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Results for Rolex Explorer

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Reference · Guide
All Rolex Explorer & Explorer II References Rolex

Every Rolex Explorer (1953-) and Explorer II (1971-): 6098, 1016, 14270, 124270; 1655, 16550 Polar, 226570.
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Friday thoughts: does the one-watch collection actually exist, and could any WIS sit still with it?

Every enthusiast has this thought at 3am: sell everything, keep one watch, be done. If we had to pick, we would pick an Explorer 39mm. But is it still a collection with one, and can any watch enthusiast actually sit still?
This Monday Morning, I Realized I Should Have Bought The Black-Dial Rolex Explorer II 16570 Instead Of The White One Fratello
Rolex Explorer II 16570 Instead Feb 12, 2024

This Monday Morning, I Realized I Should Have Bought The Black-Dial Rolex Explorer II 16570 Instead Of The White One

The original Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer II 1655 that debuted in 1971 is probably my favorite Rolex watch of all time. I wish I’d felt the same in the mid-1980s when you could pick up an unloved “Freccione” at a huge discount. Unfortunately, I only started warming up to the Explorer II with its steel […] Visit This Monday Morning, I Realized I Should Have Bought The Black-Dial Rolex Explorer II 16570 Instead Of The White One to read the full article.

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Exploring Evergreens: The Black-Dial Rolex Explorer II 16570 Fratello
Rolex Explorer II 16570 Jan 19, 2024

Exploring Evergreens: The Black-Dial Rolex Explorer II 16570

In our series Exploring Evergreens, we have a look at watches that have been around for some time.  These are watches that have stood the test of time to become archetypes, sometimes even icons. Today, I am covering the Rolex Explorer ref. 16570 in the black-dial execution. This is the most worn watch in my […] Visit Exploring Evergreens: The Black-Dial Rolex Explorer II 16570 to read the full article.

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Seiko Expands their GMT Offerings to the Seiko 5 Sports Field Collection Worn & Wound
Rolex Explorer II which naturally Dec 21, 2023

Seiko Expands their GMT Offerings to the Seiko 5 Sports Field Collection

Seiko has recently expanded their Seiko 5 Sports Field series to include two new references, each with a GMT function. A first for this line of watches following the popular series that included rotating 24 hour bezels last year, the GMT function allows for a secondary timezone to be easily read in a tidy field watch format. Whether choosing the silver SSK023 or the more rugged black SSK025, each balances functionality against a backdrop of timeless design. As for the specifications of this watch, the Seiko 5 Sports Field series is a robust and reliable timepiece designed for everyday wear. Equipped with a 4R34 automatic movement, it offers a power reserve of approximately 41 hours and is equipped with 24 jewels. The watch incorporates practical functions such as a 24-hour hand for dual time display and a stop second hand function. Functionality is identical to the earlier Seiko 5 Sports GMT release, which means an independently adjustable 24-hour hand and “caller” GMT functionality.  Its stainless steel case, measuring 39.4mm in diameter and 13.6mm in thickness, includes a curved Hardlex crystal and showcases Lumibrite on both hands and indexes for enhanced visibility. The watch has a water resistance of 10 bar and magnetic resistance of 4,800 A/m, making it suitable for various environments that really lives up to its field watch bona fides. Importantly, these watches feature a fixed 24-hour bezel in the style of a Rolex Explorer II, which naturally gives these watc...

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The Three Watch Collection for $5,000: Reader Edition - Griffin Bartsch Worn & Wound
Rolex Explorer II Ref 16570 Nov 24, 2023

The Three Watch Collection for $5,000: Reader Edition - Griffin Bartsch

Editor’s note: In this week’s 3 Watch Collection for $5,000, Griffin Bartsch (@cgriffinbartsch on Instagram), a seasoned collector and watch enthusiast, makes his case for value with a trio of watches that punch well above their weight class. In a watch environment where prices keep climbing, it can be tough to find quality and originality that’s budget friendly, and it can be even tougher if you can easily recall a time when these things just weren’t so expensive. But as Griffin points out, there are still great watches to discover at any price point.  You can make your submission to the Three Watch Collection – Reader Edition by filling out the form right here. Talk to anyone who has been a watch enthusiast or collector long enough and a constant through-line will be that watches cost more than they used to. It’s hard to deny. In the near decade and a half that I have nominally been what could be called a watch collector, the market has experienced a dramatic surge. It’s gotten to the point where it is unavoidable that rising prices have become a pretty standard stop in the flow of conversation at meetups and on forums. Even I am not immune to the temptations of the topic - I have probably mentioned a few too many times that when I was 18 I could have bought a polar dial Rolex Explorer II Ref. 16570 for the same money as my Martin D-35 (around 3500 bucks). That Martin still floats right around that price today, the Rolex decidedly does not. A result of a...

