1972 Rolex GMT-Master 1675/3 in Steel and Yellow Gold – Full Set & Hecho en México

Launched in 1955 at the request of Pan American World Airways, the GMT-Master displays two time zones thanks to its fourth hand and its rotating bezel graduated over 24 hours. The reference 1675, produced in various forms from 1959 to 1980, enjoyed one of the longest careers in the entire history of Rolex. Its steel and yellow gold version with a brown dial, which appeared at the very beginning of the 1970s, was quickly nicknamed “Root Beer” by American collectors – a lineage made world-famous on screen by Clint Eastwood.
Our example, produced in 1972 (serial number 316xxxx), features the second-execution matte brown dial – “Mark 2 Non Serif” – with gold-surround hour markers, gilt Mercedes hands and a large GMT hand. Its chronometer-certified caliber 1575 has undergone a full service by one of our experienced watchmakers.
What makes this ensemble truly singular is its Mexican story: as an “industrial integration” law then required local manufacturing, Rolex entrusted the bracelets intended for this market to Joske’s, a Texan retailer, which assembled them in Mexico. Our watch thus retains its original “Hecho en México” Jubilee bracelet, with 14-carat yellow gold centre links – today even more sought-after than its Swiss equivalents –, its extremely rare blue Mexican box and its punched warranty, free of any date or buyer’s name: a “Full Set” of exceptional consistency, accompanied by our Steel Warranty Card.
Warm, patinated, steeped in history and still in superb overall condition, this GMT-Master “Root Beer” is a collector’s piece in the fullest sense. Collectors will need no convincing: this is a rare opportunity.

In 1955, at the request of Pan American World Airways for its long-haul crews, Rolex launched the GMT-Master: thanks to a fourth hand travelling around the dial in 24 hours and a graduated rotating bezel, it displays two time zones simultaneously – the watch of the dawning jet age. The reference 1675, introduced in 1959, was produced in various forms until 1980: it enjoyed one of the longest careers in the entire history of Rolex.

At the very beginning of the 1970s, Rolex unveiled an unexpected version in steel and yellow gold, with a brown dial and matching insert: American collectors quickly nicknamed it “Root Beer”, after the amber soda. It is this lineage that Clint Eastwood would make world-famous by wearing his own 16753 – the following generation – in Firefox, Tightrope and In the Line of Fire. Beneath the dial beats the GMT version of caliber 1575, produced from 1965 to 1981: 19,800 vibrations per hour, 48 hours of power reserve, chronometer-certified.

The example we are delighted to offer, produced in 1972 (serial number 316xxxx), features the second-execution matte brown dial – “Mark 2 Non Serif” in collectors’ classification, with its sans-serif typography – with gold-surround hour markers, gilt Mercedes hands and a large GMT hand. The brown insert has softened slightly towards golden caramel tones, in perfect harmony with the dial. The movement has undergone a full service by one of our experienced watchmakers and runs within the strictest tolerances.

But what makes this ensemble truly singular is its Mexican story. From the 1960s to the 1980s, a Mexican “industrial integration” law required that part of the products sold in the country be manufactured there: Rolex therefore entrusted the production of its bracelets for the Mexican market to Joske’s, a Texan department store chain founded in 1867 by Julius Joske and an official Rolex retailer, which assembled them in Mexico from “local” steel and, for the centre links, 14-carat yellow gold, the standard in use on this market. Our watch retains its original “Hecho en México” Jubilee bracelet, with solid oval outer links, a clasp stamped “J/M” and a crown struck in the upper third – all hallmarks of these bracelets, produced until Mexico joined the GATT in 1986, and today even more sought-after than their Swiss equivalents. The original blue Rolex box, made in Mexico by Marroquinería Fina, S.A. – extremely rare, we had never come across one before – and the original punched warranty, free of any date or buyer’s name, complete a “Full Set” of exceptional consistency: a watch delivered new in Mexico that has remained complete. It is, moreover, accompanied by our Steel Warranty Card.

Warm, patinated, steeped in history and still in superb overall condition, this GMT-Master “Root Beer” is a collector’s piece in the fullest sense – and a watch of sunny charm, remarkably wearable every day. Collectors will need no convincing: this is a rare opportunity.

This Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675/3 is preserved in excellent overall condition.
The steel case and the yellow gold bezel retain their original proportions and finishes, with crisp alternation between satin-brushed and high-polished mirror surfaces. The brown bezel insert is superb.
The original brown dial, known as “Mark 2, Matte, Non Serif, Mercedes Hands, Large GMT Hand” according to expert classifications, is remarkable. It shows no stains, no scratches and no distracting flaws. The luminous material of its so-called “Nipple” hour markers has developed a warm, even patina.
The mechanical self-winding movement, Rolex caliber 1575, has undergone a full service by one of our watchmakers well-versed in vintage calibers, and runs within the strictest tolerances.
The long original Rolex Jubilee “Hecho en México” bracelet with oval steel outer links and 14-carat yellow gold centre links, with 55 end links, is in very fine condition. As is always the case with bracelets made in the United States and Mexico, it shows a certain degree of original stretch – which in no way spoils the pleasure of everyday wear!
The original Rolex warranty document is indeed “punched” and preserved in excellent condition, as is the 1675 sticker affixed to its front, along with the extremely rare blue Rolex box made by Marroquinería Fina, S.A. in Mexico.
A remarkable example of a relatively rare model – all the more so in a Mexican configuration of particular interest to seasoned collectors.

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