At Watches & Wonders 2024, precious metals ruled the day—at least for Rolex fans, anyway. Those hoping for a slew of new tool watches in stainless steel are going to have to hold their breath for another year, as the Crown delivered a slate that was largely gold, platinum, or diamond-encrusted.
There was one exception, however: A new take on the beloved GMT-Master II with a black-and-gray bezel. A fresh colorway for the brand’s 70-year-old travel watch, it was immediately available on both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets. And though it didn’t turn heads the way the controversial “left-handed” reference 126720VTNR did back in 2022, it’s an encapsulation of what Rolex does best—namely, a small riff on a long-standing, well-loved model that doesn’t stray too far from the original design remit.
While I haven’t seen too many of the new black-and-gray GMT-Master IIs in the wild yet, it was no surprise to see one pop up on the wrist of Roger Federer during a press event for the Laver Cup in Berlin this week. (Blink and you’ll have missed it—the Rolex testimonee has a different killer watch on every day of the week.) There it was on its Jubilee bracelet, poking out from a sleeve as he addressed the press and embraced Team Europe’s Captain Björn Borg, winner of a casual 11 Grand Slams. The black and gray can be difficult to discern—it doesn’t capture one’s attention quite like the red-and-blue “Pepsi” colorway, or even the red-and-black “Coke” of yesteryear—but it makes for a subtler take on the world’s most famous travel watch.
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And kudos to Fed for springing for the Jubilee version. That multi-link bracelet, launched in 1945 on the then-new Datejust in celebration of Rolex’s 40th anniversary, has long been an available option on the GMT-Master. (These days, certain GMT references are sometimes launched with one bracelet or the other. The 126710GRNR launched on both the Jubilee and the Oyster simultaneously back in April.) And while I think a GMT-Master II works well on an Oyster, I personally love the more refined look of the Jubilee on this model. It serves to further differentiate the watch from the Submariner, which is iconic in its own right on the Oyster.
Federer has, of course, “fancier” Rollies—the “Le Mans” Daytona in both its original white gold as well as in a newer yellow gold version. Two-tone Day-Dates, precious-metal Sky-Dwellers, even simpler Oyster Perpetual models. But the GMT-Master II is a true tool watch and a true Rolex icon. Designed in the 1950s for Pan Am crews to use while in flight, the watch allows the user to track both local as well as GMT or home time. It’s evolved over the years: Originally, the GMT hand was adjoined to the main hour hand and could only be read in conjunction with the 12-hour bezel. Now, the local hour hand is completely independently adjustable, meaning that the watch can technically display three different time zones. (Without a 24-hour scale on the dial itself, this is difficult to compute on the fly, however.)
The GMT-Master II is a classic due to its utility, ease of use, ubiquity, and handsome looks. It’s the type of well-designed piece of kit that never goes out of style no matter how it’s bezel is dressed up. Just ask Fed!
Hiroyuki Sanada’s IWC Portugieser Automatic 42
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Courtesy of IWC
A day prior to winning an Emmy for his role on Shogun, Hiroyuki Sanada was spotted at BAFTA North America’s TV Tea Party in the IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 ref. IWC501707. Housed in a 42.4mm Armor Gold case with a black obsidian dial, this large take on the Portugieser features a running seconds display at 9 o’clock offset with a 7-day power reserve display at 3 o’clock as well as a date display at 6 o’clock. Designed at the bequest of a pair of Portuguese wholesalers in the 1930s, the original Portugieser used a pocket watch movement and an oversized case to create a large, dressy wristwatch with marine-chronometer precision.
George Clooney’s Omega De Ville Hour Vision
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At the LA premiere of Wolfs this week, Clooney linked back up with his GQ co-cover star Brad Pitt in his trusty Omega De Ville Hour Vision. While it might not have the cachet of the Speedmaster or the aquatic history of the Seamaster, the Hour Vision is the type of elegant timepiece one turns to when dressed in an all-black ensemble at a Hollywood premiere. It appears that Clooney is wearing the same model he’s owned for over a decade: Paired to a black strap, it features a 41mm steel case with a silver dial featuring a grooved, rhodium-plated hour track, a date window at 3 o’clock, and the Omega cal. 8500 Co-Axial automatic movement.
Tom Brady’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication
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Another day, another insane watch on the wrist of Tom Brady, super-collector extraordinaire. This one, a reference 26341ST, is a bananas take on the Royal Oak featuring a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater, and a split-seconds chronograph. (In case a refresher is needed: A perpetual calendar keeps track of the day, date, month, leap year, and moon phase without the need for manual adjustment throughout the year; a minute repeater chimes the time upon command; and a split-seconds chronograph allows for the timing of two distinct events simultaneously.) It’s also exceptionally rare: The ref. 26341ST , measuring 41mm in stainless steel, is limited to just two pieces.
Aaron Rodgers’ Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium
Courtesy of the New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers arrived in style to take on the Titans rocking a Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium, a lightweight version of the brand’s triple-register chronograph powered by the legendary El Primero automatic movement. Though numerous versions of the watch exist, the Titanium version is notable for being almost impossibly light in hand—even on its matching titanium bracelet. (There’s a special, limited-edition green-bezel version of the C.S. made in Rodgers’ honor, but it seems even the man himself can’t resist the pull of a 105-gram watch.) Plus, the nickel-gray sunburst dial helps differentiate it somewhat from the Rolex Daytona, against which the original steel versions look quite similar.
BONUS: The Polaris Dawn Mission’s IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Polaris Dawn”
Courtesy of IWC
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Courtesy of IWC
Very few watch companies have been able to test their wares in space. And while the Omega Speedmaster might be the first timepiece that comes to mind when one pictures manned space flight, it was an IWC that recently featured on the wrists of the Polaris Dawn crew. The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Polaris Dawn” ref. Ref. IW389111, worn by each of the four crew members, is a special, all-white take on the brand’s famous pilot’s watch-turned-astronaut’s watch. Housed in a 44.5mm white ceramic case, it features a space-blue dial with a triple-register chronograph display as well as a day-date display. All four examples worn during the mission will be auctioned off to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital later this year.
