GMT-Master 6542 "Pan Am" Albino dial investigation

[cheld]

I've been studying the story of the mythical Albino 6542, and it appears that there are at most TWO of these watches that have been blessed by certain authorities as genuine:

Hodinkee:
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/Al...MT-Master-6542

Stefano Mazzariol (Internet Wayback Machine version without photos):
https://web.archive.org/web/20150806...42-albino.html

Mazzariol compares small quirks in the printing of the white dial with the same areas of a couple of known-genuine gilt black dials as proof that the white is genuine:

However, he omits one of the most obvious peculiarities on the white dial: a subtle smile-shaped curve formed by the letters of OYSTER-PERPETUAL:

The Hodinkee example shares this subtle curve:

So, the Mazzariol dial and the Hodinkee dial are from the same batch. Skeptics say that Rolex would never have presented a watch with such a flaw to a customer.

The question, then: Does anyone have a white 6542 replica or "refinished" dial with this same curved text? If so that would raise significant doubt about the authenticity of the Hodinkee and Mazzariol dials.

tripdog yodog TheSociety Limer w0rn Bart Cordell donerix RolexAddict

 

[frankfrank]

Cool read

 

[MrChink]

Good reading material


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[jimcon11]

I rather doubt the white dial 6542s are authentic but I don't know a lot about them. I prefer the white dial to black on this watch, it looks really nice with the Bakelite bezel.

Rubys dial seems to have the same slight curve. The text at the bottom appears much thinner than in the supposed authentic examples.

 

[manodeoro]

I rather doubt the white dial 6542s are authentic but I don't know a lot about them. I prefer the white dial to black on this watch, it looks really nice with the Bakelite bezel.

Rubys dial seems to have the same slight curve. The text at the bottom appears much thinner than in the supposed authentic examples.

I checked Ruby's Whitey dial and I don't see the curve




Nevertheless ... a big thanks and applause :_o_: to you cheld

I was not happy with my DIY Albino dial and wanted some really high definition close-up pics to redesign almost everything.
Mazzariol blog is a great source and all those pics are already uploaded and ready to be used as template :drinks_cheers:

 

[369mafia]

Orchi on Instagram posted just yesterday a pic I d a dial that was recently discovered and by the sounds of it , he believes it to be a prototype for the gmt master

Looking now at the pic. It does also have the curved text in the OP

Now to figure out if these white dials were strictly prototype or did they actually build them into watches for execs at Pan Am




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[manodeoro]

Orchi on Instagram posted just yesterday a pic I d a dial that was recently discovered and by the sounds of it , he believes it to be a prototype for the gmt master

Looking now at the pic. It does also have the curved text in the OP

Now to figure out if these white dials were strictly prototype or did they actually build them into watches for execs at Pan Am




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You probably know that webpage about Singer prototype dials http://rolexpassionreport.com/6111/the-story-about-rolex-prototypes-of-dial-maker-singer/

I don't know where that dial has been discovered but IMHO it is surprisingly worn and faded compared to the Singer prototypes ... unless it has already been in awatch for years.
So ... really old prototype of really well faded fake dial ?
The only way could be to test (if it is possible) the materials, copper, paint, etc, to check if they are really vintage materials
So ... Despite the fact that Stefano Mazzariol and hodinkee's guys are Rolex experts, I don't know if Iwill ever be 100% if the Albino 6542 has ever been produced or prototyped or if it is only a urban legend on which vintage build makers have been surfing.

Anyway, that 6542 Albino is amazing so I need to have one on my wrist someday.
Plus I want to build it myself (as all my vintage watches) and, if I ever can achieve that, make my own Albino dial ... two years of trials now with only "not so bad" results and I need a "really good" result.
So I'll keep improving my skills and tricks and ...

 

[Danster]

Interesting reading both blogs...great bit of info..thanks!

 

[majwilliams0308]

Here is my dial - a fairly high quality one too. I think I paid over $200 for the dial alone.

I don't have photoshop, so if you want to align it and see if it's got the smile shape, polease do, I'm curious!

This photo was taken during the California fires, hence the odd lighting

 

[cheld]

OYSTER-PERPETUAL on both Orchi's "prototype" and MajWilliams's rep are straight:

Orchi

MajWilliams

 

[manodeoro]

Here is my dial - a fairly high quality one too. I think I paid over $200 for the dial alone.

I don't have photoshop, so if you want to align it and see if it's got the smile shape, polease do, I'm curious!

This photo was taken during the California fires, hence the odd lighting

Really looks like a dial from Ruby IMHO

 

[pallino]

I humbly exhort you to distinguish the sources of your knowledge
It's different to learn from Stefano Mazzariol (number one among the experts in vintage Rolex-field) and from..... Orchi

 

[cheld]

I humbly exhort you to distinguish the sources of your knowledge
It's different to learn from Stefano Mazzariol (number one among the experts in vintage Rolex-field) and from..... Orchi

Well, we have a match on the very unique curved text between the Mazzariol and Hodinkee dials, on complete watches where at least one (Hodinkee) has some provenance.

Then we have Orchi with dial-only; no provenance; dial looks like it was found inside a seashell; doesn't match the other two.

So yeah, my money's not on Orchi right now.

 

[yodog]

I got these two right now, looks straight. sorry its tilted but this was from a few days back

 

[manodeoro]

Assuming those are your own builds ... from where did you got the dials ?
Ruby's or else ?

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[johnlogan]

I got these two right now, looks straight. sorry its tilted but this was from a few days back

Wow