{"id":13160,"date":"2017-02-11T06:30:18","date_gmt":"2017-02-11T14:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/?p=13160"},"modified":"2020-08-12T16:17:35","modified_gmt":"2020-08-12T23:17:35","slug":"birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html","title":{"rendered":"The Birth of a Rolex Icon: The GMT-Master Ref. 6542"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>The Inaugural Rolex Pilot Watch<\/h2>\n<p>In 1955, Rolex unveils\u00a0their very first model of their now-famous pilot watch &#8211; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-gmt-master-1.html\" title=\"Rolex GMT-Master\">Rolex GMT-Master<\/a> ref. 6542. A tool watch\u00a0through and through, the GMT-Master was\u00a0made specifically for commercial airline pilots. And not just any airline, but the reigning airline of the day, Pan Am.<\/p>\n<p>As pilots were traveling greater distances they flew over several time zones and encountered a new phenomenon known as jet lag. Pam Am realized that their pilots would need a way to keep track of two time zones simultaneously and\u00a0called on Rolex to build them a special watch. The Swiss watchmaker naturally obliged and the GMT-Master was born.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13166\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13166\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13166\" title=\"The blue and the red bezel helped nickname the GMT-Master ref. 6542 the Pepsi.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026.jpg\" alt=\"The dual color bezel helps keep track of two different time zones.\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026.jpg 4608w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026-570x380.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13166\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">GMT-Master ref. 6542 is a tool for aviation. (Credit: IsringTime)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>The Bezel of the GMT-Master ref. 6542<\/h2>\n<p>There are several key design elements to the GMT-Master that not only made the watch super practical for pilots but\u00a0also made it instantly recognizable. Rolex actually based the design of the GMT-Master on a watch they had debuted two years earlier &#8211; the Turn-O-Graph ref. 6202. The Turn-O-Graph included a rotating bezel, which also made its way onto the GMT-Master ref. 6542.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the bezel of the GMT-Master &#8211; even today &#8211; is arguably the watch&#8217;s most important design detail. The bezel of the GMT-Master was marked with 24 hours and that, coupled with the extra 24-hour hand on the dial, allowed the watch to display a second time-zone. That supplemental\u00a0time zone could be set to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) &#8211; the international civil time standard used during that era &#8211; hence the name of the watch.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13167\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13167\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13167\" title=\"The Turn-O-Graph was discontinued and the GMT-Master was born.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1x-1.jpg\" alt=\"The GMT evolved from the Turn-O-Graph\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1x-1.jpg 2200w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1x-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1x-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1x-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1x-1-570x380.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13167\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The GMT-Master was previously known as the Turn-O-Graph (credit: Bloomberg).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Further adding to the practicality of the bezel was the use of two colors. Red was to signify daylight hours while blue marked nighttime hours. The blue and red colors of the Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 became an icon of its own right and picked up its own nickname &#8211; the Pepsi bezel.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/models\/rolex-6542\" title=\"Rolex 6542\">Rolex 6542<\/a> included a luminous bakelite bezel insert, however, this material was very prone to cracking. Therefore, Rolex quickly replaced it with a metal bezel insert in 1956.<\/p>\n<h2>The Four Short Years of the GMT-Master Ref. 6542<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to replacing the bezel material, Rolex also\u00a0outfitted the ref. 6542 with three different movements. First came the Caliber 1036, then the Caliber 1065, and finally the Caliber 1066. Of course, each of these was an automatic movement powering the time, date, and extra 24-hour hand.\u00a0The 24-hour hand and the traditional 12-hour hand were directly linked. Thus, the wearer would set his local time on the main dial and then adjust the bezel to line up with the GMT hand accordingly to correctly indicate his second-time zone.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6650\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6650\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6650\" title=\"The three different movements were all automatic.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/rolex-vintage-pepsi-dial-reference-6542-gmt.jpg\" alt=\"Rolex Vintage Pepsi Dial Reference 6542\" width=\"900\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/rolex-vintage-pepsi-dial-reference-6542-gmt.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/rolex-vintage-pepsi-dial-reference-6542-gmt-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6650\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rolex Vintage Pepsi Dial Reference 6542 came in three different movements.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The first GMT-Master was waterproof to only 50 meters and didn&#8217;t include any crown guards. This would eventually change where the GMT-Master would boast increased water resistance and crown guards were eventually introduced to future GMT-Master references.\u00a0The GMT-Master ref. 6542 was in production until 1959, after which the then-new GMT-Master ref. 1675 took its place.<\/p>\n<p>An absolute grail watch if you can ever get your hands on it, the legendary Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 made history by paving the way for one of the most famous aviation timepieces to date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 1955, Rolex unveils their very first model of their now famous pilot watch\u2014the GMT-Master ref. 6542. A tool watch through and through, the GMT-Master was made specifically for commercial airline pilots. And not just any airline, but the reigning airline of the day, Pan Am. As pilots were traveling greater distances they flew over several time zones and encountered a new phenomenon known as jet lag. Pam Am realized that their pilots would need a way to keep track of two time zones simultaneously and called on Rolex to build them a special watch. The Swiss watchmaker naturally obliged and the GMT-Master was born.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2171],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[2286],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The GMT-Master Ref. 6542 Is A Classic Watch Known Throughout The World.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The iconic GMT-Master ref. 6542 is a watch that has been immortalized for its iconic bezel, origin, and demand. This GMT is watch to remember.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The GMT-Master Ref. 6542 Is A Classic Watch Known Throughout The World.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The iconic GMT-Master ref. 6542 is a watch that has been immortalized for its iconic bezel, origin, and demand. This GMT is watch to remember.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bob&#039;s Watches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bobswatches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-02-11T14:30:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-08-12T23:17:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Paul Altieri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bobswatches\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bobswatches\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Paul Altieri\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Paul Altieri\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/22b37643d599dce1a5947061baa91033\"},\"headline\":\"The Birth of a Rolex Icon: The GMT-Master Ref. 6542\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-11T14:30:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-08-12T23:17:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html\"},\"wordCount\":574,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Watch Review\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html\",\"name\":\"The GMT-Master Ref. 6542 Is A Classic Watch Known Throughout The World.\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/birth-rolex-icon-gmt-master-ref-6542.html#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/DSC_0026.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-11T14:30:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-08-12T23:17:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"The iconic GMT-Master ref. 6542 is a watch that has been immortalized for its iconic bezel, origin, and demand. 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