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Away from the Fairways PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROLEX | TEE TIME
“PEPSI” HAS RETURNED PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE ONLY IN WHITE GOLD, THE ROLEX GMT-MASTER II “PEPSI” HAS RETURNED TO ITS UTILITARIAN ROOTS AT BASELWORLD 2018, WITH A STAINLESSSTEEL CASE AS WELL AS A HOST OF OTHER IMPROVEMENTS. THE WATCH HAS BEEN FITTED WITH A NEW, FIVE-LINK JUBILEE BRACELET - BUT WITH A SPRING-LOADED OYSTERCLASP FOUND ONLY ON ROLEX SPORTS WATCHES. The new Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II HKGOLFER.COM
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A The famous red-andblue rotating GMT bezel, which inspired the model’s nickname, “Pepsi,” is here executed with a Cerachrom bezel insert 20
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lm o s t a s i nt r i g u i n g a s t h e Oyster case flanking the screw-down crown. d is co v e r y o f n e w w atc h e s That recognisable Pepsi bezel frames a nearly every year at Baselworld is the scratchproof sapphire crystal, with the nowguessing games that precede it, iconic Cyclops lens over the date window at especially as regards Rolex. Few 3 o’clock. The bicolour bezel’s 24-hour scale s aw coming the timepie ce can be synchronised with the red GMT hand that led off Rolex’s 2018 collection - a new on the dial to quickly and easily read the time version of the classic “Pepsi” GMT-Master in a time zone other than your own, while the hour and minute II in “O ys ter s te el ”, h a n ds a n d d ate a ll featuring several “Few saw coming to the continue to display the significant updates timepiece that led off Rolex’s local time. on both the inside T h e f am o us re d and outside. 2018 collection - a new version and-blue rotating GMT The 40-mm case of the classic ‘Pepsi’ GMTbezel appeared on the made of Oystersteel Master II in ‘Oystersteel’.” very first 1955 model, - R o l e x jarg o n fo r w hi ch insp ire d th e 904L stainless steel - is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 300 model’s nickname, “Pepsi,” is here executed meters. Robustness aided by a solid steel, with a Cerachrom bezel insert. With red and fluted-edge caseback that is hermetically blue ceramics that are exceptionally resistant screwed down (with a special tool that is to scratches, corrosion, and the effects of exclusive to Rolex) and the integrated crown ultraviolet rays, which could otherwise dull the guards emblematic of the GMT-Master II’s vibrant colours over time. HKGOLFER.COM
The 40-mm case made of Oystersteel - Rolex jargon for 904L stainless steel - is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 300 meters
Speaking of patents: Rolex has 10 of them pending for technologies used in this watch’s all-new movement, Caliber 3285, which makes its debut in this model. Incorporating Rolex’s patented, energy ef ficient, magnetic-resistant Chronergy escapement, the movement is selfwinding utilizing a bi-direc tional rotor, equipped with the brand’s exclusive blue Parachrom hairspring, which is 10 times more precise than the traditional type, and stores a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The other significant feature that Rolex fanatics will note right away is the bracelet - in the historical five-link “Jubilee” style rather than the more common three-link “Oyster” style. Created specifically for the first Rolex Datejust in 1945, the Jubilee bracelet was designed to be supple and comfortable, though it remains a subject of debate among connoisseurs of vintage and modern Rolex. HKGOLFER.COM
There is also a new 18 CT Everose Gold version for the new GMT-Master II
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Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, 1982
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aunched in 1955, the Oyster Perpetual G M T- M a s t e r w i t n e s s e d t h e r a p i d expansion of intercontinental travel in the latter half of the 20th century. It even became the official watch of Pan American World Airways, better known worldwide as Pan Am, the mos t prominent American intercontinental airline at the time. In 1959, a major event marked the partnership: the first non-stop Pan Am Jet Clipper flight from New York to Moscow. The captain was wearing a GMT-Master, which was used as a navigation aid during the flight. In 1982, Rolex introduced a new movement that allowed the hour hand to be set independently of the other hands. To mark this evolution, and to avoid any confusion with the existing GMT-Master watches, the models fitted with the optimised movement were named the GMT-Master II. From then on, using and setting the watch became easier and more intuitive. In 2005, Rolex replaced the aluminum with ceramic - a further innovation. As a pioneer in the design and creation of ceramic components, the brand developed its knowledge and expertise to produce its monobloc bezels and ceramic inserts in-house. In 2007, the brand registered the name “Cerachrom”, and the components have since been known as the “Cerachrom bezel” and “Cerachrom insert”. For optimal legibility, the numerals and graduations are moulded
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Rolex advertised the GMT-Master on the cover of Time Magazine in the 1950s
into the ceramic and then coated with a thin layer of gold or platinum via PVD. The GMT-Master, a true “tool watch”, evolved continually to offer increasing technical performance. The GMT-Master II has won over a much wider audience, proving itself to be an ideal watch for crisscrossing the globe. HKGOLFER.COM