The Explorer II Enigma. Historical Thread

[samkalter1@comcast.n]

The movement(cal. 3185),crown,crystal,and much more are the same.Because the GMT has a rotating bezel there is an(unseen)"under- bezel"that contacts the crystal washer for seating,and there is some extra hardware:bezel tension spring and a clicking spring to help it rotate in a controlled fashion.The ExplorerII bezel fixes like most Rolex's-directly to the crystal's washer(seat)with strong friction.

[DSJ]

Originally Posted by samkalter1@comcast.n

The movement(cal. 3185),crown,crystal,and much more are the same.Because the GMT has a rotating bezel there is an(unseen)"under- bezel"that contacts the crystal washer for seating,and there is some extra hardware:bezel tension spring and a clicking spring to help it rotate in a controlled fashion.The ExplorerII bezel fixes like most Rolex's-directly to the crystal's washer(seat)with strong friction.

Hi Sam,

Welcome to TRF! Is that pic of you? Are you a watchmaker?

Great first post.

[samkalter1@comcast.n]

Originally Posted by DSJ

Hi Sam,

Welcome to TRF! Is that pic of you? Are you a watchmaker?

Great first post.

Yes,I'm a third generation watchmaker in Philadelphia...and Rolex Service account-holder;'still can learn alot here.

[Beef]

Originally Posted by samkalter1@comcast.n

Yes,I'm a third generation watchmaker in Philadelphia...and Rolex Service account-holder;'still can learn alot here.

Welcome, Sam! I'm sure that you have a lot to teach us, also, as we all come here to learn.

[Z-Sub]

I'm just glad I have one myself.

[heresiarh]

I picked up the EXP II as my first rolex over the submariner. I had the option of a GMT IIC also .. I went for the EXP II because of its sleekness and overall look. I'm loving every moment of it and never leaves my wrist.

[Skippy]

Originally Posted by heresiarh

I picked up the EXP II as my first rolex over the submariner. I had the option of a GMT IIC also .. I went for the EXP II because of its sleekness and overall look. I'm loving every moment of it and never leaves my wrist.

Great choice For me te Explorer II is also my first Rolex(and till date my only...) and it was always the one I wanted most from the Rolex sport models with the seadweller as a close second, the only hard choice was choosing between a black and a white dial.
Some rescent pics of mine:

[SSSS]

Nice picture of the glowing dial.

How long does the dial glow after the lights go out? Can you pick it up in the middle of the night and still expect to be able to see the time?

Originally Posted by Skippy

Great choice For me te Explorer II is also my first Rolex(and till date my only...) and it was always the one I wanted most from the Rolex sport models with the seadweller as a close second, the only hard choice was choosing between a black and a white dial.
Some rescent pics of mine:

[Skippy]

Originally Posted by SSSS

Nice picture of the glowing dial.

How long does the dial glow after the lights go out? Can you pick it up in the middle of the night and still expect to be able to see the time?

It's very hard to tell and stories about this are very mixed. It all depends on how long the Superluminova material is charged by sunlight or other light, sunlight or powerfull light giving the best results.

If worn all day in the sun it probably will work at midnight but it´s probably mutch easier to just turn a light on in most occasions;-).

Just google Superluminova and see all the different oppinions. All though I might ad that the stuff being used on the Rolexes do give pretty bright and reasonable results.

[R S]

Ixnay on the owlay icepray on the ackblay acefay!!!!!

[tripleC]

i polished the satin finish aIMG_0322.jpgway still my fav.

[lenfried29]

Originally Posted by veefour

Are case and movement the same as in GMT?

The movements are different in Exp II and GMT II.

GMT II (before 2018) - 3186 movement
GMT II (after 2018) - 3285 movement
Current Exp II - 3187 movement

Cases are completely different. GMT II 40mm and Exp II 42mm

[f16570]

The reason I bought the Exp II was the fact that it was not instantly recognisable as a Rollie.
The white face, slightly different.
The Red 24 hr hand, functional.
The fixed bezel, practical.
All in all an awesonme watch, that for the last 2 odd years has been everything I hoped for.

