[drhanson]

After two-weeks’ worth of experience with a new polar Explorer II 216570 I’d like to share my observations. First off, let me explain why I chose this brand and model: I’d consider myself fairly traditional and conservative guy that appreciates quality. I had a 90’s Submariner that I really enjoyed for a while but didn’t mind parting with because after living with it for a few years I rarely wore it as I thought it was all too common, attracted too much attention and I just couldn’t get past the clasp that in my mind didn’t fit the quality of the rest of the piece. Rolex as a brand is very deliberate in its styling and changes which I respect. I think they are extremely well thought out and for lack of a better word, practical.

A divorce, the market/real estate crash and a job change over a decade ago caused me to divest myself of my watch collection. As it stands today it’s a humble and sparse one: an Oris BC4 Small Second Pointer Day that I wore regularly, love its quality and styling for the money, a Tag I use for occasional recreational diving, an Atomic G-Shock for mountain biking, and now the Explorer II.

There are only two complications that I appreciate but don’t feel are must haves, a GMT hand and a power reserve. The GMT hand is something I’d definitely use while a Power Reserve is just a cool novelty I’m attracted to.

The other models I briefly considered were: 1) the GMT Master II but I found it too similar to the Sub I had. If that model gets an update without a black bezel and a GMT hand that’s more visible I’ll consider it in the future for an occasional wearer. 2) the iconic evolution, AP Royal Oak 15400. I had a used 15202 that I’ve missed since the day it left. Most pedestrians would never recognize it so it would fly under the radar probably even more so than the Explorer. Over the course of three years it was in my position, I only had one comment on it from a mid-20’s guy at a political fund raiser “that’s a Royal Oak isn’t it?” Since I was looking for a daily wearer to start the new collection, I wanted something with more affordable service that I wouldn’t sweat the inevitable scratches and dings it will accumulate, hence the Explorer II. The Royal Oak with a Blue dial will probably be my next purchase for something a little ‘dressier’ than the Explorer II. If the collection stops there, I wouldn’t be heart broken. 3) I’ve been drawn to Zenith in the past but it seems the current models are a bit too trendy for my taste. At some point, an El Pimero movement Zenith with a power reserve will be in my collection. I think Zenith probably has the best value proposition out there. 5) After I add my Royal Oak and Zenith, I’ll go with the flashiest watch that has ever caught my eye, the Vacheron Constantine Overseas. One rarely spots them in the wild; I’ve seen one at a poker table and a second one in Vegas. That acquisition is likely 5 years or more down the road but I think it would nicely round out a collection containing the models I discussed above. 4) I quickly ruled out brands that used ETA based movements because I think one ETA is enough and I place a premium on in-house movements.

With the above background to put my review into perspective, here are my humble opinions:

Styling: I’ve always liked the Explorer II but whenever I tried it on, I thought it looked too small on my 7-1/4” wrist. When I randomly wondered into an AD several months ago to see if the GMT II had been updated yet, or if there was a Rolex with a larger case yet the sales person introduced me to the 216570. I tried it on and immediately placed it on my short list.
The white/black debate didn’t go on in my mind for very long. I liked the black dial, but the white just seemed to fit the main goal I had for this piece, understated utility.

Had I been the designer, the only thing I may have considered doing differently would have been the omission of the Cyclops. The larger diameter of the 3187 movement surely would have allowed for a date font that would have been adequately visible sans Cyclops. I think to the casual observer, the Cyclops is the aspect that gives the watch away as a Rolex; without it the watch would be even more stealth than it is in current form. The Cyclops also makes off-axis reading of the date more difficult than if they went the larger date font route. On the other hand, I appreciate the tradition of its inclusion, so it’s something I’ll happily live with. One cool observation is that the lume dot on the second hand when it passes under the Cyclops is magnified so it appears to be the same size as the lume dots on the hour indices. I’m no expert but this may be a way to spot counterfeits that might overlook that detail.

Overall Styling rating 9/10

Comfort and Fit: This is the most comfortable Rolex I’ve ever tried on. The low profile case back and the proportions just fit my wrist perfectly. It stays put on the wrist, hasn’t gotten in the way of anything and as a result, feels lighter than it is.

The machined Easylink clasp is a major improvement. The 5mm extension has been perfect when I’m outside on a hot day in the 90’s to low 100’s. My wrist swells a bit in those conditions so I flip out the extension to maintain the proper loose/snug balance I like. When I go back into air conditioning for a while and my wrist goes back to ‘normal’ I flip it back. No need to struggle to find a link combination that’s a compromise for both environments. A well thought out feature Rolex!

Overall Comfort and Fit rating 10/10

Utility (Visibility, Illumination & Features): I’ve not found a watch that’s more readable in any light condition. The large, bold indices and hands stand out so well that reading only requires a quick glance at any angle or light level. I can’t imagine how one could make this watch more readable. Books, e-readers and word processors have black letters on a white background for a reason.

The Chromalight lume works better than advertised. It lasts well over 8 hours without any deliberate ‘help’ charging it.

The GMT hand is a very practical feature, both for travel and for use as a compass. Below is a picture of my Explorer II with the GMT hand aligned to the North, referenced with a GPS unit. I’m in the Mountain Time zone, so I have my GMT hand set for MST (to make the switch in and out of MDT easier and to keep the GMT hand in line with the sun). To make the GMT hand point North I point the hour hand -1 hr at the sun during MDT and directly in line with the sun during MST. As you can see from the below picture, the GMT hand is pointed north and the hand Second Hand is pointing at the sun (the shadow aligned with the second hand confirms this). If you mentally move the hour hand -1 hr, next to where the second hand is, you’ll see the error to true north is about 2-2/3 seconds or about 14 degrees (2-2/3 seconds would separate the hour hand and the second hand). Not bad at all especially considering how that would compare to a magnetic compass. The current Magnetic Declination (i.e. difference between magnetic north and true north) at my location is 8 degrees, 41 seconds.

Overall Utility rating 10/10

Performance & Accuracy:

The latest Paraflex shock absorbers and the Parachrom hairspring ensure there is no planned obsolescence or some new feature that will make me irrationally ‘feel’ like I need to upgrade to the latest and greatest model.
I’ve been very pleased with the accuracy. The first couple days were +3 seconds, one day was +5 seconds and now it’s settled into a consistent +1.5 seconds / day over the past week. It’s probably too soon to make a judgment but the early results are encouraging.

I’ve been the most impressed with the power reserve and the little movement required to maintain adequate wind. There are days when I’m stuck on my desk for very long hours and can’t be as active as I’d like. With the ETA based movements I’ve had, I often had to manually wind them to keep them going; I have yet had to manually wind the Explorer II, even with several days of very minimal activity. I have yet to have a day where I didn’t wear the Explorer II, so I don’t know if the power reserve without manual winding will keep it running for 24 or more hours. With the larger diameter 3187 movement, I would have liked to have seen a commensurate increase in advertised power reserve from 48 to 60hrs.

Performance and Accuracy rating 9/10

Overall Rating: 9.5/10.0

I hope this review helps some as much as reviews I've read on this site helped me.