Rolex Forums - Rolex Watch Forum - View Single Post - Review of the Explorer II 216570

drhanson · 26 May 2022, 05:34 AM

Thanks for all the kind replies to this review over the years. It's closing in on ten years since I wrote this, how about an update? The watch was pretty amazing over the past decade, my constant companion and it went through a lot!

The watch ran pretty much the same for 9-1/2 years, it was fast between 0.5 & 1.5 seconds a day until about six months ago when it started running a little slow. Still within COSC spec but watches running slow are a bit of an inconvenience so it had a service done to address that as well as the inevitable signs of normal use. Crazy to think that a movement can go through about 2.4 BILLION beats before it starts letting you know it needs attention.

My favorite feature of the Explorer II is the ability to change the hour hand independently. This Jump Hour feature was one that saw a lot of use when traveling and for the ridiculous daylight savings time adjustments. I picked up a Grand Seiko recently when I learned their 9F85 quartz (I know, blasphemy) also has that feature.

The only negative I found with this model was the feature I ended up having little use for, the 24 hour hand. Unless I was more than a few time zones away from home and needing to call a family member or friend, I've rarely ever looked at it. On occasion, the 24 hour hand has actually been a distraction, like when waking up in a dark hotel room and groggily looking at the watch to see the time and not being awake enough to discern the glow from the triangle lume of the 24 hour and the Mercedes hour hand without my reading glasses on. Some may find more use for this feature than I do but I'll likely not opt for that complication again in the future.

The other complication I could have done without is the date. In months with less than 30 days I'd usually not notice I needed to adjust the date until two weeks into the month. I guess that means I looked at the date on my watch no more than twice a month? The date used to be a useful feature, but with today's reliance on smart phones and Outlook, I find I've evolved to use it less and less.

Overall, no regrets at all with the Explorer II, an awesome piece and still highly recommended.

26 May 2022, 05:34 AM	#84
drhanson "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Denver Posts: 51	Thanks for all the kind replies to this review over the years. It's closing in on ten years since I wrote this, how about an update? The watch was pretty amazing over the past decade, my constant companion and it went through a lot! The watch ran pretty much the same for 9-1/2 years, it was fast between 0.5 & 1.5 seconds a day until about six months ago when it started running a little slow. Still within COSC spec but watches running slow are a bit of an inconvenience so it had a service done to address that as well as the inevitable signs of normal use. Crazy to think that a movement can go through about 2.4 BILLION beats before it starts letting you know it needs attention. My favorite feature of the Explorer II is the ability to change the hour hand independently. This Jump Hour feature was one that saw a lot of use when traveling and for the ridiculous daylight savings time adjustments. I picked up a Grand Seiko recently when I learned their 9F85 quartz (I know, blasphemy) also has that feature. The only negative I found with this model was the feature I ended up having little use for, the 24 hour hand. Unless I was more than a few time zones away from home and needing to call a family member or friend, I've rarely ever looked at it. On occasion, the 24 hour hand has actually been a distraction, like when waking up in a dark hotel room and groggily looking at the watch to see the time and not being awake enough to discern the glow from the triangle lume of the 24 hour and the Mercedes hour hand without my reading glasses on. Some may find more use for this feature than I do but I'll likely not opt for that complication again in the future. The other complication I could have done without is the date. In months with less than 30 days I'd usually not notice I needed to adjust the date until two weeks into the month. I guess that means I looked at the date on my watch no more than twice a month? The date used to be a useful feature, but with today's reliance on smart phones and Outlook, I find I've evolved to use it less and less. Overall, no regrets at all with the Explorer II, an awesome piece and still highly recommended.