A precious metal toolwatch is an oxymoron, save for one exception: the pilot’s watch.

And sure, not every pilot’s watch is suited for the full gold treatment. But let’s imagine you’re a person of some means who has decided to take on flying as a hobby and you’re looking for the perfect sporty yet precious wrist companion. Well, there really is just one choice: the venerable GMT-Master.

And vintage GMT-Masters are perfectly suited for the occasion. Take this wonderful ref. 16758 GMT-Master from 1982: it’s undoubtedly a sports watch but much sleeker and thinner than its contemporary brethren.

More importantly, the ref. 16758 trades in the no-nonsense 40 mm stainless steel Oyster case for a luxurious 18K yellow gold one, here with a matching 18K yellow gold Oyster bracelet. The 18K yellow gold rotating bezel features a classy black anodized aluminium inlay that matches perfectly with the glossy black nipple dial with gilt accents.

This ref. 16758 is powered by the upgraded caliber 3075 automatic movement, which introduced the quickset date function to the GMT line. The watch is in wonderful condition with thick lugs and sharp lines, as well as a great bracelet.