In terms of functionality, the 16750 is a more versatile watch than its predecessor. Firstly, it is water-resistant to 100 meters rather than 50 meters. Secondly, the 16750 is the first GMT-Master with a quick-set date function. Magnum did not have time to endlessly rotate the hands on his watch to change the date. He was certainly a quick-setter.
So it is becoming clear why this was the perfect watch for Magnum, but there is one reason above all others. It’s his father’s watch. That’s right, in the show’s canon, the Magnum P.I. Rolex GMT isn’t just a watch, it’s an heirloom, a keepsake, a memento of Magnum’s late father.
In a flashback in the season four premiere episode, a young Thomas Magnum swims with his father in the ocean. In the water, his father takes a moment to refer to his watch as he times his son’s swim. The camera is glued to the GMT 16750, with its matte dial, Pepsi bezel, and bright white markers. Folks, this luxury replica rolex has no patina.
The episode also sadly shows the death of his father, displaying young Thomas giving a military salute at the funeral, just like JFK Jr. did, with that GMT-Master dangling from his childlike wrist.
Of course, there’s a bit of suspense to be had here. If you do the math (and don’t do the math, because it will frustrate you and hurt your brain), when Magnum was a little boy, 16,750 hadn’t been produced yet. It was first introduced the same year the show started, so …… You know, it didn’t exist. But this is TV, and the normal laws of time don’t apply.
On its own, the GMT-Master 16750 is the most typical watch. Nowadays, as the value of this model has risen, you’ll find some versions with faded bezels in all sorts of odd colors and markers with a heavy patina. In the show, it’s ever-present in its proper era, frozen in time – helping Magnum defeat the bad guys and close the case.
