Rolex GMT-Master 16750 Vintage Heirloom

Subexplorer shares the deeply personal story behind his vintage Rolex GMT-Master reference 16750 from 1982, a watch originally purchased by him for his father-in-law and recently rediscovered. This post beautifully illustrates how timepieces can become cherished family heirlooms, imbued with memories and sentimental value far beyond their monetary worth.

Hello friends!

I had always thought that the most cherished watches in our collections are those which have a good story behind which somehow closely link those timepieces with us. I wish to share a new addition to my collection which is a very special watch for me as it belonged to my Father in Law who passed away in 2011.

I had a close relationship with him and we shared many trips to USA and Europe where we enjoyed the travels and also brought back several watches (and many knives, another shared passion) as souvenirs of those trips.

My Father in Law didn´t collect watches but was very fond of the dozen or so he owned. After his passing his timepieces remained in a drawer for the last eight years till last week end when my wife and her sister rediscovered them while arranging and cleaning his home.

I was offered to choose a watch from his box and I selected this one. It is a run of the mill Rolex GMT ref 16750 (first series: matt dial / painted tritium indexes). As per its serial number it was made around 1982.

I personally bought this watch in early 1983 in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands during a vacation trip to that beautiful Caribbean island with my family. It was bought as a souvenir from our trip for my Father in Law.

It became his favorite watch and it received a lot of wrist time during the next 28 years, both in his job in the factory he worked in (the watch received a hard treatment there) and also when he travelled abroad or practiced his favorite pastime: fishing aboard his boat.

As you can see, the watch displays many little scars from its very active life but overall it is in very good condition. I specially love the way the blue sector of the bezel insert has faded from the outer part to the center in charming shades and how the lume has turned to a beautiful creamy patina.

In 2010 my Father in Law was already ill and he wore the old GMT while interned in a Sanatorium for treatment. Then the watch stopped. It had never received a service before. My Father in Law was sad for this problem with his trusty GMT and asked my help.

So I took the watch to my watchmaker old friend (retired from the local Official Rolex service dept) and asked him to service it but avoiding any polishing of the case and bracelet or touching the dial or hand set.

The watch was full of grime between lugs and inside bracelet, and the dial was barely visible due to lots of superficial scratches on its plexi, but all it needed was a disassemble, cleaning, change of gaskets and oiling and a good polishing of its original plexi.

A couple of weeks later I returned the watch with its shining plexi and working as new to its owner who was very happy to strap it to his wrist again. I can well remember his big smile when he viewed the watch on his wrist again. Regrettably his illness gradually aggravated till his passing a year later.

I received the watch last Monday and though it had been laying in a drawer for eight years it started working as soon as I handled it to examine it in detail.

I adjusted the bracelet to my wrist and set the time and date and I am controlling its working. It didn´t show any perceptible deviation during the first 48 hours of wearing it denoting once again how noble these Rolex movements are.   Vintage Rolex never cease to amaze me for their reliability and ruggedness.

I was moved when receiving this watch in my hands and I wish to keep it in my collection for some time and then pass it to my son as a remembrance of his Grandfather. I will keep and wear it with the respect it deserves and it will remind me of the many good times spent with my Father in Law.

Cheers! Abel