That’s the nickname of the reference 6542 as she – Pussy Galore – wore it in the James Bond film Goldfinger.

The only thing not original to the watch is the bezel, we think it's a old replacement or great old aftermarket one. It looks the same as the original but there is no radium in it thank god :-). Also the clasp didnt survive and it's a 1966 one. But for the rest all is original. The watch is serviced by Rolex 2 years ago and is running like a new one and just overall in very cool vintage condition but ready to wear. The Dial is supercool with great fading and oxidation but greatly matching the age and condition. The case is very good and crown, back and movement all look very good. It's a great investement piece and very high demand for it under collectors. Also very rare to find an original dial / hands/ roulette date wheel / case as over the years many are supplied with aftermarket and service parts.

In 1954, Pan-American Airlines requested Rolex to produce a reliable wrist watch for their pilots. It had to be one that could simultaneously display two time zones. The very Rolex GMT (Greenwhich Mean Time) under reference is 6542 was the answer. The rotatable 24-hour bezel and extra hour hand made it easy for pilots to read both, the home and local time.

The watch was available in either stainless steel or 18k yellow gold and did not have the crown guards yet. Because bakelite would reflect less (to prevent pilots from being blinded) Rolex chose to use this materials for their bezel inlays. Unfortunately, due to its fragility (the bezel cracks easily), radioactivity and because the numbers tend to flake of in warmer environments, Rolex discontinued the bakelite bezel after a couple of years of production. After this, Rolex switched over to aluminium inlays and something not everyone knows is that they already made this switch before the 6542 was discontinued. So, there are examples of this reference with aluminium inserts. The smaller case size, the gilt dial, the bakelite bezel and the absence of crown guards make this watch aesthetically very pleasing and beloved among aficionados worldwide. The 6542 was only produced for five years and replaced by the reference 1675 in 1959.

The production of the first GMT-Master (Ref. 6542) proved to be a rocky start for this model due to its fragility. It didn’t feature any protection for the crown yet and the bezel was made out of the easily-breakable material: bakelite. “Pussy Galore” in the James Bond movie “Goldfinger” did not seem to care about that, nor the problematic high level of radiations due to the luminous material.