Rolex Explorer II 216570

Rolex Explorer II 216570

• Rolex Explorer II | 216570 • Rolex has been testing modified versions of oyster perpetuals on Himalayan expeditions since the 1930s for performance under extreme conditions such as temperatures as low as -50 degrees F and oxygen below 70% than that at sea level. The 1953 historic event of the successful conquest of the Mount Everest summit by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay wearing one such modified Rolex officially proved that the watch was capable of accompanying the ‘explorers’ to the world’s ends. The exact watch now sits in the Beyer Museum in Zürich, Switzerland Rolex marked this event with the launch of reference 6298, which was the precursor to Ref: 6350 and 6150 – the first two models with “Explorer” writing on the dial. Only difference between the two was that 6350 was chronometer certified. Then came the Ref: 6610 released in 1959, which clearly differentiated the collection from the Oyster Perpetual line. With a short production run, these are pretty rare to find. This was succeeded by Ref: 1016 (made from 1963-1989), which is commonly known as the ‘vintage explorer’. Transiting into the modern era were Ref: 14270 (1989 – 2001) and 114270 (2001 – 2010). In 2010, the ‘Crown’ launched the Ref: 214270 with a 39mm case and the new in-house Caliber 3132. But this was not the first Explorer to feature a 39mm case. In 1971, Rolex launched the Ref: 1655 Explorer II as the elder, or rather the larger sibling to the original Explorer. A more practical version, this 39mm model had a date window, and an extra hand which was coupled with the hour hand, and pointing to the fixed 24hr bezel (technically a day/night indicator, and not to be mistaken as a dual time function which was an upgrade on the future Explorer II models). Today, this is a very sought after reference, and like with almost all Rolexes, has a nickname: “Freccione” (Italian for Arrow) in reference to the arrow-tipped hand. It is also called as the “Steve McQueen Rolex”. This collection evolved into Ref: 16550 (1985-1989) with a 40mm case, a sapphire crystal and Mercedes hands making it look sportier. It also came with Caliber 3085, now with an independent 24hr hand, changing the day/night function to a GMT function, appealing to a more adventurous globe-trotting audience. Then in 1989, the new Ref: 16750 was launched in two versions – a black and a white dial, with a new caliber and some cosmetic changes. The white dial version went on to earn the nickname, the “Polar Explorer”. This reference was made for 22 years (with several upgrades over the years) until 2011. The present model (Ref: 216570) was launched in 2011 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Explorer II. Paying homage to the original Ref: 1655 aka the “Freccione”, this reference features a similar orange arrow-tipped GMT hand. It has an entirely new and a robust appeal, with a 42mm case and bigger, more legible hands and lume pots filled with chromalight lighting them up with a blue hue which can last up-to eight hours. Keeping the Explorer II tradition alive, this reference too is made exclusively in stainless steel, on an oyster bracelet, with 100m water resistance, a fixed 24hr bezel and an extra GMT hand. °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°­°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°­°°°°°° We are a family business based in *Geneva (Switzerland) &*Dubai (UAE) We deliver worldwide fully insured, ask us for more details. ° Personal face to face hand delivery in your country is included in the price °* *Subject to conditions For more information about us can be found under the contact details further down.