War Correspondent’s Rolex GMT-Master 1675 Surfaces In New Zealand
If only watches could tell stories… This particular watch, a Rolex GMT-Master 1675 from 1968, would have a multitude of stories to share.
The Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 we’re looking at today belonged to the late New Zealand photojournalist and camera operator Derek McKendry, who spent eight years covering the Vietnam War for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). McKendry also covered conflicts across the Middle East, India, South East Asia, and Africa.
Derek McKendry behind the video camera — Image: Webb’s
The life of a roving journalist
During those assignments, McKendry was seriously wounded by mortar fire, almost buried alive in a bombed-out bunker, thrown in prison, and shot at. Luckily, he lived through all these ordeals but died unexpectedly in 1999 while covering a press conference. As the New Zealand news organization Stuff.co.nz reports, Webb’s is now auctioning McKendry’s trusty Rolex timepiece. You can find the lot here.
Image: Webb’s
During his Southeast Asian stint, McKendry had to be rescued from a field hospital in Cambodia after being injured. Australian journalist Neil Davis managed to have him airlifted to safety by United States Marines due to concerns that he would die from his injuries and the extremely basic treatment available to him within Cambodia at the time.
Image: Webb’s
Witnessing the Vietnam war
According to Webb’s, in one incident, an American F4 fighter plane crash-landed right next to McKendry in enemy territory. McKendry also recalled the fear he felt during the 1968 Tet Offensive when the Viet Cong launched a surprise attack on Saigon: “If I could have got out of there, I would have. The bad guys owned the airport.”
As Webb’s notes, one of the most significant moments of McKendry’s career came in 1972 when he received an invitation to meet General Võ Nguyên Giáp, the North Vietnamese Commander behind victories against the French and Americans, in an interview in Hanoi. McKendry told Giáp in Vietnamese, “You’ve been one of my greatest heroes for many years.” Apparently, the general, surprised, asked McKendry, “Why?” That’s a good question, indeed.
Image: Webb’s
A close call in Africa
In a letter to his family in New Zealand, McKendry wrote that he was “getting used to being shot at now and it’s not quite as frightening as the first few times (they say the first 200 times are the worst).” McKendry was nearly killed in the African nation of Zambia in 1979 when he was accused of being a spy and arrested. Unfortunately, his colleague, the Australian reporter Tony Joyce, was killed after he was shot.
McKendry on the left — Image: Australian War Memorial
A nationwide effort was made to get McKendry released. This happened four days later after New Zealand’s then-Prime Minister Rob Muldoon personally intervened. After his stint at the ABC, McKendry worked at the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. He then also worked with TVNZ and TV3, covering a host of significant world events and leaders.
Image: Webb’s
An appreciation for his Rolex GMT-Master
Webb’s estimates that McKendry’s watch is worth up to NZ$25,000. Honestly, this seems like a small figure when we consider the experiences this Rolex GMT-Master has lived through and, indeed, the risks its former owner took. The Rolex GMT-Master that McKendry bought in 1968 was precious to him. In a 1969 letter to his mother, he described the watch as “very sturdy and quite practical for what I want.”
Image: Webb’s
The GMT-Master 1675 was an iconic watch released by The Crown. As my colleague Balazs noted in this article, this reference remained in production from 1959 to 1980. That is an incredibly long and successful run. Importantly, it could track the time in an additional time zone, which would have been critical for a roving journalist like McKendry.
Image: Webb’s
Concluding thoughts
Most photos in this article are courtesy of Webb’s, which is hosting the auction of McKendry’s watch. Journalist Janet McIntryre, McKendry’s partner of nine years, told Stuff.co.nz that selling the watch was a “difficult decision.” No doubt it was, but hopefully, this Rolex GMT-Master 1675 will find a good home with an appreciative owner.
In New Zealand, the McKendry Award was established in honor of the man. The award pays respect to the videographers and camera operators who demonstrate particular dedication to their craft. This leaves a legacy worthy of one of New Zealand’s best visual journalists, one who took risks to pursue the truth.
