My new Orange Crush, the Rolex Explorer II 216570

[roro]

Background:

I don’t post here as often as I should. I enjoy reading this forum immensely and it’s a treasure trove of information so it’s high time I made a contribution. It’s been around a month since I acquired the new Explorer II. Having collected watches for nearly 25 years, I've become quite picky about new acquisitions. I'm not a hardcore Rolex guy but have had my fair share of Rolex, mostly vintage, submariner 1680's both red and white, sea dweller several 1665's, 16660, 16600, a 116660 Deep Sea, GMT's 1675's, a 16750, and an Explorer II the 16550 polar (non cream). Most of these watches have been flipped throughout the years as there has always been something that I wasn't happy with. Many were wonderful watches but I have no regrets.

A collection always starts out fairly eclectic, goes through phases, then starts to get more focused. For me, there was a big diving watch phase for a while. I am a recreational diver so it only made sense to collect Subs and Sea-Dwellers. Plus, these are the quintessential Rolex sports watches that every collector should have. However, I no longer have a single one in my collection. I've zeroed in on watches with a second time zone function since I find them to be far more useful than a diving watch that one uses once a year when on a diving holiday. I travel quite frequently between continents so having a time zone feature is very handy. Since Rolex makes one of the best complications for this IMO, I've gravitated towards these models.


Time Zone Feature:

Rolex pioneered this feature with the GMT Master then introduced an even better version with the Explorer II 16550 and GMT Master II. It’s simple and elegant. Effective and easy to operate. Here I'm talking about the hour hand that can be set in one hour intervals for tracking a second time zone. The great thing about this approach is that it allows a quick change to the local time while travelling without the need to reset the watch's timekeeping. The date indicator also moves forward or backward which is brilliant. This ingenious way to change from one time zone to another has not been improved upon yet IMO even on higher end watches. I own an AP Royal Oak Dual Time which has a second time zone feature but which I feel isn't done right. The smaller dial moves in one hour increments to synch to the local time while travelling which to me is backwards. It should be the other way around since the main dial is what one uses to tell time. This same movement is used in the JLC Geographique and the Vacheron Overseas Dual Time. Anyway, the Royal Oak is an absolute thing of beauty though with those chamfers, facets, and bracelet so I can overlook this slight flaw. But I digress, now back to the Explorer II. I think this is the most coherent second time zone watch ever made. The fixed bezel is actually a plus for me. It can't be turned accidentally or otherwise so one can always keep track of one's home time zone when travelling. Don't get me wrong, the GMT Master II is a great watch but I feel the bezel is redundant. Does one really need an independent hour hand and a bidirectional bezel? IMO the bezel makes more sense on the older GMT Master model without the independent hour hand.


What's Great about the Explorer II :

The new Explorer II is for me the perfect travel companion. All terrain, tough as nails, elegant, and equipped with a coherent time zone feature. A no nonsense watch that can go from any terrestrial adventure straight to an intercontinental flight and still look great with a suit. It still keeps to its tool watch roots being available only in all stainless steel (the 904L variety). The only option being two dial variants. No bling-bling or lifestyle versions with this bad boy. I went for the black dial because I feel that it is more understated and the orange hand works better on the black dial having more contrast. Is hard to explain but the black dial also looked somehow more modern. The 42mm size also adds to the modernity. I have a small 6.5" wrist so am definitely not a fan of big oversized watches (and the latest trend towards massive timepieces) but the proportions of the new Explorer II actually work in its favor. I find that it doesn't wear like a large watch and the black dial and steel bezel adds to this effect. At first, I didn't think I would like the new size but it definitely grows on you. Too much so because I now find my vintage Rolex watches too small even on my tiny wrist! There's no doubt that this watch has wrist presence. Its chunky and virile without looking oversized or flamboyant. The lugs curve nicely and it is comfortable to wear. The bezel slopes down towards the sides and the smooth steel slips nicely under shirt cuffs (no catchy serrated bezel edges here). The 12mm height also makes it a relatively thin for modern sports watch standards.


















I've always found the minute hand on Rolex sports watches to be too skinny (especially for the divers) but this is the first Rolex that has the right proportions between the markers and the hands. I didn't like the Maxi dials when they first came out because of the marker to hand ratio but it works perfectly on the Explorer II. Moreover, legibility has been greatly improved with the larger hands. Why Rolex haven't implemented this on the SD and Submarine is beyond me. Legibility is also key on a diving wach, especially for the minute hand! I also find that the larger dial makes for a "cleaner" appearance. I've never been a fan of the amount of writing on Rolex dials. The multiple lines of text are almost as verbose as this post but the extra room on the new Explorer II dial makes it more acceptable and less crowded.
I also like the fact that the Explorer II is unique in many ways. The hands, movement, case, bracelet, dial, etc. aren't shared with any other reference. It stands alone in the Rolex sports line-up. For me, this uniqueness was very intentional on the part of Rolex. The new Explorer II has a "stronger personality" to distinguish it from the Sub and GMT family. It is no longer the shy subdued reference caught in the middle of its popular siblings.











