OVERVIEW

The year is 2081. You come across a Rolex GMT that was made 55 years ago, but looks like it’s been barely worn. Chances are, it looks exactly as it did when it was sold in 2026 and thats precisely what Rolex intended when they made it. Rolex has always strived to build a product so durable that it would potentially remain unchanged no matter its environment.

Despite this pursuit, Rolex hasn’t always been successful at this and their 1675 GMT is one of the clearest examples of that. A majority of the early GMT bezel inserts have now aged to become every shade of blue and red apart from the traditional Pepsi combination, from teal and orange to tomato and petrol. But none of these bezel insert colors are as coveted as the famous Fuchsia.

To get the most vibrant shade of red in paint or dyes a manufacturer wouldn’t just use red dye, they would mix magenta and yellow together which is how these aluminum bezel inserts were anodized. However, for a short period of time in the late 1960s to the very early 1970s the yellow dye that was used in this mixture was susceptible to fading, which in turn would leave the color a flamboyant shade between pink and purple, what collectors accurately now call Fuchsia. It’s accepted scholarship that the inserts prone to this color change were only made during the same time the MK1 or “Long E” dial was in production, which is part of the reason MK1 dial 1675s have always been in demand. Even if you buy a great MK1 dial 1675 without a fuchsia insert, eventually finding the perfect insert makes your dream of owning a proper fuchsia 1675 become a reality.

Or you could just buy this one, an example that has definitely spent most of its life unworn, sitting lonely in the dark, just changing colors and its tritium lume becoming more yellow with every passing year, waiting on someone to be its actual owner and carefully wear it every so often to parties, dinners & watch meetups. This watch may not have turned out as Rolex intended, but it is certainly more perfect than anyone could’ve ever imagined. Its condition and desirability make it significantly more expensive than most Rolex GMTs, but you know what they say about cost: Buy the best and it only hurts once.

CONDITION NOTES

CASE: Unpolished, sharp and minty. Truly barely worn.

DIAL & HANDS: Perfect MK1 matte dial with tritium lume with the perfect yellow patina and excellent matching hands.

MOVEMENT: Recently serviced with a movement as clean as the rest of the watch.