The Rolex Explorer II

HISTORY OF THE EXPLORER II


        In 1971, Rolex arise the Explorer II ref. 1655. This apparatus watch featured a 24hour hand, anchored engraved bezel with 24hour graduation and was alone availible with a atramentous dial, and alone in steel. The 24hour duke consistently backward syncronised to the time the watch was telling... in added words, the Explorer II 1655 was not a "GMT" watch back you could not acclimatize the 24hour duke apart of the hour hand.

        Rather, the 24hour duke - accumulated with the 24hour accelerating bezel - was acclimated to acquaint the wearer of the watch whether the hour duke is apropos to for instance 10 o' alarm AM or 10 o'clock PM; decidedly advantageous to speleologists (cave explorers) who spent a lot of their plan in aphotic caves, consistent in the cavern campaign accident any angle of whether it was day or night alfresco the cave.


The punch and easily architecture of the 38mm bore and 13.5mm blubbery Rolex Explorer II 1655 was absolutely unique; initially at its absolution featuring a beeline abnormal duke and a a big orange 24hour hand. Due to the rather big and adventurous 24hour hand, the Explorer II 1655 was nicknamed "Freccione" (meaning "Arrow") by Italian collectors.
The architecture of the hour and minute duke was unique, too, with a matte allotment about the easily stack, authoritative the easily arise to "float" on the dial... no added Rolex watch acclimated or has been application them back in absolutely this form, although Rolex besides the big orange 24hour duke fabricated a actual nod to those "phantom" easily in 2011 with the absolution of the Explorer II 216570 (black dial). The Explorer II 1655 aswell featured baby aboveboard hour markers agnate to the asperous numbers on the anchored bezel. 

           However, added contempo studies done by collectors aftereffect in the accord that the "Red 1655 Arrow Hand" in fact never existed...

Rather, for a actual abrupt aeon about 1978 the 24hr duke was a altered added adumbration of orange but was bound afflicted aback to the accepted colour and backward that way up until the Explorer II 1655 was discontinued.

Most humans accept the duke afflicted colour in 1975 because the 1655 brochure/booklet at that time showed a "redder" duke in the picture. This was a press botheration only.

Over the accomplished 40yrs the orange easily accept been actual decumbent to crumbling - some way added than others depending on acknowledgment to the sun.

Here are the two versions of the Explorer II 1655:

 

          In 1985, the Rolex Explorer II 16550 was launched. Although still getting 40mm in diameter, this Rolex was radically altered from the antecedent archetypal in as abundant as the 24hour duke was now de-coupled from hour hand, authoritative the wearer of the watch able to move the 24hour duke aback and alternating in 1hour intervals, absolute of the hour hand. In added words, the Explorer II 16550 could now be acclimated as a "GMT" watch (although alone able to clue two time zones at a time).

Furthermore, the architecture of the punch and easily was changed, abrogation about no affinity to the Explorer II 1655.

The Explorer II 16550 now had the Rolex archetypal skeleton (also accepted as "Mercedes") easily and a red GMT duke with a smaller, red triangle. There was aswell an advantage for either a white or atramentous dial. The satinised bezel featured rather big and bold, adequately acutely engraved numbers.

Originally, the white punch Explorer II 16550 had unpainted dot hour markers... a lot of acceptable fabricated of white gold because Rolex switched from application animate easily and markers about that time.

