Journey Through Time

The quintessential tool watch for frequent flyers, the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master IT continues to evolve with the times while maintaining its distinct character

- Annabel Tan

As the titan of the watchmaking industry, Rolex has built a robust and well‑rounded collection of timepieces that are highly coveted the world over. From the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona to the Oyster Perpetual Day‑Date, there are many iconic watches to the Swiss manufacture’s name. One in particular that has withstood the test of time is the Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master II.

Renowned for and easily distinguished by its two‑colour Cerachrom bezel insert, the tool watch has gained esteem among watchmaking connoisseurs and evolved continually to offer increasing technical performance. Its reach has expanded far beyond its original intended purpose of simply enabling professionals, including airline pilots, ship captains, navigators, international businessmen and members of the military, who travel often to keep track of two time zones at once.

This is, in part, thanks to how Rolex has evolved the watch over the years. When the original model was first launched in 1955, the Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master, as it was called then, was equipped with a self‑winding mechanical movement that allowed a standard hour hand and a 24‑hour hand to indicate the same time but on two different time scales. In order to keep track of the second time zone, where the time was indicated by the 24‑hour hand, the wearer had to adjust the bezel.