By 1953, the commercial trans-Atlantic airline industry was at a po😼int where planes were able to take off🐽 on one side of the ocean and land on the other in a matter of mere hours. As a result of this expansion and innovation, Pan American airlines approached Rolex, and the two companies began working on a watch that could easily tell the hour in two different time zones.

The Reference 6542 GMT-Master was released in 1954 and became the official timepiece of Pan-Am Airli♏nes. It was equipped with a Bakelite bezel with radium luminous indexes and bezel. Their pilots found the watch to be a useful tool in the cockpit where many timing calculations were necessary over the duration of the flight.

The present lot is an attractive example, well cared for and thoughtfully serviced in the past. The gilt dial remains attractive, with deli൲cate cracking to the black surface indicative of ‘spider dials.’