The original GMT bezel lends itself to much discussion, not just in terms of colour and design, but also in its materials. According to a Rolex advert/notice from 1959, 605 of the original model 6542 GMT Master watches featured the GMT bezels made from Bakelite and these were exported to the USA for sale there. Many other watches of the period also used Bakelite, including examples from Bulova and Omega. This early plastic, developed by Leo Baekeland in 1907 in New York, proved revolutionary in the world of manufacturing industries. Made from substances including phenol and formaldehyde, it was heat-resistant and non-conductive of electricity. Soon after its invention, it was used to create boundless objects, from radios and kitchen utensils to jewellery and toys.
To the Bakelite, Rolex added radium, a commonly used substance on watch dials throughout the earlier 20th century. Radium ‘glows’ or emits light in lower light levels. Adding radium to numerals on watch dials, or to those on the bezel in this case, made the watches far more legible in the dimmer conditions, like a plane cockpit. However, the Bakelite began to prove less than resilient to use in this context however, in comparison to larger household objects. Many bezels began to crack and along with this, there was concern over the levels of radium as it is of course, radioactive. Rolex recalled the affected watches in 1959, offering to replace the bezels with aluminium versions, free of charge to the owners.
As with any product recall, it onus is of course on the owner of the given object to return it to have the necessary changes made. Many do not, and did not in the case of the 6542 models with Bakelite bezels. A quick look online and you can find a number of these early models, with Bakelite bezel intact, for anywhere between £20,000 and £90,000 in retail contexts. The reason for these high price tags is simple, and predictable, in the wider context of the watch world and the world collectible vintage luxury overall. GMT Masters with the Bakelite bezel are rare; apparently only 605 were retailed initially and this is a very small number when we consider the levels of production for Rolex in the present day – around one million watches per year. Not only are they rare, they represent a kind of connoisseur piece – if you know, you know. On the wrist, the Bakelite dial is markedly different from all of the later iterations and materials. Now comparatively muted, and dark, they demand a second look that confirms, yes, that’s the rare one.
In some cases, it is those watches that look exhausted that draw out the most enthusiasm in the die-hard collector community. Rolex watches with completely ‘tropicalised’ dials come to mind; those that started life black but have faded to a satisfying chocolate brown over the decades. If you read any article offering advice on getting started in collecting vintage watches, they will tell you condition is key. ‘Condition’ can be a fairly broad term but mostly pertains to the physical appearance of the watch – is the dial faded for example, or is the bracelet heavily worn. It can however also focus on originality. The dial might be bright and crisp but is it a service (later) replacement? The bracelet too? The perfect spot will be, for many, a watch that manages to show its age and often therefore its value, through knocks and fading here and there, but has all original parts, importantly the dial and hands, and is not over-polished.
Our Select Watches auction that took place on 30th March 2022 featured one of these early GMT Master 6542 models. At a glance, yes this watch is tired, but wouldn’t you be if you had been worn regularly for 50 years? The Bakelite bezel is there but again shows it age with a little cracking and a small loss, as well as those characteristic muted colours. It does feature a later dial and handset, from the 1960s, but that all-important bezel is there. The watch was consigned to auction by a gentleman who recently inherited it from his father. His father spent a lot of time in the USA, where he believes he purchased the watch in the late 1950s. He also bought another Rolex, an Oyster Perpetual Date model 1501, in the early 1960s. Both watches, the vendor recalls, were worn very regularly and were well-loved.
So what next for this rare Bakelite bezel watch? If it is returned to Rolex for a service, they may want to replace the bezel, in line with that promise from back in 1959. My bet would be that the buyer of this piece will do anything to keep the bezel, as alluring as it is, and with the historical (and monetary) value it bestows.
All sold prices include buyer's premium.
