Rolex Explorer II

Description

While many may associate the Rolex Explorer with tales of the first watch to reach the summit of Mount Everest, few likely know the back story behind the Explorer II. Far from being the second edition of the Explorer, it’s a different watch entirely and was created in 1971 for use by cave explorers. They would often work underground for many days at a time and in the darkness, they would lose any notion of day or night. As such, the first Explorer II featured a fixed 24-hour bezel and a large, brightly coloured, luminous, arrow-shaped 24-hour hand. The watch also had a date function and offered 100m of water resistance. Today, this reference 226570 still has the traits of its predecessors. The 42mm steel case is water resistant to 100m and features a Twinlock crown for increased waterproofness. The white Polar dial is highlighted with an orange 24-hour hand. Rolex’s “Chromalight” luminescent glows blue in low light. Powering the watch is a Calibre 3285 automatic movement, offering an impressive 70 hours of power reserve. We are excited to present this 2023 watch in an excellent, unpolished condition showing signs of light wear. However, there is the option to have the watch refinished if you wish. It comes supplied with its full set of box and papers, including a Rolex warranty to May 2028.