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The Fibonacci Sequence Strikes Again! Nomos and Revolution Team Up for the Tangente Neomatik 41 Update “Resilience” Worn & Wound
Rolex Explorer 124270 Aug 15, 2023

The Fibonacci Sequence Strikes Again! Nomos and Revolution Team Up for the Tangente Neomatik 41 Update “Resilience”

The latest limited edition produced by Wei Koh and our friends at Revolution is a high concept variant of the Nomos Tangente Neomatik 41 Update that uses one of our favorite mathematical principles as a starting point. Longtime readers might recall Blake’s dive into the Rolex Explorer 124270, and pondered what the dimensions of that watch and their relationship to the Golden Ratio meant for comfort on the wrist. The so-called Golden Ratio is derived from dividing each number in the Fibonacci series by its predecessor, and the results, in an almost mystical way, seem to line up with natural phenomenon, like the way leaves, branches, and petals grow in a predictable spiral, and the shape of the shell of a snail. This new watch, dubbed “Resilience,” is so-named because the helix shape, a pattern linked to the Fibonacci sequence, is the symbol for resilience in nature, a concept that Revolution and Nomos were interested in exploring coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Before we get to the watch, a brief refresher/math lesson is required to get everyone up to speed on the Fibonacci numbers. This will be coming from someone with a liberal arts education, so please do feel free to check my work in the comments below, as I just barely passed introductory calculus. The easiest way to understand the Fibonacci sequence is to observe that they’re a set of numbers where the next digit is always the sum of the two digits immediately preceding it. Dividing any two successive F...

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[VIDEO] Battle of the White GMTs: Grand Seiko SBGE285 & Rolex Explorer II 16570 Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko SBGE285 & Rolex Explorer Jun 20, 2023

[VIDEO] Battle of the White GMTs: Grand Seiko SBGE285 & Rolex Explorer II 16570

There has never been a better time to be in the market for a GMT watch, with no shortage of great options at a wider range of prices than perhaps ever before. There is one watch that’s remained a pillar of the genre over the years, however, and that is the Explorer II reference 16570. It holds up just as well today as it did when it was introduced in the late ‘80s, and remains a favorite among enthusiasts for its sweet spot sizing, and a timeless design that seems to go with everything. But that’s a watch that’s been out of production for decades, so where is the modern incarnation of this ethos? We may have found a perfect candidate in the Grand Seiko SBGE285. Grand Seiko hasn’t exactly been at the center of the scruffy tool watch scene in the same way that 5 digit Rolex references have, but this SBGE285 offers a compelling case for Grand Seiko’s take on the genre with this modern tool-ish GMT. This is a watch that might look a little intimidating by the numbers, but offers a different experience on-wrist. It might not be as svelte as the Explorer II, but there’s plenty to admire here, from the stunning finishing on the hands and dial furniture, to the unorthodox case architecture, which are all executed to Grand Seiko’s high standards. Ultimately, these two watches offer very different experiences that reflect the two brands at their very best. That said, they do converge in a few surprising ways, which Kat and Blake discuss in this inside look at watches...

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The Rolex Explorer Welcomes New 40mm Case Worn & Wound
Rolex Explorer Welcomes New 40mm Apr 6, 2023

The Rolex Explorer Welcomes New 40mm Case

Just a few short years ago, Rolex surprised all of us by returning the Explorer to its 36mm roots, after a relatively short stint at 39mm. I discuss that move and the watch itself at length in this review of the ever charming 124270. While many lamented the change, there is certainly no shortage of larger sport watches across the Rolex catalog to choose from. This year, Rolex again returns to the Explorer, adding an entirely new size option to live alongside the 36mm case, offering something for everyone with a new Explorer 40 reference 224270. They’ve managed to fix some of the odd proportion issues that plagued the old 39mm 214270 in the process.  The new Rolex Explorer 40 at left, existing 36 at right. The Explorer 40 was was one of many new releases from Rolex this year, and largely fell into quiet territory alongside blockbusters like a new Daytona, a titanium Yacht-Master, an entirely new formal range called Perpetual 1908, and a pair of unusually colorful watches in the OP and Day-Date range. But, for fans of the Explorer missing a larger option, this was a momentous release worth celebrating. This simple, perhaps iconic even, Rolex dial is now more accessible to more wrists than ever, and more options are always a good thing in my book. The Explorer 40 is exactly what it sounds like, a slightly scaled up Explorer with the same dial and case design as the 36. Most importantly, the scale and proportions of the 3, 6, and 9 Arabic numerals, as well as the block hour...

