Rolex Explorer

A Rolex Oyster Perpetual accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay as they ascended Mt. Everest in 1953, resulting in the release of the Rolex Explorer soon thereafter. Since then, the Explorer has remained largely unchanged and has been praised by watch enthusiasts for its robustness, reliability, and neat design. A single glance at its characteristic black dial has always been enough to tell the time. This is due to the large numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock as well as the large, glow-in-the-dark hour markers. The 12 o'clock marker is a prominent upside down triangle.

The Explorer's stainless steel case features the proven Oyster design. Prior to 2010, it was always 36 mm in diameter. Every Explorer since has been three millimeters larger, starting with the reference number 214270. Regardless of the size, these watches are usually worn with a stainless steel Oyster bracelet, though you can find pre-owned models with a leather or textile strap.

Prices for Explorers largely depend on the model's year of production and condition. Early models, such as the ref. 6610 and its successor, the ref. 1016, are particularly coveted among collectors. The former was equipped with the caliber 1030 and was water resistant to 50 m (5 bar, 164 ft). Plan to spend about 12,100 USD for a pre-owned ref. 6610 in good condition. The ref. 1016, which debuted in 1963 and was produced until 1989, is hard to distinguish from its older sister model. Nevertheless, there are some minor differences: It was first powered by the caliber 1560 and later by the 1570, was water resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft) , and used tritium instead of radium as its luminous material. Prices for this timepiece range from 14,600 USD for a pre-owned model to 19,500 USD for an unworn example.

Sapphire glass was first introduced to the Explorer line with the ref. 14270 in 1989. Rolex simultaneously rolled out their COSC-certified chronometer caliber 3000, refreshing the design of the dial. The three numerals now had a more modern style and were applied in the same manner as the indices. Prices for pre-owned models start around 4,900 USD, while never-worn examples sell for about 7,100 USD.

In 2001, Rolex brought the ref. 114270 to market, which was the last Explorer with a 36-mm diameter to date. This model also received some major changes to its interior, including the use of caliber 3130. On the outside, the watch remained largely unchanged except for its bracelet's massive end links and Fliplock clasp. It also featured a different luminous material: Superluminova. A never-worn model demands prices around 7,600 USD, while pre-owned models can be found for as little as 5,200 USD.

One characteristic of the early Explorer that remains the same to this day is the large Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. The rest of the hour markers are line indices, except for the upside down triangle at 12 o'clock.

The bright white of the indices and numerals makes for a stark contrast against the black dial. It's easy to tell the time right away with one look at the dial. The hands, numerals, and indices contain the luminous material Chromalight, making it possible to read the watch easily even in the dark. Rolex is unique in their use of Chromalight, which glows blue, as most manufacturers use Superluminova, which glows green. Rolex used tritium until the late 1990s and Superluminova from 2000 to 2008, when they replaced it with Chromalight.

Furthermore, this Explorer is the most authentic James Bond watch of all: Bond author Ian Fleming owned an Explorer with the reference number 1016. Although the hero has worn various watch brands in films – from Rolex to Seiko to Omega – he's always worn an Explorer in the novels. In the 1963 novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Fleming describes how Bond reads the large, luminescent dial numbers on a black watch from the Oyster Perpetual family. The description fits Fleming's Explorer perfectly.