This Vintage Rolex "Pepsi" Comes With a Wild Fighter Jet Survival Story
Complete with original papers and custom pilot wing engravings, this incredible vintage timepiece survived a harrowing 1978 F-105 crash.
Summary
Bob’s Watches acquired a 1977 Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi" that survived a jet ejection.
It comes with the original box, papers, custom engravings and an incredible crash archive.
Currently in Paul Altieri’s collection, but it is available for purchase for those who are interested.
Nearly half a century after its purchase, a vintage Rolex GMT‑Master II from 1977 has resurfaced with a remarkable survival story. Originally owned by U.S. Air Force pilot Capt. David Bartell, the watch was on his wrist when he ejected from a failing F‑105 fighter jet near Tinker Air Force Base in 1978. The incident, documented in local newspapers at the time, left the aircraft destroyed but the pilot – and his Rolex – intact.
The watch remains in extraordinary condition, accompanied by its original box, papers and receipt, as well as personal engravings: the caseback etched with Bartell’s name and the clasp adorned with pilot wings. Beyond the timepiece itself, the archive includes a newspaper clipping of the crash, a photograph of Bartell in his jet during aerial refueling, and a typed letter reflecting on the ejection and the watch’s role in that moment. Currently part of Bob’s Watches CEO and Founder, Paul Altieri’s collection, the GMT‑Master II is not formally listed for auction, though Altieri has noted that “everything is for sale.”
