The Rolex GMT-Master I was first designed as an aviator watch. This rather popular model from the Rolex Watches Collection was first developed in the early 1950’s in cooperation with Pan Am, the largest US international airline at the time. The first Rolex GMT-Master was the #6542, with a regular Turn-O-Graph with a different bezel and modified movement. It was created to assist with the long flying distances that pilots had to endure and combatted the issues of traveling between multiple time zones. The GMT-Master I watch has a 24-hour display and enables the wearer to set the watch to GMT or any other time zone for the main time view, then set the rotatable 24-hour bezel to a second-time-zone. It was the most effective tool to tell the time of the many time zones at once, with Rolex adding the fourth hand.

The newer model of the Rolex GMT-Master that we all know and love features a new caliber and “quickset” option. This innovation allows the watch to ensure resistance to up to 100 meters (330 feet) and different variations of the dials. A unique feature that was modified was the anti-reflect lens, crafted from a highly stable alloy to resist shock and are insensitive to magnetic fields.