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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