Rolex participated in Watches & Wonders 2022. Despite being their first offline presence, their new products were rather unassuming at first glance. However, as you'd expect from Rolex, the left-crown model of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, which seemed incomprehensible, was a surprising model that achieved the same accuracy as the existing model.
The Rolex GMT-Master II "Lefty" is probably the world's first truly left-handed model.
Rolex participated in Watches & Wonders 2022. Despite being their first offline appearance, their new products were rather plain at first glance. One of the most incomprehensible items was the left-crown model of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II. This watch, which reverses the movement and places the crown on the left, is abrupt in the Rolex lineup and difficult to understand no matter how you look at it. It's no wonder that a high-ranking executive at one manufacturer said, "Rolex is selling so well, they probably chose a more subdued model to avoid controversy."
However, there was something surprising about this "Lefty" model, a model designed specifically for left-handed people (Editor's note: Rolex does not explicitly state that this is a left-handed model, but for the sake of convenience, we will refer to it as such in this article). Amazingly, despite the movement being rotated 180 degrees, it still has the same accuracy as the existing GMT-Master II, within ±2 seconds. It is unheard of in the watch industry for the accuracy of a regular model and a left-handed model to be the same.
Ref. 126720VTNR. This so-called left-handed addition to the masterpiece GMT-Master II. It's not just a design, it's a model that's been carefully crafted to be worn by left-handed people (i.e., worn on the right hand). Automatic (Cal. 3285). 31 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve of approximately 70 hours. Stainless steel (40mm diameter). Water resistant to 100m. Price: 1,224,300 yen.
A normal mechanical watch loses its accuracy when worn on the right wrist...
Mechanical movements always have a "positional error." This refers to the change in the movement's accuracy when the orientation of the watch changes. For this reason, watch manufacturers set their watches to be most accurate when a right-handed person wears their watch on their left wrist.
This means that even if you wear a regular mechanical watch on your right wrist, you won't get the accuracy you expect. It's no surprise that the accuracy of a "lefty" watch, with the movement rotated 180 degrees, is inferior to that of a regular model. The new Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II challenges this conventional wisdom.
A Rolex official said, "At our company, we have accumulated a wide range of knowledge regarding the wearing of watches. This model is a manifestation of that. This model is not just a case of flipping the movement over and changing the date display or dial. Even with the movement turned over, the accuracy is the same as the existing model. We checked the accuracy of this model while wearing the watch on the right wrist." The official added, "The accuracy is within ±2 seconds, the same as the existing GMT-Master."
It's unclear whether the company has adjusted the accuracy of the GMT-Master II specifically for left-handed users, but this model is at least the world's first model specifically for left-handed people. So why did Rolex choose the GMT-Master II for its first left-handed model? While Rolex won't reveal the reason, it's easy to see why this model was chosen as the base, given its ease of use. It seems difficult to incorporate new ideas into a sports model, and it's difficult to know what to base a regular model on.
