Vintage Rolex GMT
Hello WatchCrunch Community! This is my first post on the platform and I wanted to start off with vintage pieces. I am looking into neo-vintage GMTs and was wondering if you had any advice for specific decades/references in particular I should be looking at? Thanks!
8 comments
Sort by
Andrew Davidson
Watches, watches, and more watches.
San Diego County, CA
Member since
Last active: 2 years ago
Lorier Hyperion
I don’t know much about vintage watches but I’ve been keeping my eye on a 16750 from 1985 as a birth year watch
I don’t know much about vintage watches but I’ve been keeping my eye on a 16750 from 1985 as a birth year watch
I'll look into that, thank you. I have heard that the 5 digit references are always a good place to start looking.
It helps if you know the exact details of the watch you want:
tritium vs luminova
lug holes vs no holes
solid end links vs hollow end links
Swiss only vs Swiss made dial
3185 vs 3186 movement
Here are a bunch of links from when I was researching 5 digit GMTs
https://millenarywatches.com/bracelet-and-clasp-codes/
https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-bracelet-reference-numbers/
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-gmt-master-reference-points
https://millenarywatches.com/gmt-master-ii-16710/
https://www.beyondthedial.com/post/collector-guide-the-rolex-explorer-ii-all-references-in-detail/
https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-serial-numbers
It helps if you know the exact details of the watch you want:
tritium vs luminova
lug holes vs no holes
solid end links vs hollow end links
Swiss only vs Swiss made dial
3185 vs 3186 movement
Here are a bunch of links from when I was researching 5 digit GMTs
https://millenarywatches.com/bracelet-and-clasp-codes/
https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-bracelet-reference-numbers/
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-gmt-master-reference-points
https://millenarywatches.com/gmt-master-ii-16710/
https://www.beyondthedial.com/post/collector-guide-the-rolex-explorer-ii-all-references-in-detail/
https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-serial-numbers
Thank you for all of the useful links and information. I really appreciate it.
Your photo is of a later 16750 (it includes "date" after Oyster Perpetual). Probably around 1985, or so. That would be a good one to start with since they have some of the modern features (4hz & quick change date) with some of the charm of the 1675.
I posted mine yesterday on another thread- I've had it
for 38 years, and I can't think of anything else that I've purchased that I've been as completely happy with.
It's hard to say, as you can look at a watch and have a reaction not unlike Pavlov's dog and start drooling, which is what happens to me from time to time.
Does anyone know where I can find a vintage GMT Master dial?