Watch Paparazzi

Royal Harald V of Norway spotted wearing Rolex

Few watch sightings carry the biographical weight of King Harald V of Norway and his Rolex GMT-Master 'Pepsi' ref. 1675. His Majesty has worn this particular stainless steel Rolex virtually every day since purchasing it in 1962 — more than six decades of continuous daily use on the wrist of a reigning European monarch, which is as compelling a provenance story as the vintage market produces.

The Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 entered production in 1959, succeeding the original ref. 6542 and remaining in the catalogue until 1980. Powered initially by the calibre 1565 and later by the 1575 — both automatic movements with a GMT hand driven by the date mechanism — the 1675 featured a 40 mm Oyster case in stainless steel, a bidirectional rotating bezel with a two-colour red-and-blue 'Pepsi' insert in Bakelite and later acrylic, and a range of dial configurations including the early gilt and matte black variants that collectors now prize above all others. Crown Guards were introduced progressively across the production run, giving the reference a long and varied evolution that keeps specialist attention perpetually engaged.

Among vintage Rolex collectors, the ref. 1675 occupies a canonical position. Early examples with gilt chapter rings, 'Exclamation Mark' dials, or original tropical patina regularly anchor serious auction results, while the sheer length of the production run offers entry points at multiple price levels. A well-documented example with unpolished case and original tropical dial can push well past $30,000 at auction; more standard matte-dial examples trade in the $12,000–$18,000 range on the grey market.

King Harald V, who ascended the Norwegian throne in 1991, is known for an unpretentious personal style that stands apart from the dress-watch conventions of most European royalty. That he has reached for a steel tool watch — rather than a gold dress piece — as his near-permanent daily companion since early adulthood speaks to both the GMT-Master's functional design brief and its quiet, lasting authority.

The grey-market value of this specific Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 is estimated at approximately $16,000, reflecting a standard-configuration matte dial example. Royal provenance of this depth and continuity, however, is effectively unquantifiable — and underscores why the ref. 1675 remains one of the defining references in twentieth-century watchmaking.