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Lot 73
ROLEX, GMT-MASTER REF. 6542 'BAKELITE', A RARE AND IMPORTANT STEEL DUAL TIME WRISTWATCH
CASE NUMBER: 427’397, MOVEMENT NUMBER: N 806’718
Closed19 October 2023
Price Realised
USD 81,900
More Information
Specialist note
The Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 6542 is an iconic tool watch that was commissioned by Pan Am in the 1950s to help their pilots track multiple time zones. The original Ref. 6542, the most collectible of the Rolex GMT models, was fitted with a two-tone bakelite (acrylic bezel) that featured radium coated numerals.
These bezels were brittle in nature and were replaced aluminium-insert versions during routine service. Also concerns around the use of radium meant Rolex stopped production of bakelite bezels very quickly.
A Ref. 6542 with a bakelite bezel was famously seen on the wrist of Honor Blackman’s character Pussy Galore in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Today, spotting a Ref. 6542 with an original bakelite bezel is a rare occurrence indeed and it remains a much sought-after model among vintage Rolex collectors.
These bezels were brittle in nature and were replaced aluminium-insert versions during routine service. Also concerns around the use of radium meant Rolex stopped production of bakelite bezels very quickly.
A Ref. 6542 with a bakelite bezel was famously seen on the wrist of Honor Blackman’s character Pussy Galore in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Today, spotting a Ref. 6542 with an original bakelite bezel is a rare occurrence indeed and it remains a much sought-after model among vintage Rolex collectors.