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The Rolex Explorer 40 showcases a new 40mm case Time+Tide
Rolex Explorer 40 showcases Mar 27, 2023

The Rolex Explorer 40 showcases a new 40mm case

The discontinuation of the 39mm Rolex Explorer was a surprise, and its 36mm replacement, though a return to original sizing, left many wondering what Rolex had up its sleeves. Naturally, the crown had a plan, and it has now come to light in form of the new Rolex Explorer 40. Its simplicity remains untarnished, offering … ContinuedThe post The Rolex Explorer 40 showcases a new 40mm case appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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[VIDEO] The Rolex Explorer Hits the Collector’s Roundtable Worn & Wound
Rolex Explorer Hits Mar 16, 2023

[VIDEO] The Rolex Explorer Hits the Collector’s Roundtable

The Explorer has a way of sneaking up on you. It’s not all that flashy, has no real complexity to speak of, features slightly strange looking numerals at 3, 6, and 9, and clocks in at a diminutive 36mm in diameter. Yet, it’s a watch that gets under the skin over time and exposure. At least that was the case for the trio of Explorer owners at Worn & Wound. In this collector’s roundtable, Kat Shoulder, Zach Weiss, and Blake Buettner sit down to discuss three different references of the Explorer that have managed to find a spot in each of their collections.  Three references that represent two different generations of the Explorer, and two generations that manage to tell two very different stories about where Rolex is, and where they’ve been. Yet, somehow, these watches share an obvious core DNA that binds them. In this video, we find the modern references 124270 (steel), 124273 (steel & gold), and the 114270 (steel) from the early ‘00s. Each has their own unique appeal, and each says something specific about us as collectors. Don’t miss our full review of the Explorer 124270 from back when it’s retail price was $6,450. It’s safe to say the watch made a good enough impression to become a permanent part of the collection. Share your thoughts on these references or the Explorer in general in the comments below or on YouTube, and while you’re there, be sure to subscribe for more content like this.  The post [VIDEO] The Rolex Explorer Hits the Collector’s Ro...

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TRADING FACES: Why I swapped my Rolex Submariner for a Rolex Explorer 1016 Time+Tide
Rolex Submariner Jan 15, 2023

TRADING FACES: Why I swapped my Rolex Submariner for a Rolex Explorer 1016

I have penned nearly a thousand articles for this site over the last two years, but two of the most read were under the Trading Faces tag – where I dissect an actual watch trade I have made in my collection. I love that you guys love it, because I love writing them. But now I … ContinuedThe post TRADING FACES: Why I swapped my Rolex Submariner for a Rolex Explorer 1016 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Rolex Explorer Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Aug 23, 2022

Rolex Explorer Guide

The Rolex Explorer is in many ways the quintessential dressy tool watch from Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual collection - less flashy than the GMT-Master, less bulky than the Submariner, while still rooted, like those two models, in a history of adventure and discovery. While it has changed very little since the 1950s, today’s Rolex Explorer is the culmination of many decades of aesthetic and technical evolution, guided by a watchmaker for whom the subtlest details make all the difference in the world to its avid legions of fans. Underpinning the Explorer: Oyster Case and Perpetual Caliber The Rolex Explorer, like all Oyster Perpetual timepieces in Rolex’s Professional collection, is an expression of two technical milestones that Rolex and its visionary founder Hans Wisdorf contributed to watchmaking history. The first is the so-called Oyster case, developed in 1926, which revolutionized the construction of watch cases with its dustproof, waterproof, hermetically sealed structure, secured by a threaded caseback and a crown that screwed tightly into the case. In 1931, Rolex made history again with the creation of its first “Perpetual” movement (below), whose self-winding mechanism was driven by an oscillating rotor. The marriage of these two inventions gave rise to the “Oyster Perpetual” line of timepieces that remain at the heart of Rolex’s collection today, beginning with the Datejust in 1945 and coming to full fruition with the tool-oriented, yet still luxuri...

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What happened when a rodeo cowboy’s Rolex Explorer met a 2000lb bull… Time+Tide
Rolex Explorer met Apr 30, 2022

What happened when a rodeo cowboy’s Rolex Explorer met a 2000lb bull…

EDITOR’S NOTE: Eric Wind is one of the world’s foremost vintage watch experts and the owner of Wind Vintage. In this interview, he tells the amazing tale of how he acquired and restored the Rolex Explorer of rodeo cowboy and bull-riding champion, Gary Leffew – a watch that had an unfortunate run-in with a 2000lb … ContinuedThe post What happened when a rodeo cowboy’s Rolex Explorer met a 2000lb bull… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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The Rolex Explorer could be your one watch collection for life Time+Tide
Rolex Explorer could be your Apr 23, 2022

The Rolex Explorer could be your one watch collection for life

Welcome to The Icons, a series where we take a horological deep dive into the most legendary watches of all time. We’ll delve into the story behind the watch, its evolution over the years, famous (and infamous) wearers, the classic references, and the contemporary versions you should be checking out. This week, it’s the Rolex … ContinuedThe post The Rolex Explorer could be your one watch collection for life appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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How I changed my mind about the Rolex Explorer II (and why it now rarely leaves my wrist…) Time+Tide
Rolex Explorer II Mar 8, 2022

How I changed my mind about the Rolex Explorer II (and why it now rarely leaves my wrist…)

A long time ago in a land far away (2012 / Canada), I embarked on the journey of watch collecting. I had saved enough to confidently go into the local Rolex authorised dealer and strike up a deal. Ten years ago, you could actually negotiate a discount on some of these watches, which was the … ContinuedThe post How I changed my mind about the Rolex Explorer II (and why it now rarely leaves my wrist…) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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