[AGENT4734]

Originally Posted by f16570

The reason I bought the Exp II was the fact that it was not instantly recognisable as a Rollie.
The white face, slightly different.
The Red 24 hr hand, functional.
The fixed bezel, practical.

+1 I totally agree with everything you said. I also like the fact that it is uncommon; all my friends that have a Rolex have a Sub in their collection. I am the only one that has an Expy II. Sometimes it is nice to be different. And the white dial is CLEAN looking. Its a great substitue to a White dial S/S Daytona as far as having a white dial in your Rolex collection.

[Hammer]

Gutted that I got rid of mine


Oh well.Maybe I 'll have Her back one day.

Also agree that it doesn't scream "I'm a Rolex" which I liked.

[DSJ]

Why did you get rid of it Hammer?

[Hammer]

Originally Posted by DSJ

Why did you get rid of it Hammer?

Hi David.

I brought a Sub ND, as a treat for my 40th, which is next Month.I felt I couldn't justify having two, so the Explorer went Now I wish I had it back.What's that old saying "You never miss your water, 'til the well is run dry" Never a truer word spoken.

[evy411nia]

I love my Expy II not only for the looks but for the comfort. I will sometimes slip it on for a moment after taking off my SD that I've been wearing all day...just to feel the difference. Without a doubt the most comfortable of the sport models. I love the slope of the bezel and although I'm not a fan of the magnifier, It looks better IMO over a white dial.

[Solar]

Originally Posted by evy411nia

I love my Expy II not only for the looks but for the comfort. I will sometimes slip it on for a moment after taking off my SD that I've been wearing all day...just to feel the difference. Without a doubt the most comfortable of the sport models. I love the slope of the bezel and although I'm not a fan of the magnifier, It looks better IMO over a white dial.

I love my Sea Dweller, but its a heavier watch no doubt, and I can see why an Exp II would be so valued. Two time zones, solid bezel, great functionality. I personally went with the GMT II in March 2007 for those reasons, but I considered the Exp II and I still think its one of those underappreciated Rolexes that is on the backburner until a remodelling comes along then suddenly there's a stampede to the AD to get the new larger-diameter, cermic-infused model......

C

[DSJ]

Originally Posted by Solar

I love my Sea Dweller, but its a heavier watch no doubt, and I can see why an Exp II would be so valued. Two time zones, solid bezel, great functionality. I personally went with the GMT II in March 2007 for those reasons, but I considered the Exp II and I still think its one of those underappreciated Rolexes that is on the backburner until a remodelling comes along then suddenly there's a stampede to the AD to get the new larger-diameter, cermic-infused model......

C

... followed 6-months later by a stampede to the AD to get the last of the 16570's!

[Lubrifar]

The Exp II (white dial) has always been on my "top" list of purchase in the Rolex Professional line-up. Ever since then, I was finally able to purchase one new in Feb 2008. It literally took me months to love this watch the way I do now; don't know why, but just did. There was even a period when I tried to sell it; lucky even for the low-ballers here to deter my decision.

Coming from Omega watches (Ti SMP 300m & Ti SMP 300m Chrono), the main issue that I could not get over with the Exp II was the hollow noisy SS bracelet. I mean, how can such a prestigious watch company have semi-acceptable bracelets? Well, after several water-related activities and recently seeing detail photos of an exposed permanent link, I began to understand why.

The Oyster bracelet is truly low maintenance if proper care is ensured. I have dug my hands elbow-deep into silty sand while clamming, submerged in ocean water, covered in fish slime, endured shocking vibrations, and everything else in between. At the end of the day, all I do is rinse it well with soapy warm water and most deposit built up in-between the links and inside the links will just come right off. To be more on a thorough level, I applied a soapy baby toothbrush once or twice a week. No worries.

The white-gold hands and indices covered by black paint and the red 24-hour hand definitely provides a perfect contrast on the arctic white dial. People have caught me staring at my watch as if I was seeking my future through a crystal ball.

