"Actor's Watch" focuses on watches worn by actors in movies, television, etc.
In this 74th installment, we will be introducing the Rolex GMT Master that appeared in movies .
*Source: https://www.rolexmagazine.com/
The 1950s saw the advent of the "Great Age of Aviation" brought about by technological innovations in passenger aircraft, and travel across multiple time zones became commonplace. In response to a request from Pan American World Airways , Rolex developed a pilot's watch with a 24-hour bezel and multiple time zone display function , and released the GMT-Master in 1954.
This time, we'll take a look at movies that feature the Rolex GMT Master.
The GMT Master that appeared in the 007 series
Honor Blackman in "Goldfinger"
*Source: https://therake.com/
Let's start with "007," which, like the Submariner, is always featured in any "movie and wristwatch" theme. The GMT Master first appeared in this series in " Goldfinger " (1964). This film is also known for the fact that James Bond , played by Sean Connery, appears wearing a Submariner (Ref. 6538) with his white tuxedo.
☞#2 Read James Bond's Submariner [Sean Connery Edition]
Honor Blackman , who plays the villainous Bond girl Pussy Galore in this film, wears the first GMT Master (Ref. 6542) . The GMT Master, the most cutting-edge pilot watch at the time, fits perfectly on the wrist of the female pilot who faces off against Bond with a gun in her hand.
The GMT-Master in Movies from the 1960s and 1970s
Peter Fonda in "Easy Rider"
*Source: https://www.rolexmagazine.com/
" Easy Rider " (1969) is a masterpiece of the American New Cinema. It can be said that this film played a major role in the rise of the counterculture that rebelled against traditional values such as "anti-establishment," "liberalism," and "hippie culture."
A group of outlaws go on a wild journey on their Harleys, using the huge sums of money they've made from cocaine trafficking. One of them, Peter Fonda , who plays the main character Wyatt, wears a GMT Master prototype . It's a solid gold GMT Master with no crown guard. When Wyatt sets off on his journey, he throws away his watch, as if to say, "I have nothing to tie me down anymore," but the watch he throws away is clearly a cheap gold watch that is not a GMT Master. It seems that even hippies had a hard time getting rid of their Rolexes.
☞#19 Read "America in Turmoil" and Rolex in the Late 1960s
Dustin Hoffman in "Straw Dogs"
*Source: https://www.rolexmagazine.com/
" Straw Dogs " (1971) is a masterpiece by Sam Peckinpah, a master of violent films who had a major influence on Quentin Tarantino , about an intelligent , urbane university professor who moves to the countryside, but finds himself at odds with the closed-minded locals and is awakened to his violent side.
Dustin Hoffman, who plays a quiet professor who awakens to violence, wears a Rolex with a leather strap. GMT Master (Ref. 1675) with a blue and red Pepsi bezel. What's interesting is that the two-tone bezel, which represents day and night, seems to represent the dual nature of human beings: "reason" and "violence."
Incidentally, this watch was also worn by Dustin Hoffman in the film " Marathon Man " (1976), as well as in promotional photos for " Kramer vs. Kramer " (1979), and is said to be his personal favorite watch.
☞#25 Read Dustin Hoffman's GMT-Master "Pepsi" Ref. 1675
Marlon Brando in "Apocalypse Now"
*Source: https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/marlon-brandos-apocalypse-now-rolex-gmt-master-2857936/
Francis Ford Coppola 's " Apocalypse Now " (1979), which depicts the Vietnam War and won the highest award (Palme d'Or) at the Cannes Film Festival, is a "legendary" Vietnam War film whose acclaim and popularity have not waned, with complete versions even being shown in theaters in recent years.
In this film, the GMT Master is worn by Colonel Kurtz ( Marlon Brando ), a former elite soldier who goes astray and builds his own empire deep in Vietnam. At first glance, it may seem like a mysterious model, but in fact, this watch is a GMT Master (Ref. 1675) with the bezel removed. The two-tone bezel would look too flashy for a watch worn by a man who has abandoned everything to retreat to the depths of Vietnam, so the bezel was removed to make it look more modest.
☞Read #12 Seiko and Rolex in "Apocalypse Now"
The GMT-Master in Movies from the 1980s and 1990s
Clint Eastwood in Firefox
*Source: https://www.rolexforums.com/
The Soviet Union developed a cutting-edge fighter jet. NATO, fearing a collapse of the military balance, led a plan to hijack the fighter jet, and the film " Firefox " (1982) depicts the exploits of a former U.S. Air Force pilot who is called in to take part in the project.
In this film, Clint Eastwood , who both directed and starred in the film, wears a GMT Master. The watch is a GMT Master (Ref. 16753) with a two-tone brown and gold bezel, nicknamed "Root Beer" because of its color scheme. The GMT Master makes the pilot's performance more convincing.
This watch was a favorite of Clint Eastwood himself, and was worn in films such as " Tightrope " (1984) and " The Secret Service " (1993).
