Err...to all TRF GMT Buddies...please spare Orchi
a favour to post in here also...your collection of the super sexy...
Ref 16760 GMT Master II...a.k.a. the "Fat Lady"...
originally coined by a Germany collector n fellow VRF member...
Buddy GeorgB...
http://www.network54.com/Forum/20759...ge/1223309257/
It is the most practical GMT Master watches ever made by Rolex...
in a relatively short period of time between 1983 until 1988.
in Orchi's own novice opinion...
The 1st Generation GMT Master II - Ref 16760 GMT II...
has a NO "DATE" plot after "OYSTER PERPETUAL"...
on its WG Glossy Dial variant...
with Case series of about 8.3 to 8.4 million Case Series...
which is believed to have been produced very briefly in 1983/84 or so only...
The latter variant of Ref 16760 GMT Master II WG Gloss Dial...
featured a "DATE" plot behind "OYSTER PERPETUAL" ie "OYSTER PERPETUAL DATE"...
on a separate Glossy Dial variant...
which is more commonly found from 1984 or 1985...
until 1988 "R" Series cases or so...
Best regards
Orchi.
Here are pictures of Orchi's 8,400,xxx series 16760 GMT II "Fat Lady"...
Tall Coronet with longer crown arches...n prominent round "o" crown base...
Having NO "DATE" plot on the 1st Generation Dial variant...
NOTE: "SCOC" has Serif fonts...(lets call this MK.1)
Here are pictures of Orchi's 9,466,xxx series 16760 GMT II "Fat Lady"...
Short n broader Coronet with shorter crown arches...
n narrower round "o" crown base...
Having "DATE" plot on the latter Dial variant...
NOTE: "SCOC" has No Serif fonts...(lets call this MK.2)
Err buddies...however...
there is the critical issues clouding this is MK.2 WG Gloss Dial for 16760...with Orchi's 9,466,xxx series case...
Here's one from the VRF Dial Archive(1st Archive entry)...
with perhaps a late 8 million series case...
which looks to be exactly the same to the one posted by Orchi earlier...
on(9.466 case) MK.2 Dial...
This other example highlighted in here...could be MK. 3?(Pic courtesy of VRF Dial Archive)...
from later 9.6 million series case...but NOT quite the same with the earlier MK.2 Dial...
due to the "SCOC" fonts having seen to have tidy Serif fonts...
i.e. the little strokes of pen at the end of each font writing...
which probably extend to the end of Ref 16760 GMT Master II production...
of "R" series 19760 GMT II...?
Same Coronet style...but with tidy Serif "SCOC" fonts...
n same same looks with this one from the VRF Dial Archive also...
posted by Buddy U5512...
So perhaps...there could be 3 WG Gloss Dials...
for 16760 GMT Master II...?
Nonetheless...it MAY BE possible that the "MK.3?" Dial on later Case Series
of Ref 16760...could be the SAME as the ones found on EARLY WG Gloss Dial
of its later successor...the Ref 16710 GMT Master II...
with Tritium markers "SWISS-T<25" at 6 o'clock...too.
Hence it may NOT be as simple...but it could be more complicated...
as the Early Rolex WG Gloss Dials of those era...has strong
tendency to crack up or crazed...
so MANY Dials on such watches are turned in to RSC for later replacements...
in order to fix the problems.
In doing so...
to those Ref 16760 that are turned into RSC by around 1988 or thereafter...
chances are...the Replacement Dials could be similar to the ones which
were available n interchangeable with the Ref 16710 Tritium Dials...also.
Here are some examples of the Early WG Gloss Dial variant...
for the later successor REF 16710 GMT Master II...
with Tritium markers..."SWISS-T<25" at 6 o'clock.
These Pictures are excerpt from eBay...of Ref 16710 GMT Master II watches...
with Tritium Dials...
Is there any similarities to the possible MK.3 Dial of 16760...?
Hahahaaa...IF so...there maybe more complication ahead...
NOTE:
Novice collectors alike...16760/16710 GMT II Gloss Tritium Dials...
are Interchangeable...
So please be informed...
Err...Orchi learns also...
1. The Most sought after Dial of 16760 has NO "DATE" plot..MK.1.
2. Early 8 mil series of 8,3xx,xxx to 8,40x,xxx had NO "DATE" plot...
3. "GMT Master II" Dials of 16760 n 16710 are interchangeable...
4. These Early Gloss WG surround Tritium Dials are prone to crazing n cracking...
5. IF watch has been serviced before by RSC...
chances are the crazed Dials would have been replaced...by RSC.
6. It could be possible...
that valuable NO "DATE" Dials may have been swapped out by greedy parties...
with replacement "DATE" plot Dial...n sold to unsuspecting Novice collectors..
7. A fine uncertain line separates between genuine 16760 MK.2 Dial...
with those Glossy Tritium Dials from Ref 16710 GMT Master II(or MK.3)...
& the Service Replacement ones by RSC...
which has close similarities with its predecessor MK.2 Dial...
Until further evidence points to the contrary of the above can be obtained...
at later stage...the above assumption is purely based on Orchi's novice experience.
IF any TRF buddies happen to have the Early 16710 GMT Master II watches...
with Case Series possibly from the early "R" Series to 1998 "U" Series...
having WG Gloss Tritium Dials...
please do post the closeup pictures of the 16710 GMT II Tritium Dials with...
"SWISS-T<25" at 6 o'clock ...in here for comparison purpose.
Thanks for watching...
Best regards
Orchi.