Chef Gordon Ramsay spotted wearing a Rolex

Gordon Ramsay, the British chef and television personality with a combined Michelin star count that rivals most European restaurant empires, was recently photographed wearing a vintage stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675 on a NATO strap. The faded bezel insert — that signature drift from vivid red-and-blue toward muted, washed-out tones — tells the story of a watch that has genuinely been lived in rather than kept under glass.

The Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 entered production in 1959 as a direct evolution of the original ref. 6542, shedding the acrylic bezel insert of its predecessor in favor of a more durable metal-framed design. Powered by the Calibre 1565 in early executions and later updated to the Calibre 1575, the movement offered a hacking seconds function and quick-set improvements over the course of its two-decade production run. The ref. 1675 was standard-issue equipment for commercial airline pilots throughout the 1960s and 1970s, its 24-hour GMT hand allowing crews to track home time at a glance across multiple time zones.

Among vintage Rolex collectors, the GMT-Master 1675 occupies a tier just below the more aggressively speculated-upon ref. 6542 but remains one of the most sought-after references in the entire catalogue. Faded 'Pepsi' bezels — where the red segment has lightened toward pink or coral and the blue has softened — command a meaningful premium over examples retaining original color saturation. The condition of Ramsay's bezel, visible even in candid photography, suggests a piece with genuine provenance rather than a recent acquisition bought for appearance.

Ramsay has long maintained a public persona that blends precision and controlled aggression — qualities that map neatly onto a purpose-built tool watch from an era when Rolex made instruments first and status symbols second. Wearing the 1675 on a NATO strap rather than a Jubilee or Oyster bracelet further signals familiarity with how vintage watch culture has evolved: the NATO pairing is the collector's choice for casual daily wear, protecting the lugs and keeping the watch on the wrist even if a spring bar fails.

On the grey market, unmolested Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 examples with faded Pepsi bezels and original dials are trading firmly in the $15,000–$25,000 range depending on dial variant, lug condition, and provenance documentation. The reference no longer has an official retail price, having been discontinued in 1980, but its market trajectory has remained consistently upward over the past decade.