MK Personal Collection Tropical Dial Bakelite Bezel Rolex GMT Master Wristwatch Ref 6542 No Crown Guard Circa 1957

MK Personal Collection The present lot is part of a larger privately held collection and is intended for exhibition purposes only. Tropical Dial Bakelite Bezel Rolex GMT Master Wristwatch Ref 6542 No Crown Guard Circa 1957. This is a super rare watch Ref 6542 Serial #322,XXX in a three-body construction screwed-down case back and crown, red and black graduated revolving bezel for the second time zone in 24 hours, crystal with "cyclops" lens, highly charismatically aged brown lacquered dial with gold printing. Among collectors, this type of dial is now called "tropical". This designation is derived from the color of the lacquer which over the years has changed from black to a warm chocolate brown, The present watch is fitted with a transitional dial, marked "Swiss - T < 25". The signature, model name and numerals printed in white while still retaining the five minute scale printed in gilt Cal. 1030 with a rhodium-plated 25 jewel movement, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperatures and 5 positions, shock-absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring Serial # 747,XXX. The immense popularity of the Rolex GMT-Master series to this day is a testament to the timeless design of the reference that started it all, the reference 6542. Widely considered the "Unicorn" of the GMT-Masters, the reference started production in 1955 and was only manufactured for 4 years, the model being discontinued in 1959. The reference is based in the mid-century glamour of air travel, having been originally designed for Pan Am pilots during the golden age of flight. It was then lifted to further accolade adorning the wrist of Honor Blackman’s Pussy Galore in James Bond, Goldfinger released in 1964. The 6542 is distinguished from its predecessors by its Bakelite bezel insert. While this material was soon discovered to be impractical due to its susceptibility to cracking, it produces an incredibly alluring depth to the bezel that is lacking in later models as plastic or metal was used in its place. What is more Rolex recalled many of the original inserts due to high Radium content used as luminescence,the dial of this particular 6542 has become tropical developing a golden hue that is very attractive and provides a huge amount of presence especially put in contrast to the bezel. Each dial that changes colour does so in a different way dependent on many external and internal factors. As such the dial on this watch maybe considered completely unique. It is safe to say that this watch belongs to the upper echelon of the 'tool watch' category. This is truly a unique find for any collection.