Rolex Explorer

At first Rolex seemed unsure of the watch’s potential and so two distinct variations of the Explorer model were created that targeted two different markets. The first was known as the “Air King Explorer” and the second variation was known as the “Dress Explorer.” The dress Explorer is a standard Oyster Perpetual in either steel, gold with white or black dials with gold markers and hands.
In 1959 Rolex released the model 6610, which is generally the look sported by the Explorer today. Inside, however, there have been numerous changes with the movements as technologies advanced. In addition, the Explorer was among the first to use Rolex’s new Oyster bracelet, which had links machined from solid steel rather than the folded steel used in older bracelets.

In the early 1970s, Rolex designed the Explorer II, which was released as model 1655. It uses the same caliber movement found in the GMT-Master, but with a fixed bezel. It also featured a fourth hand that rotated every 24 hours. Rolex marketed this new Explorer as being beneficial to speleologists or cave explorers.

Rolex has always marketed their Explorer watches as being extremely rugged and resistant to big changes of pressure and temperature and in rough weather and humid conditions. While some adventurers and extreme sportsmen actually prefer watches like the Casio G-Shock for their rugged designs, the Explorer’s popularity remains strong with both the real explorers and those who just dream of being one.

HK Snob