Later, the dots indices on the white punch adaptation were corrective black. Interestingly, some of the aboriginal 16550's had a accountability in the acrylic mixture, authoritative the white punch become chrism with time (also accepted as the "Cream Dial" Explorer II). Furthermore, the punch existed in a "Rail Dial" adaptation (both on atramentous and white dials) area one you draw an abstract vertical band amid the "Superlative" / "Officially" and "Chronometer" / "Certified". The atramentous punch adaptation sometimes developed a "Spider Web" aftereffect due to a accountability in the acrylic mixture:

"Cream and Rail Dial" Explorer II 16550:

"Spider Web" and "Rail Dial" Explorer II 16550:

The Explorer II 16550 was to be manufacture for only 3 years:
In 1985 it received another update: The movement was changed from Cal. 3085 to Cal. 3185, and the model reference number was hence changed to 16570.
Still availible with either a black or white dial, the white dial now had black hour dots right from the start. Furthermore, the numbers on the fixed bezel were now less bold and deeply engraved:
CASE
             One of the most striking details of the Explorer II 216570 is its bigger 42mm case. It certainly has "wrist presence" on my 7½" wrist, almost filling my wrist out in width:

The lug appearance has been afflicted compared to the ample "block" lugs of the Rolex GMT II 11671x and Submariner Date 11661x, now added akin the old-style lugs that had added abate to them. Additionally, like on the new GMT II and Submariner Date, the satination on the lugs is vertical and bigger compared to the angled and coarser satination of the 5-digit Rolex sports models:

In my opinion, like on the Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller, also on the Explorer II 216750 Rolex managed to make the larger case look more proportioned due to those tapering lugs.

Furthermore, there is slightly more curve to the lugs and case when seen from the side as compared to the GMT II 11671x and Submariner Date 11661x:

The bezel architecture has been afflicted a bit again. Still getting satinised, the numbers on the bezel accept become a bit bolder again, authoritative the appearance resemble the Explorer II 16550 bezel chantry if one should analyze it to beforehand models. Like on the beforehand models, the bend of the bezel is high-polished, authoritative for a actual adorable and affected adverse to the satinised bezel:

Although I would have preferred a Triplock winding crown on the Explorer II 216570 like on the GMT II 11671x models, in my opinion the larger Twinlock crown still looks good on the watch.
The caseback sits fairly low, in fact making the watch not much thicker than the Explorer II 16570.

Here are the case dimensions, measured with a digital caliper gauge:

• Bezel edge to bezel edge: 41.5mm
• Case diameter incl. crown: 45mm
• Case Length: 48.7mm (lugs at 6 to lugs at 12)
• Case thickness: 12.40mm incl. caseback and crystal
• Lug width: 21mm (tapers down to the last link before clasp which is 15mm)
• Clasp length: 35mm (including the the small protution at the springloaded tip: 36mm)
• Crown diameter: 7mm - same size as Milgauss 116400 crown (standard TwinLock is 6mm)
• Crystal diameter: 33.5mm
• Dial diameter: 30mm (from INNER edge of rehaut to the other)
• Width of minute hand: 2mm
• Width of indices: 2mm
• Weight incl. all links: 157g (same weight as Milgauss 116400)

BRACELET

As accepted like with the added adapted Rolex watches, the Explorer II 216570 got a new armlet (Ref. 77210) with solid centre links and solid clasp, featuring the Easy Link that allows for 5mm burning amplification of the armlet if engaged. The lugwidth is 21mm and apparel the 42mm case bore to perfection. The cone-shaped lugs add to the wellproportioned case/band ratio:

The clasp is machined from one solid piece of 904L steel (same steel type used for the rest of the watch) and sits nicely centered on my wrist:

With all links installed and with the Easy Hotlink bankrupt in, the Explorer II 216570 sits acutely calmly on my wrist. I accept the below caseback adds to this comfort.
From the manufacture, the armlet ref. 77210 has the afterward hotlink setup:
5 links on the 6 o'clock ancillary (2 with screws) and 7 links on the 12 o'clock ancillary (4 with screws). Easy Hotlink is not included in the count.

CRYSTAL
I was admiring to see a bigger clear on the Explorer II 216570!
Like on the on the adapted Rolex GMT II 11671x and Submariner Date 11661x, it has an anti-reflective coated cyclops over the date aparture but (apart from its diameter), the clear is altered from the added adapted Rolex watches mentioned in as abundant as the clear sits higher. I accept approved to abduction it in this picture:

The college continuing clear makes the new Explorer II hardly thicker than its antecedent archetypal but aswell makes it attending added "old fashioned"... a attending which I like.

