Christopher Ward’s New Travel Watch Evokes an Ultra-Rare Rolex GMT-Master

A nod to the Rolex GMT-Master and the airline that contracted it.

Close-up of a Pan Am automatic watch with a blue and red bezel and a stainless steel case and bracelet.

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By Brad Lanphear

Published January 29, 2026

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Updated January 30, 2026

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Watch fans love a good origin story — after all, storytelling underpins the entire community — and one of the best belongs to the Rolex GMT-Master.

One of the most iconic watches ever devised and a catalyst for the entire travel watch genre, the GMT-Master began as a very specialized tool for long-haul commercial airline pilots. As the story goes, Rolex was contracted by Pan Am in the early 1950s to supply a watch for its crew and pilots.

Silver stainless steel Pan Am automatic wristwatch with white dial, blue and red bezel, and blue GMT hand. — The C60 Clipper GMT is inspired by the Rolex GMT-Master origin story.

The first Rolex GMT-Master hit the market in 1955, debuting with the reference 6542, and everything from the shape of its GMT hand to the color of its bezel has had an outsized influence on watchmaking ever since.

Countless watches have been created that mimic and pay tribute to the GMT-Master to varying degrees, to the point where it has become a challenge to stand out from the crowd. But if there is one brand that has mastered standing out, it is Christopher Ward.

Stainless steel Pan Am automatic wristwatch with white dial, blue 24-hour bezel, and blue airplane-shaped GMT hand. — The counterbalance on the seconds hand is a Boeing 707, called the Clipper by Pan Am.

From the Bel-Canto to the Trident Lumière, the British indie watchmaker knows how to turn heads with integrity. And its newest travel watch pays tribute to the GMT-Master origin story without feeling trite or dupe-ish.

The new C60 Clipper GMT balances visual cues from the iconic Rolex and the airline that initiated its creation, while staying true to Christopher Ward’s established and respected design language.

Mastering the skies

Venturing into the Rolex weeds for a minute, Christopher Ward’s newest C60 GMT blends details from two different references worn by Pan Am staff during the 1950s and 1960s.

rolex gmt master watch — The Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675 debuted in 1959.

For the most part, the C60 Clipper GMT, named after the specific Boeing 707 that served as Pan Am’s flagship plane, is modeled after the reference 1675. Introduced as the second generation in 1959, it is perhaps the most essential iteration of the GMT-Master, distinguished by the addition of an aluminum bezel insert and crown guards.

The C60 Clipper GMT has an aluminum bezel insert and crown guards, but the insert is marked with a world-time track — more on that later — while the distinct red and blue 24-hour GMT track is shifted to the rehaut.

Close-up of a stainless steel wristwatch with a blue and red bezel, white dial, and blue airplane-shaped second hand. — The red and blue 24-hour track is on the rehaut rather than the bezel insert, as on the GMT-Master.

The other GMT-Master reference informing this design is the ultra-rare, nearly mythical “Albino” reference 6542. A very small portion of the original generation released in the late 1950s had white dials, and surviving examples are an ultimate grail for Rolex collectors.

Ode to a bygone era

Christopher Ward isn’t the first watch brand to “collaborate” with Pan Am, but I’ve never seen better use of the defunct airline’s IP on a modern product.

A small brand logo is printed above the date window at 6:00, as it would conceivably appear if the airline were ordering the watch for its crews today.

Pair of Pan Am automatic wristwatches with silver metal cases, blue and red bezels, and gray fabric and metal bands. — The C60 Clipper GMT comes with an additional one-piece gray nylon strap inspired by Pan Am seatbelts.

A couple more subtle references appear on the world-time bezel, which is Pan Am’s signature blue and marked with 24 of its former global destinations. There’s also the secondary strap provided with the watch: a one-piece pin-buckle strap made from gray nylon that mimics the airline’s seatbelts.

The boldest brand representation is on the stainless steel screw-in caseback, with Pan Am’s “meatball” logo etched in relief. Each caseback is numbered in the 707-piece limited-edition collection, another reference to the company’s flagship plane.

The Pan Am “meatball” logo is etched in relief on the C60 Clipper GMT caseback.

Christopher Ward

As with other C60 GMT references, the Clipper is powered by a Sellita Caliber SW330-2 automatic movement with a 4Hz beat rate and a 56-hour power reserve. It’s a “caller” style with an independently adjustable GMT hand.

My only critique for this well-executed homage, which is a gorgeous watch in its own right, is that Christopher Ward should have gone with a 40mm case to match the Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675. The C60 GMT already exists in 40mm, so opting for a 42mm stainless steel case feels odd to me.

Availability and price

Christopher Ward’s C60 Clipper GMT is available for preorder now from Christopher Ward for $1,995, with deliveries expected at the end of February.

It is a limited edition of 707 pieces and comes on a three-link steel bracelet with a folding clasp, along with an additional one-piece gray nylon pin buckle strap and a decorative Pan Am-themed box.

Two Pan Am automatic wristwatches with white dials, blue and red bezels, one with a metal bracelet and one with a gray fabric strap.

Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Sellita Caliber SW330-2 automatic
Water Resistance	300m

$1,995 at Christopher Ward

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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