The Coolest Rolex Mod Yet? Neo-Vintage 'Albino' GMT-Master II

Every hobby has a myth/rumor that enthusiasts will never stop talking about. For decades, car enthusiasts debated over whether or not Corvette would make a regular production mid-engine car (until they released the C8). In the watch world, enthusiasts still debate the existence of one or more 'Albino' GMT-Masters: early white-dialed versions of the 6542 that were given to Pan American pilots.

While there are some convincing examples out there that, to many, prove the existence of an ‘Albino’ GMT-Master (pictured below), there will always be naysayers. What can’t be denied, however, is the fact that you can get this 'Albino' look with a semi-modern Rolex and a bit of modification.

Before we dig too far into what we have seen on watch forums and blogs we want to warn you, that this is not something that we suggest you do unless you are a trained watchmaker. Opening your Rolex and modifying bezels, dials, and/or hands will almost certainly void your Rolex’s warranty. This article is just for fun; those who have done this with their Rolex were not instructed by us in any way or form, but we do think it looks quite cool (and wish Rolex had made this in real life!).

Image Sources (left to right): @radecollection, PCS

As you can see from the pictures, the dial on these watches says “Explorer II” - however the bezel is clearly from a GMT-Master II. To simplify this explanation, allow me to note some things about the 5-digit Explorer II and GMT-Master II cases. First, the mid-case (the "body" of the watch that holds the movement and dial: the crown is attached to it) looks to be the same on both watches. The difference is the bezel. The Explorer II bezel is pressed on and holds the crystal and gasket in place. The GMT Master II uses the same system, but a hidden ring that the outer bezel rotates on is used to retain the crystal and gasket. This allows one to install a red-and-blue GMT-Master II bezel on a white-dialed Rolex Explorer II and achieve this ‘Albino’ look.

To be honest, I love this pairing and think it’s extremely unique. However, I know it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. To be clear, we are not suggesting that you do this with your Explorer II. We just loved the end product and thought it would be fun to share with you!