Since the birth of the retail model, the symbiotic relationship between watchmakers and retailers has kept the watchmaking industry alive. Manufacturers make fake watches; Retailers sell them to the public. It is a relationship based on trust and shared ideals. But sometimes the partnership goes beyond that. Sometimes, manufacturers offer special retailers a “double-signature” hat that puts the retailer’s name on the dial alongside the brand name of the watch.
Double-signed watches are amazing to collectors because we can ascertain a good bit about the watch simply from the retailer logos – where it was sold, who the clientele may have been, what period it might have been sold in, etc. These best replica watches were often produced in limited quantities and manufacturers would only partner with a few special retailers. One reason double-signed pieces are desirable is the fact that often there aren’t many of them.
Ettore Cattaneo, the former owner of this Universal Genève watch, was called “the blonde apostle of aviation” for his piloting career. Ironically, however, he was never meant to fly. On the contrary, he had to carry on the family tradition of dentistry, but he was not the kind of man who kept his feet on the ground. He was a pilot, having completed military aviation training in 1918, and an Italian patriot. He was an eclectic man who left a legendary legacy in the interwar years.
We’ve looked at the legacy of Serpico y Laino before through the lens of the so-called “Bombay” model Rolex watches from the ’50s. The retailer, which closed in 1966, was the sole distributor for Rolex replica during an era when the economy in Venezuela was soaring.
This particular GMT-Master features the original bakelite insert in good condition, which is noteworthy because bakelite tended to degrade at a much faster pace than the aluminum inserts that succeeded it. Most replica Rolex GMT-Master examples were used in a professional capacity; they were originally produced for Pan Am pilots. Of course, those were stainless steel. This one is yellow gold and fitted with a root beer bezel insert.
The GMT-Master was built in 1958 for Serpico y Laino, an interesting turning point for Venezuela. That same year, a coup toppled Marcos Perez Jimenez and set a new course for the country.