watchmaking. Since its creation, the brand has placed the reliability of its products uppermost. It submits virtually its entire movement production for testing by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres to obtain COSC certification. Rolex is also renowned for its after-sales service which is performed by staff who have been specially trained, often in Rolex's own schools in countries around the globe, including the United States and Japan. Rolex was founded by Hans Wilsdorf. A Bavarian watchmaker who emigrated to Switzerland, he immediately put his natural flair for products and business acumen at the service of a brand that would soon forge an international reputation. He was succeeded in 1963 by André Heiniger, whose son Patrick took over at the helm in 1992. Bruno Meier in 2009 then Gian Riccardo Marini in 2011 were successively appointed at the head of the business, a limited company (société anonyme) that is wholly owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. In 2014, Jean-Frédéric Dufour, previously Chief Executive of Zenith, was named as the new CEO. Such a reputation hasn't gone unnoticed among collectors, as recent auction results demonstrate. At a 2013 sale in Geneva, for example, a Daytona Chronograph in steel achieved an absolute record price of US$ 1.1 million. The brand hones its image through associations with prominent and well-respected personalities chosen from the arts and sports. Also, in 1976 Rolex launched its Awards for Enterprise which each year single out innovative projects that promote sustainable development. The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative gives young artists a privileged opportunity to benefit from the experience of masters in their field.