☞Read #1 Clint Eastwood and the Rolex GMT-Master
Ray Liotta in "The Great Dumbo Drop"
*Source: https://m.imdb.com/
Ray Liotta, a tough actor known for his roles in Goodfellas (1990) and Hannibal (2001), plays a rare role as a good soldier in The Great Dumbo Drop (1995). He plays a soldier who struggles to get a new elephant to replace the guardian elephant of a village in South Vietnam that has died.
Ray Liotta , who plays a duty-first soldier in this film, wears what appears to be a Rolex GMT Master with a colorful Pepsi-colored bezel. The image shows a flat sapphire crystal windshield, so given the time of filming, it is likely a GMT Master (Ref. 16700) or GMT Master II (Ref. 16710) .
☞ Read #70 [Tribute Column] RIP Ray Liotta's Watch
The GMT-Master in Movies from the 2000s
Owen Wilson in "The Life Aquatic"
*Source: https://www.hodinkee.com/
The Life Aquatic (2004) is a pop and colorful adventure film that depicts the later years of an oceanographic film director who is thought to be modeled after Jacques Cousteau , and it can be said that it was the work that established Wes Anderson 's unique style, which continues to this day.
In this film, Owen Wilson , who plays the son of a marine film director, wears a GMT Master II (Ref. 16710) with a red and blue Pepsi bezel. It can be clearly seen in many scenes, such as when he checks the oxygen tank.
This watch has also been seen worn in other films he has starred in, such as Wedding Crashers (2005) and Big Boys 2: Searching for the Birds of Happiness (2011), so it is likely one of his favorites.
☞#54 Read about Owen Wilson's watch, a friend of Wes Anderson
Brad Pitt in "Ocean's Thirteen"
*Source: https://productplacementblog.com/
"Ocean's Thirteen " is a crime suspense film in which 13 assassins led by Danny Ocean attempt to steal diamonds and get revenge on a traitorous Las Vegas hotel tycoon.
In this movie, Brad Pitt , who plays Rusty, Ocean's right-hand man and scout for the team, wears a Rolex GMT-Master II (Ref. 116718LN) . By wearing a solid gold Rolex, he shows off his wealth and uses the watch as a prop to subtly appeal to the scouts that he has a "profitable opportunity."
☞ Read #31 The watch of the eternally handsome actor Brad Pitt
The GMT-Master in Movies of the 2010s
Jon Hamm in "The Town"
*Source: https://www.rolexmagazine.com/
Charlestown, Boston, is known as the city with the highest number of robberies in the United States. The Town (2010) depicts the characters' efforts to defy fate and change their lives in a town where the robbery business is passed down from parent to child.
In this film, directed and starring Ben Affleck , FBI agent Flory ( Jon Hamm ) who is pursuing the robbers wears a GMT Master (Ref. 16700) . The watch seems to represent the "unparalleled accuracy" of the character who relentlessly pursues the robbers and will stop at nothing to complete his mission and arrest them.
James Spader in "The Blacklist"
*Source: https://www.spotern.com/
The Blacklist (2013-) is a suspense drama in which former Navy officer and international criminal Raymond Reddington (known as Red) works with the FBI to solve cases based on a blacklist of dangerous criminals he knows.
The GMT-Master II (Ref. 16710) is worn by James Spader , who plays the main character Red in this series, which has now aired for nine seasons. The handsome, sweet-looking star is now 62 years old. The pop-colored GMT-Master "Pepsi" on the wrist of this handsome, older criminal exuding a dangerous air in his three-piece suit and Borsalino adds a touch of casualness to the character.
Ben Affleck in "Gone Girl"
*Source: https://www.fratellowatches.com/
" Gone Girl " (2014), directed by David Fincher, known for " Seven " (1995) and " Fight Club " (1999), depicts a disappearance case in which a couple with a dark past become embroiled.
Nick, played by Ben Affleck, is a husband who is desperately searching for his missing wife despite being looked upon with suspicion by the public and the police. He wears a blue and red bezel GMT Master II (Ref. 16710) , commonly known as "Pepsi." Nick is not a perfect husband, but has human weaknesses, and the pop impression of the "Pepsi" seems to bring a little softness to the character.
☞ Read #36 Ben Affleck's Watch: Actor and Director at the Same Time
summary
What did you think?
Because it was originally developed and released as a watch for international airline pilots who fly passenger aircraft, it seems to have had the image of being a " watch worn by the elite ," such as the university professor in 1971's "Straw Dogs," even earlier than the Submariner.
And above all, the popularity of the Pepsi bezel is surprising! The GMT Master with the blue and red Pepsi bezel, which can be recognized even without a close-up, is not a watch that a character wears "just because." It is a watch that the director has made the character wear with some meaning or intention . If a Pepsi GMT Master appears in a movie, there must be a director's intention to express the character. I recommend watching the movie while trying to guess what that intention is.
see you!