A 214270 Rolex Story

[RolexPete]

I have been a fairly regular collector and flipper of mostly Rolex and Omega watches for the last 25 years, every now and then delving into odd brands. I have owned, at one point or another, just about every Rolex model except the GMT Master II, President and Daytona.

My current lineup which has remained fairly stable in recent years are listed in my signature. My favorite if pressed is my 14060 that belonged to my Dad and that I gifted home for his 60th birthday.

I recently pivoted jobs and hadn't been doing any watch collecting of any variety, and recently rekindled my desire to look and see what Rolex had to offer. I was unaware that Rolex offered a 39 mm Explorer since 2010 which indicates how far out of the loop I've been lately.

After doing more research, it was very clear to me that the lower priced model 214270, with Mark 1 dial with white gold applied numerals and T-Rex hands, was the lesser of the two IMHO. Not wanting to make a mistake, I opted to purchase a Mark 2 dial example in mint condition, a 2016 with box and papers. This watch is absolutely beautiful, and it is now my all-time favorite; I can see this being a daily wear for life.

I keep my Dad's Submariner in the safe for special occasions, but this Explorer has no sentimental value to me at this point, and therefore, I feel no hesitation in making it a daily wearer.

The 39mm size just fits perfectly on my wrist, which is fairly average. I had tried on a 36 mm 14270 as well as a 114270 some years ago and felt they were too small for my wrist. I thought at the time "what a shame" and "if only they made a larger model Explorer."

In a way, I'm glad I was out of the loop for sometime because this exact watch was selling for upwards of $11,000 just 2-3 years ago once it was discontinued, and I managed to score this minty example for under $7000 using an eBay promotion which was enough to cover sales tax and a little more. I will never lose money on this watch, and I prefer its 20mm lug spacing to the 21mm oddball size on the new 40mm. I also prefer the matte dial and "Explorer" text on the bottom of the dial on the 214270.

I'm happy to be back collecting again, but I'm not sure where to go from here, or if I even need or want to go anywhere. The Explorer 39 suits me perfectly and I'm just happy to have my potential forever watch!