MKII Key West GMT

Just about everyone and their mother knows what a Rolex GMT Master is. But did you know that the brand made a white-dialed version?

That’s right. In the early days of the GMT Master, Pan-Am commissioned a series of roughly 200 pieces in white for their executives — the story being that Juan Trippe, the company’s chief, was none too happy that desk-bound, C-suite types were hoarding the black-dialed versions meant for aircrews for themselves. For decades, the Rolex collector community wasn’t sure that these watches were real. Turns out, they are! (We think.)

Of course, these watches are all but ‘unobtanium.’ If one were to come up at auction, brains would melt. Continents would split apart. Aurel Bacs would have a heart attack and be forced to man the rostrum from his hospital bed. Thankfully, the watch world has a compromise…

Mk II, the OG American microbrand founded by Bill Yao, cooked up one of the coolest modern watches of all time when it put together an homage to the white-dialed GMT unicorn, which it dubbed the ‘Key West.’ An unabashed tribute through and through, it is, to put it lightly, dope as hell. Especially so given that your chances of scoring an original white-dialed 6542 are, roughly, 765,432,891 to 1. (We made that number up, but you get it.)

This particular Key West is housed in a 39mm stainless steel case with a double-domed sapphire crystal, a signed crown, a bidirectional, and a 24-hour ‘Coke’ GMT bezel. It features a luminous satin white 'gilt' dial with maxi indices, a matching Mercedes handset, and a roulette date wheel at 3:00. Powered by the industry-standard workhorse ETA 2893-2 automatic movement, it comes paired to a steel faux-rivet Oyster-style bracelet with a signed locking clasp.

Dating to the 2010s and accompanied by its factory goodies, this Key West is a star in its own right — nevermind the Rolex connection!

In 2002, following a stint on Wall Street, horological devotee Bill Yao began a customization service for Luminox and Seiko tool watches. Soon, however, Yao began designing his own timepieces — homages to classic but long defunct American military pieces. He named the new company MK II, military speak for the second generation of a product.

Mk II’s Rolex ‘Big Crown’ homage quickly grabbed the attention of vintage watch aficionados, and despite the financial crisis of 2009 and numerous setbacks, set Yao up to expand his business with fresh designs. His Paradive — a modern take on the famed Benrus Type I and Type II dive watches of the 1970s — became an instant hit, as did his Hawkinge, and homage to the beloved IWC/JLC MK II launched in the late 1940s.

Today, MK II divides its offerings into two groups: Japanese-assembled ‘Ready to Wear’ and American-assembled ‘Benchcrafted,’ the former of which are available for direct purchase as off-the-shelf products, and the latter of which are offered via pre-order and often necessitate longer wait times. Each and every MKII product, however, is crafted with an attention to design and detail that would make many other ‘microbrand’ owners blush, leaving no wonder as to why the company has become one of the darlings of modern American boutique watchmaking.

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.