Page Dimensions

Approx. 8" x 10 1/2" (20cm x 26cm)

Story and Details

When the GMT Master was introduced, it was quickly branded as a reliable tool watch for pilots, with many advertisements proudly announcing the relationship between Rolex and Pan Am. Ever the marketeers, Rolex would continue to associate the GMT Master with aviation and travel. Most-famously with the Concorde. Those "If you were flying the Concorde..." ads created between 1968 - 1970 are among the most-memorable Rolex ads of all-time and likely influenced many jet-setters to purchase a GMT Master. But in 1997, when this ad was published, the Concorde probably had less of an impact on someone in the market for a Rolex. That's because at this point, Rolex, and many models, including the GMT Master, were well-established and could stand on their own. Even the flavor of GMT featured in this ad, a “Coke” GMT Master II Ref. 16710, had been in production for a decade. The timelessness and success of the GMT Master is what this ad is all about... That headline about design isn't referring to the Concorde, one of the most advanced developments in aviation history. The quote is actually speaking to the GMT Master's legendary design. This main idea comes to light once you begin reading those paragraphs - mentioning the respective GMT Masters of the Concorde pilots and how the look of the model hasn’t changed much in 25 years, even saying, "the differences between them may appear minimal to the untutored eye..." Of course, to collectors, the look and feel of a vintage Ref. 1675, like the example worn by Brian Trubshaw, compared to the neo-vintage Ref. 16710, worn by Captain Wand, is about as big a difference as the flying time from London to New York aboard the Concorde versus a Boeing 747.