Rolex Explorer II

Description

When is a Rolex GMT not a GMT-Master? The Rolex Explorer’s core has always been in rugged expedition. While it was originally born out of the Everest celebratory Explorer I – the Explorer II was designed for cave diving. Officially known as spelunking! The 1655 Explorers were known as ‘Steve McQueen’s’ for an alleged relationship with the actor and racer (spoiler: there is no evidence of a connection or that he ever wore one, but the nickname stuck!) and enjoyed a relatively short production run of roughly 13 years. As with nearly all Rolex models during this time, there were numerous changes throughout the production run. The example that we have here is from circa 1978 and has what we call a ‘Mk4’ dial. The main difference between a Mk1 and Mk4 is the addition of a lollipop seconds hand, which we feel makes this a little more like ‘Rolex-like’ than the bare, straight seconds hand of the Mk1. The matte black dial is in fantastic overall condition, seemingly free of wear or damage and shows a light, even patina across the Tritium elements. The handset matches perfectly and exhibits very faint fractures in the seconds and 24hr hand — which retains its vibrant orange color. The case is unpolished with thick, symmetrical lugs and visible factory finishing and shows honest wear throughout with one impression on the tip of the top left lug. This example comes fitted to a correct solid-link Oyster bracelet with a blade clasp.   A strong, well-rounded example of the Reference! Condition: Case: Unpolished with thick, even lugs and normal signs of wear throughout with sleeve polish. The tip of the top left lug exhibits a significant impression. Dial: Exceptional with seemingly no flaws and evenly patinated Tritium plots and nicely matching handset. Orange 24-hr hand and seconds hand have lume fractures. Shipping: All watches will be shipped via FedEx Insured Priority Overnight shipping. International shipping will be shipped via FedEx International Priority Express, always fully insured. This service is included in the listed price and will not incur any additional fees. All watches are shipped 1-2 business days after receiving payment confirmation by Chrono24. We are unable to ship watches on Saturday or Sunday. Our Policy: We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended. Our Guarantee: Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP. Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team of experts and watchmakers prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.