As for the noisy bracelet / clasp, I’d got used to it by now; it’s a Rolex thing!

[BiG JeEzY]

GREAT STORY Mr. T!! I could not agree me, I love my Explorer for all the same reasons! It may still be an understated model, but the Explorer II was a definite winner in my book before I was even born!

Plus if you think about it, a majority of us here "explore" rather than do the other professions. Not many of us dive, fly planes, race cars, or are yachtsmen. However, were all Explorers in life!! Hence, the Explorer watches are the ultimate watches.

[CPTL]

Originally Posted by Lubrifar

The Oyster bracelet is truly low maintenance if proper care is ensured. I have dug my hands elbow-deep into silty sand while clamming, submerged in ocean water, covered in fish slime, endured shocking vibrations, and everything else in between. At the end of the day, all I do is rinse it well with soapy warm water and most deposit built up in-between the links and inside the links will just come right off. To be more on a thorough level, I applied a soapy baby toothbrush once or twice a week. No worries.

Glad you came back around on your Expy. And, if you go back the other way and try to sell again, we'll bury this post.

[J. Martin Tensuan]

Originally Posted by evy411nia

I love my Expy II not only for the looks but for the comfort. I will sometimes slip it on for a moment after taking off my SD that I've been wearing all day...just to feel the difference. Without a doubt the most comfortable of the sport models. I love the slope of the bezel and although I'm not a fan of the magnifier, It looks better IMO over a white dial.

I second that, John.

[Timber Loftis]

ZOMG STICKY

[Magik]

I think the Explorer II is a very handsome watch, but not quite on my list of other watches I want to get first. Although I already have the GMT, I may consider the Expy one day for it's cleaner look and profile.

[Gaijin]

I miss mine.


The most comfortable Rolex I have ever worn.

[gaopa]

I wore a two-toned Datejust for years and decided a few years back that I wanted a Rolex sport model. I decided the Explorer II white dial was the one for me. I have never looked back on the decision to get one! It is my only Rolex in a collection that includes 4 Omegas and several other brands. In short, it it my "keeper" Rolex and likely I will not get another model. Cheers, Bill P.

[ibramr]

I agree with the friends here that the market for Rolex Explorer II is softer when compared with the almost indetical GMT (among others). Is it possible that this observation is explained by the attraction of the Explorer II as a second, or third, Rolex watch rather than the first? The hypothesis is... Once an entrant to the Rolex realm is attracted to the icons like the Sub and the GMT, expanding the collection would then find the Explorer II as a natural option. However, with second options, multi-watch owners may exhibit several series of bying and selling, different price senstivity levels, different income senstitivy levels..all leading to softer markets. Rolex Explorer II (lovely as it is) seems to serve a sub-market in Rolex, and this market is "those who have more than one Rolex watch".

Albeit to a lesser degree, the same could be saind about 14060 (although the date vs. no date argument comes strongly here as a fator). Any how, just a thought.

[SSSS]

This is the case for me. Considering the Explorer II as a second watch to the dressier Datejust and Sintra for casual/weekend use and traveling thanks to the dual timezone feature.

How does this watch work for narrower wrists, say 6.25. Anyone been able to pull it off successfully?

Originally Posted by ibramr

I agree with the friends here that the market for Rolex Explorer II is softer when compared with the almost indetical GMT (among others). Is it possible that this observation is explained by the attraction of the Explorer II as a second, or third, Rolex watch rather than the first? The hypothesis is... Once an entrant to the Rolex realm is attracted to the icons like the Sub and the GMT, expanding the collection would then find the Explorer II as a natural option. However, with second options, multi-watch owners may exhibit several series of bying and selling, different price senstivity levels, different income senstitivy levels..all leading to softer markets. Rolex Explorer II (lovely as it is) seems to serve a sub-market in Rolex, and this market is "those who have more than one Rolex watch".

Albeit to a lesser degree, the same could be saind about 14060 (although the date vs. no date argument comes strongly here as a fator). Any how, just a thought.