My 1963 GMT 1675 with Silver Dial?

[Erpin]

Two months ago this GMT was offered to me and my first thought was its the controversial albino GMT made for Pan Am. However, the case back did not have the Pan Am logo. I said maybe the Pan Am executive who was given the watch didn’t like the white dial so he had it replaced by an AD with a black dial and somehow the dial ended up in this watch.

I started doing research and the owner was kind enough to allow my watch maker to remove the dial from the watch so we can study it well. Upon close inspection, the dial appears to have a light silver metallic color and has faded into a nice ivory hue. Likewise, the geiger reading confirmed that it has radium lumes. IMHO, the dial to me is original.

I also asked the help of my dealer who knows several well respected experts from Europe and America for their opinion. Most stated that it appears to be original but would want to see it in person.

So with no definite assurance, my dilemma was how to negotiate with the seller given these facts. I was very up front and showed him all the comments i got from the experts. I told him i was willing to gamble but not at the price he was asking for. We could not agree on a price so the deal was put off.

Last week i got a call from my dealer that the owner was willing to accept my cash offer but i should add one of my 1675 matte dial GMT watch into the deal. I wanted to say yes but asked if i can be given a few days to think about it. I weighed all the facts and decided i should stick to my original offer considering that if the dial checks out to be non original, i will end up the biggest loser.

The owner relented and now the watch is mine. I plan to send it to someone who i presume is the most knowledgeable and hopefully he will confirm that its an original Rolex dial. In the meantime, i will enjoy the watch despite all the controversies that comes with it.




















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[HERITAGE82]

Wow...Its a real beauty!! Enjoy it!

[330ci]

Very neat. Look forward to the following discussion

[mineral]

The dial aging is consistent and It is is rare dial. Is it 800k-900k serial case?


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[Erpin]

Originally Posted by mineral

The dial aging is consistent and It is is rare dial. Is it 800k-900k serial case?


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Serial is 876xxx


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[Jackie Daytona]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. Don’t see these often/ever

[swish77]

Very interesting! Please post when there is a consensus from GMT dial experts. If it's not legit, it appears to be very, very well done nonetheless.

Just curious, why didn't you enter an agreement with the previous owner that you'd buy it as long as it is proved to be 100 percent authentic? Or were you concerned that the price would be a lot higher if/when it's confirmed? Certainly a gamble.

[Erpin]

Originally Posted by swish77

Very interesting! Please post when there is a consensus from GMT dial experts. If it's not legit, it appears to be very, very well done nonetheless.

Just curious, why didn't you enter an agreement with the previous owner that you'd buy it as long as it is proved to be 100 percent authentic? Or were you concerned that the price would be a lot higher if/when it's confirmed? Certainly a gamble.

The owner would not agree to such an offer so the next best thing is to get it as low as possible to minimize my loses just in case it is a dud. Its a calculated risk anyway.


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[dhknola]

It's stunning! Definitely following, amazing watch!

[lupus66]

These are the management gmt’s yes?

[Bladeshot]

Ok, this is a great one to watch! Look forward to updates!

[cardiel]

oh boy.....I hope this thread goes in the right direction!

[Styles Bitchley]

Dude, you always have the most insane watches! Looking forward to hearing how this turns out.

[Stan Cooper]

That is an incredible find. For some reason I thought all the white dial PanAm executive GMTs were 6542s. That's gotta be a very rare watch.

[dhknola]

I know his name is verboten here, but Orchi posts or used to post a very similar GMT.

[1675-David]

Looks amazing, I really hope this turns out to be an original dial. Thanks for posting Eric

[PVR]

Do you have a photo of the back of the dial?

I dont follow Orchi anymore since his page has become a dumping ground for Asian girls in Bikinis and political rants, but I did take a few pics from his site showing various albino dials. Photo Credit to Orchi

[dhknola]

LOL re: Orchi IG, I had to quit following him for the aforementioned, but I did always remember his GMT you have posted.

[rootbeer7]

Haywood where are you?

[tkc324]

Wow... looking forward to see what experts think. Sick watch if everything turn out legit. Good luck man.

[southtexas]

Originally Posted by PVR

Do you have a photo of the back of the dial?

I dont follow Orchi anymore since his page has become a dumping ground for Asian girls in Bikinis and political rants, but I did take a few pics from his site showing various albino dials. Photo Credit to Orchi

Are you sure those were all girls?


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[BigBlue1]

hmm
I know in 1959 they put the pointed crown guards on and added the superlative chronometer officially certified as well on the GMT.

[Erpin]

The picture below will show that it is a silver dial.




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[henrylee]

It looks very nice! Risky but hopefully it pays off

[mrs_LA]

Part of the fun is always in the hunt and the study surrounding the pieces. You always have some of the best watches to study @Erpin following closely as always.

[interestedwatcher]

Very interesting, love a calculated gamble!

[Kingface66]

Eric, I truly hope your scored the deal of a lifetime. It’s a stunning piece.
But, I’m trying to decide if the owner took a calculated gamble, as well, or if he knew what he was doing.
If he went the route of having it verified as an authentic dial, he would be sitting on an incredibly valuable piece. It begs the question: why sell it at a possibly much-reduced price unless he either had a hunch, or knew something Eric didn’t.
Just curious as to his mindset.

[Erpin]

Originally Posted by Kingface66

Eric, I truly hope your scored the deal of a lifetime. It’s a stunning piece.
But, I’m trying to decide if the owner took a calculated gamble, as well, or if he knew what he was doing.
If he went the route of having it verified as an authentic dial, he would be sitting on an incredibly valuable piece. It begs the question: why sell it at a possibly much-reduced price unless he either had a hunch, or knew something Eric didn’t.
Just curious as to his mindset.

He could and maybe he did also his own snooping in the internet and ended up with more questions than answers. So he took my offer which is, the safer route and passed on the problem of proving its authenticity to me.

I knew also that it was offered to other collectors here but they don’t want to risk. I just have this gut feel that the watch is legit so i took the gamble. If it bombs out, there is no one to blame but myself. If my hunch is correct i end up with a great watch.

[dhknola]

I would have taken ‘the gamble’ in your position. These watches do exist, so it’s not a total unicorn chase.
I also feel like the seller probably inherited it or got it for a deal, he probably just wants a profit and not the major task of establishing provenance, etc.
I love the watch. I have no truly knowledgeable expert opinion to offer, but my gut feeling is just good about it.


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[Erpin]

Originally Posted by dhknola

I would have taken ‘the gamble’ in your position. These watches do exist, so it’s not a total unicorn chase.
I also feel like the seller probably inherited it or got it for a deal, he probably just wants a profit and not the major task of establishing provenance, etc.
I love the watch. I have no truly knowledgeable expert opinion to offer, but my gut feeling is just good about it.


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Its a nice conversation watch among friends even with those who are not in the hobby. I don’t mind if some would say its a waste of money. I had fun and that’s what counts.


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