If you watched Magnum as a child, lying on the carpet in front of the CRT television, I have bittersweet news: you are probably old enough to have already owned a Rolex or, at the very least, to be able to afford one today without asking your banker for permission. Take comfort: Thomas Magnum never pretended to be young. He wore men's watches, action watches, watches that withstand the heat of Oahu, the salt water, the door knocks of a Ferrari, and the sometimes tough investigations.
Because yes, before being a mustachioed man in a Hawaiian shirt, Magnum is first and foremost a silhouette: a Tigers cap, worn Sebagos, a red Ferrari 308 GTS, and on his wrist, a watch trilogy that has become cult. In the series (1980–1988), there are three families of truly striking watches: the Rolex GMT-Master “Pepsi” from the late seasons, the Chronosport Sea Quartz 30 from the early years, and a Seiko quartz diving “Pepsi” seen more occasionally.
A new article in the “Who wears what?” section.
From season 4, Magnum “becomes” Magnum on the wrist: the Rolex GMT-Master with a two-tone red and blue bezel. It was the watch that ended up absorbing the character, to the point that some no longer see the mustache without the Pepsi glasses. For years, many have talked about a 1675 reference. Looking at the details (proportions of the crown guards, order of the hands), we very often end up with the ref. 16750the perfect transition between pure vintage and a bit of practical modernity (quick date).
Enthusiast rating : the fantasy is total, but it is also a “logical” watch. Not a provocation. A GMT-Master is the Rolex for those who move, not those who show off. Magnum may live in a postcard, but he spends his time running, swimming, fighting and improvising. A fragile watch would be a plot inconsistency.
Before the Rolex, there was the field watch, the one that smells of diving and the quartz crisis: the Chronosport Sea Quartz 30. Less glamorous, more “tool”, perfectly aligned with the Magnum of the first seasons: an ex-officer, a detective, a guy who does the job before creating the myth.
Chronosport, today, is a name that floats like a wreck from the 70s and 80s: very present in dive shops at the time, then swallowed up by history. This is precisely what makes the Sea Quartz 30 endearing: it was not made for Instagram, but to withstand everyday use. And on Magnum's wrist, it says something simple: efficiency before symbol.
Why is it interesting from a watch perspective? Because it’s anti-blazon. A watch of mission, not status. And, paradoxically, it is often this type of piece that best tells the story of an era: the one where quartz was not “cheap”, but futuristic, precise, and perfectly assumed.
Magnum was also seen, more occasionally, with a Seiko diving quartz with red and blue bezel. In the community, it is very often linked to the Seiko 7548, a quartz diver from the late 70s and early 80s, robust, readable, and designed as a serious tool.
This choice makes sense: when you live between the ocean and the dust, Seiko is a simple answer. No need for philosophy: it works, and it pays off. I also hypothesize that for economic reasons, it was more practical to put Seikos on Tom Selleck's wrist than Rolexes (?). The mystery remains.
Note : as always with “sighted” watches (and sometimes misidentified in blurry captures), caution is a discipline. But the mind is clear: Seiko, here, plays the role of the tool, a pragmatic cousin of the Rolex Pepsi.
We cannot talk about Magnum watches without talking about its Ferrari 308 GTS : the red, the targa, the silhouette which created vocations for lovers of fine mechanics. The “Pepsi” watch also functions as a permanent chromatic reminder: a color code that connects the wrist to the hood. It's storytelling, but storytelling that rolls, that shines, and that makes you dream.
In summary, Magnum has worn three watchmaking faces :
And that's perhaps the most beautiful thing: a series that sold dreams without betraying logic. Magnum doesn't have a single watch, it has a wardrobe of tools. And if you are “old enough” to have watched it on television, you are above all mature enough to understand that style, true style, is often a question of consistency, not price.
And for the little anecdote, Tom Selleck, the actor who played Magnum, has remained very loyal to Rolex both on screen and in his daily life.
Speaking of style, I had fun looking for reproductions of the famous Magnum shirt. Yes, I have time for this type of quest.
Well, it’s available on Amazon (mustache not included), I say that…
The most iconic watch is a Rolex GMT-Master “Pepsi”very often identified as a ref. 16750worn especially from season 4.
In the early seasons, he is frequently seen with a Chronosport Sea Quartz 30a very typical 80s “tool” quartz diver.
Yes, more occasionally: a Seiko diver quartz with red and blue bezel, often attached to the family 7548.
Because of the two-tone red and blue bezel, the combination of which reminded generations of fans of the color code of the soda brand.
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