The first GMT watch with a rotating 24-hour bezel was released in December 1953 by the Swiss company Glycine and was named the Airman. However, Rolex’s 1954 debut of the GMT-Master often overshadows this. Pan Am approached Rolex to create a solution for their pilots traveling between time zones as air travel became more commercial and popular. As such, between the two big brands, the Rolex watch became more commonly known as the first GMT watch.