Rolex Design Choices

Now it’s obviously all quite subjective but I think that the design choices Rolex made on the new Explorer II are also quite coherent. The more tapered lugs vs. the boxier lugs on the other 40mm sports models makes sense here since it would have been too much on a 42mm watch. The Twinlock crown is a good choice because a thicker Triplock crown would stick out too much making the watch appear bigger (which I believe is the intent on the 40mm models). The matt black dial is great for legibility and in line with the pure tool watch heritage of the Explorer II. The dial also has different hues depending on the conditions. At certain angles and in certain lighting the dial appears deep black, in others gray, and then sometimes it looks like a dark chocolate brown. I personally like this effect quite a bit. After all one looks at the dial of the watch very often and it’s nice to see nuances. It’s less "static" and never boring. The glossy paint on the hands is also a good choice since matt paint wouldn't go with the white gold of the hands IMO. The different lengths of the black paint was perplexing at first, but I believe it actually adds to the legibility. One can optically distinguish the hands even better (even though they are already quite markedly different). Less black on the shorter hour hand, more on the longer minute hand, and even more on the orange 24 hour hand. It makes sense. The bolder printing on the bezel is also in harmony with the bold styling of the watch. The only critique is that the triangle hour markers between the numerals are a bit on the small side for me. I wish they would have been bigger for legibility and esthetics. That's probably the only critique I can find for the new Explorer II. I think it’s a giant step in the right direction for modern Rolex sports watches and I think it will become a timeless classic in years to come. I for one know that I will not be flipping this Rolex as I've done with so many others. The Explorer II is my new Orange Crush but will probably develop into a lasting relationship.

[silverbullet818]

nice write up and photos.

[Psmith]

Congrats - great write-up and photos

[1William]

Congratulations! Great pictures.

[roro]

Thanks everyone. Glad you enjoyed it!

[GMK]

Congrats, Great review!!!!!

Wear it in good health:)

[sea-dweller]

Great photos and review!

[ttsky008]

such nice pics and your watch is very Rolex!

[thehighwayjazz]

thanks for the great review. i am more convinced now that i can choose 216570 as my one and only Rolex

[alby.bda]

Wonderful shots.

[roro]

Thanks again all. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

@TheHighwayJazz, I am also of the opinion that if you could only have only one Rolex, then the EXP II 216570 would be it!

Luckily we can have more providing our bank account can allow it

[m1911a1]

I got the 42mm 216570 in white-dial a couple of months ago after owning the 40mm version of the same for almost 20 years.
By far may favorite Rolex model (for my 8-inch+ wrist).
I ordered a second identical watch in white, but after seeing your pictures maybe I should change the second one to BLACK.....

Here they are courtesy of Mike-the-moderator.....

DSCF0178x.jpg

[roro]

Just curious, why have two of the exact same watch? If you already have one in white then I would definitely go for a black

[carwash66]

Great post and pictures! Congratulations on a great choice. Been on the fence with this reference for a while. Liking it more every day.

[m1911a1]

Originally Posted by roro

Just curious, why have two of the exact same watch? If you already have one in white then I would definitely go for a black

My OCD is so strong most days.....
I've always had "Back-ups-for-my-Back-ups" in almost everything I buy.
Whether it's a half-dozen of the same exact fire-arm, fly-fishing rod, fly-fishing reel, custom-shop guitar, or amplifier.....etc....

I like the new Explorer-II so much that I'll never take it off......so need to have a back-up in case something happens or need to send it for service....

Ultimately I'll end up with a black one too......cause it looks sooooo cool!
I love it!

[strafer_kid]

Great watch - good tough allrounder as mentioned earlier. Also flies below the radar!

[toneafficianado]

Great, great review. Made me appreciate my polar 216570 even more.
It has become my favourite watch out of all that I've ever owned.

[arizonaboy]

Looks great on you...congrats!

[roro]

Originally Posted by m1911a1

My OCD is so strong most days.....
I've always had "Back-ups-for-my-Back-ups" in almost everything I buy.
Whether it's a half-dozen of the same exact fire-arm, fly-fishing rod, fly-fishing reel, custom-shop guitar, or amplifier.....etc....

I like the new Explorer-II so much that I'll never take it off......so need to have a back-up in case something happens or need to send it for service....

Ultimately I'll end up with a black one too......cause it looks sooooo cool!
I love it!

LOL! Your reply puts a new perspective on this obsessive watch disease of ours

[TArms]

Great write up, this is definitely on my radar.

[Rybour]

Nice watch partner!

[Ckci]

Just received mine 4 days ago and enjoying it.

[thehighwayjazz]

I went to AD last week.
Seems i have to reconsider choosing exp II as my one and only Rolex. I don't think my 6,25 " wrist can handle it. Although i really really really love it.
But i promise i will keep admiring this beauty (while also envying all of you that manage to enjoy it 😬).
Keep posting your pics pls.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jerodp716]

Out of all the Rolex watches I have or have owned, this one, is my favorite.

[rexambar]

Originally Posted by thehighwayjazz

thanks for the great review. i am more convinced now that i can choose 216570 as my one and only Rolex

completely agree

[Left wrist]

Beautiful!!

I've had both of these in black and polar and traded them... I miss them both a lot. I think I'm going to re-buy the black soon...

[Stonechild]

Thanks for your review, very well done. The Exp 2 is my go to in my collection and like you, might be my favourite. Thanks for your effort in your review!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roro]

Thanks everyone. This watch is still on my wrist everyday since the review. I try to take it off once in a while but to no avail. How they managed to get a wrist magnet inside...

[GoDogGo]

Thanks for a great article and pics. Getting ready to let two of my current watches go and i think you just convinced me of what to get next!

[roro]

Originally Posted by GoDogGo

Thanks for a great article and pics. Getting ready to let two of my current watches go and i think you just convinced me of what to get next!

Good one! Post pics when its on your wrist!