DIAL AND LEGIBILITY

Like the Explorer II 16550 and 16570, the new Explorer II 216570 comes with a best of either a white or a atramentous dial. I chose the white punch back I acquisition it easier to acquaint the time from and because I artlessly adopt the white punch on the Explorer II which aswell is a nice change to the atramentous punch of my Daytona 116520.

Another acumen as to why I autonomous for the white punch Explorer II 216570 is that (as declared earlier) Rolex fabricated a accolade to the aboriginal Explorer II 1655 by abacus "Phantom" easily on the new archetypal 216750. However, in my assessment the begrimed locations should accept been matte instead of bright which does not bout the matte (Rolex calls it "satin finished") atramentous punch of dial. Furthermore, the easily of the atramentous punch new Explorer II accept diff amounts (i.e.: not the aforementioned length) of atramentous affliction on the hour, minute and GMT duke which boodle the

Like the "Phantom" easily on the Explorer II 1655 were re-interpreted, the big orange "Freccione" duke was re-introduced on the new Explorer II as a actual nod. This even seems to be emphasised on the album that accompanies the Explorer II 216570:

The big orange 24hour duke looks admirable calm with the orange "Explorer II" writing, although I accept to accept that I the orange autograph on white punch could accept been fabricated bolder like apparent on the atramentous punch version:

With the new Explorer II, Rolex seems to have paid more attention to this quality control issue:

The hands, markers and GMT duke are now "Maxi" appearance and afford the "Cerachrom" dejected lume like on the new Submariner Date, Deepsea Sea-Dweller and Explorer 214270. The lume is absurd and lasts all night (8+ hours), although not as acute as apparent on this photo area I "charged" my Explorer II beneath the sunlight:

6. MOVEMENT
Rolex bogus a new movement for the Explorer II 216570:
The Cal. 3187, featuring the inhouse Paraflex shock aegis arrangement and Parachrom Bleu hairspring.
The Cal. 3186 in the GMT II 11671x aswell has the inhouse Parachrom Bleu hairspring...
Now, the catechism is: Both featuring a GMT feature, is the Cal. 3187 identical to the Cal. 3186 afar from use of the inhouse shock arrangement instead of application the outsourced (SWATCH Group) KIF system?
Answer is Yes... and NO.
Thing is, that the capital bowl of the Cal. 3187 is bigger than the one of the Cal. 3186:
Cal. 3186: 28.5mm
Cal. 3187: 30.97mm

Where a lot of added watch companies introducing a bigger watch archetypal would artlessly use movement spacers to accomplish a baby movement fit into a big case, Rolex did not compromise:
They fabricated the movement bigger, too! This is what makes Rolex so special!
One could altercate that the Deepsea Sea-Dweller is 44mm, yet it still has the Cal. 3135 (with the dejected hairspring) inside. So why did the Deepsea not accept a bigger movement? Because - accumulated with the Ring Lock arrangement and Titanium caseback, the Deepsea aswell has a thicker case (more "meat") about the movement to cope with the 4,875 metres it's activated to bear beneath sea-level.

7. ACCURACY
I accept endemic assorted Rolex watches with the inhouse Parachrom Bleu hairspring:
Rolex Daytona 116520 (x 2)
Rolex GMT II 116710LN
Rolex Milgauss 116400GV
Rolex Explorer II (M-series with Cal. 3186)
Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller 116660 (x 4)
Rolex Submariner Date 116610


ALL of the aloft ran apathetic (typically bare 2-4 seconds/day) beeline from the box.
The Explorer II 216570 that I own now has been accepting .5 abnormal back day one! Consistantly! It does

See Rolex  THE EXPLORER II on amazon here