Rolex Vintage Spotlight: The Concorde GMT-Master

When we think of vintage Rolexes, we think of smaller, perhaps more utilitarian models which—with the exception of the Explorer I—don’t really appear in the brand’s contemporary catalog.

After discussing how Rolex handled the quartz crisis, and the fact that the brand, perhaps surprisingly, made rectangular, dressy watches in the 1920s, another pattern also emerges: Rolex often tied new releases to a specific event or milestone—even if the brand wasn’t directly involved in it.

Such is the case with the GMT-Master “Concorde,” a watch we’ll take a closer look at today. Source: www.acollectedman.com

Maybe Not Utilitarian, But Definitely Unique 

At first glance, the Rolex GMT-Master Concorde, ref. 1675/8, doesn’t look very utilitarian. It’s made of yellow gold, features brown tones on both the bezel and dial, and—being a GMT-Master—is equipped with the high-tech caliber 1565, which includes an independent GMT hand.

But it doesn’t resemble the GMT-Masters we’re used to seeing today. There’s no dual-tone ceramic bezel, no Mercedes hands, no glossy black dial with precious metal hour markers.

The Concorde actually looks more elegant than most GMT-Masters you may have come across. And there’s a reason for that, which we’ll get into shortly. This reference also shows something Rolex used to do very well decades ago: create unique and unexpected iterations of its core collections.

Source: www.hairspring.com

History of the GMT Master “Concorde” 

So what’s the story behind the GMT-Master Concorde ref. 1675/8?

If you were born in the 1950s or 1960s—or if you’re an aviation enthusiast—you might be familiar with the Concorde, a supersonic commercial airplane co-developed in the 1960s by France’s Sud Aviation and Britain’s British Aircraft Corporation. Its first flight took place on March 2, 1969, and its final flight was on October 24, 2003.

For decades, the Concorde was the fastest commercial airplane in the world, able to fly from Paris to New York City in just three hours. Despite its speed, it was eventually retired for being too loud and too polluting.

To commemorate the creation of the Concorde, Rolex released a special version of the GMT-Master.

Source: www.simpleflying.com

More specifically—and according to an article from Analog Shift—this reference was nicknamed the “Concorde” because of a Rolex ad that read, “If you were flying the Concorde tomorrow, you’d wear a Rolex,” paired with an image of the solid gold GMT-Master shown above.

So, technically, there was no official partnership between Rolex and the aerospace companies behind the plane. But that’s typical Rolex—implying involvement in moments of innovation and luxury, whether or not they actually were.

Source: www.hairspring.com

What Makes It Stand Out 

Visually, the GMT-Master Concorde ref. 1675/8 stands out in three key ways:

First, it came with baton-style hands instead of the iconic Mercedes hands. (Other variants used Dauphine hands.)

Second, the brown dial and bezel are particularly striking against the solid gold case. I believe the brown tone comes from natural aging, not from the original manufacturing process, though I could be mistaken.

Third, the hour markers—nicknamed “nipple markers”—are applied conical shapes with a small dot of lume on top. They aren’t exclusive to this reference, but are relatively rare. You can find similar markers on vintage Submariners. Personally, I wish Rolex would bring them back—they looked great and stood out from other models of the time.

Source: www.analogshift.com

Specifications of the GMT Master Concorde

Mechanically, the GMT-Master Concorde ref. 1675/8 was powered by the caliber 1565, which (as far as I know) beat at 18,000 BPH, had 25 jewels, and delivered a 48-hour power reserve—a solid figure for a 1960s movement.

The case was made entirely of yellow gold, measured 40mm in diameter and 12mm thick, and was rated to 100 meters of water resistance—true tool watch specs. The domed plexiglass crystal, combined with the brown tones of the dial and bezel, give the watch a strong vintage character I haven’t seen elsewhere.

The 1675/8 truly had a look of its own, which is part of what makes it so collectible.

Source: www.hairspring.com

Final Thoughts 

I’m always amazed by the wealth of vintage Rolex references that go under the radar. There’s a reason we talk about this brand so much—it has contributed enormously to horological history over the past century.

While there’s a lot to admire in today’s Rolex lineup, I personally find the vintage models more compelling. Rolex used to offer more variety in terms of design, color, and special editions—something we rarely see now.

To me, the modern GMT-Master II feels somewhat bland and soulless, while the Concorde ref. 1675/8 had a personality all its own.

Featured image: www.analogshift.com