Object of Lust

As the Watches & Wonders fair in Geneva opened its doors this morning, the whole watch industry was eager to discover the main novelties for 2022. Rolex surprised the world with a first left Hand GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR, which showcases a green and black ceramic bezel. A première that is very likely to become a future collectible for various reasons.

Rolex GMT-MASTER II, a modern day travel watch

In the early 50’s, Pan Am Airlines wanted a watch for their pilots that would enable them to simultaneously track two time zones, and Rolex, who was already at that time the biggest watchmaker, answered their request by creating the GMT-Master. GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time and is still today the name given to all horological complication offering the simultaneous reading of two time zones.

By the 1980s, the GMT-Master II was born as the Swiss manufacture introduced an extra hour hand, allowing the wearer to read three different time zones at once. The GMT-Master II was highlighted by several bezel variations: first bicolour red-and-black (nicknamed Coke), then red-and-red (Pepsi) or black on aluminium inserts, and later in 2013 the first two-tone ceramic bezel was introduced, in blue and black, for the steel GMT-Master II nicknamed “Batman”.

In 2014, Rolex was able to create the red colour on the ceramic bezel for the new incarnation of the red-and-blue "Pepsi" white gold GMT-Master II. The design of the blue and red ceramic bezel is a technical challenge, thus explaining why the only choice of material offered at that point for the “Pepsi” bezel was gold.

In 2018, Rolex would issue the red-and-blue "Pepsi" on a new steel GMT-Master II, which comes with a Jubilee bracelet instead of the usual Oyster bracelet. Another ceramic bezel for the GMT-Master II model was introduced that same year, the black and brown "Root Beer" bezel.

Rolex introduces a “destro”

Statistics say that between ten and twelve percent of the world's population is left-handed. However, the Swiss crowned manufacture, which produced 1,050,000 watches in 2021 for an estimated turnover of CHF 8.05 billion waited until 2022 to create their first “destro” watch.

In the watchmaking language, “destro” is the word used to designate a watch worn by some one who wears a watch on their right wrist.

The novelty of the model lies in the fact that the crown migrated to the other side of the case, bringing the date window and cyclops at 9 o’clock instead of 3 o’clock, thus creating a GMT-Master II “destro”.

This required technical adjustments to the movement as well as modifying the precision testing process for some of the final controls in order to maintain the Superlative Chronometer certification.

The ref 126720VTNR comes with all the same features of the GMT-Master II, a 40mm steel case, a date display with magnifying Cyclops, rotating bezel, and is animated by the calibre 3285 providing the GMT functionality with independently adjustable hour hand.

is the Rolex GMT-Master II Destro a future Classic?

Despite the annual production of more than one million pieces, Rolex is known for shortages in almost all of their models. In 2022, walking to a Rolex store and asking for a steel GMT or Daytona was comparable to adding your name on the waitlist for the next flight to the moon. In fact, adding you name to a waiting list is no longer an option in any Rolex store or any authorised dealer unless you have a very long purchase history or are willing to invest in a few jewellery pieces. Consequently making the secondary market soar and increasing the value of a steel Daytona by four times its retail value.

From this point of view, today any Rolex can be seen as a financial asset, but this doesn’t mean it will last in time and become a collector. We foresee that the GMT-Master II Destro will become a future classic for two reasons.

Since the brand creation in 1905, it is the first time Rolex ads a left handed watch to its catalogue. In the past, we have seen very few left handed watches at auction, these were always made on request for loyal customers. A democratic move to offer more comfort to left handed people, but this can also be seen as a one off made to show an innovation.

It is also the first time we see this colour combination on the bezel and Rolex announced it would be the only model wearing this green-and-black duo. Rolex's patented version of ceramic, called Cerachrom, is produced through a patented process of creating two colours out of a mono-block Cerachrom bezel.

We have no doubt that right handed people already want to add their name on the very long waiting list (if hypothetical ) and the world is already looking for a nickname for the watch, Carlsberg, Sprite or Strarbucks?

Rolex ref. GMt-Master II

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

ROLEX Oyster Perpetual GMT Master II

Reference number: 126720VTNR

The Movement

The GMT-Master ref. 126720VTNR is animated by Caliber 3285.

Mechanical self winding movement, 4Hz, 70-hour power reserve; 24 hour display, second time zone, instantaneous date, stop seconds; Superlative Chronometer certification.

Caliber 3285 is used in GMT-Master II since 2018.

Available in stores now at 10.400€.

Photos credits: ©Rolex