Basel '11 Explorer II - In Depth (caution-Hi Rez)

[travisb]

Will have to see one in the 1st person but it sure looks like a winner.
I could see this as next up on my list.

[PokerOps]

Black dial folks...

http://www.rolex.com/en#/rolex-watch...ion-black-dial

[CWL]

The watch is so sinfully gorgeous. off to the dealer i go after work.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by Puffy

does anyone have the same pics with black dial?

still searching for a good selection of pix, but, rolex.com has this one pic up:













also, check out this PDF for a cool shot of the lume....http://www.rolex.com/sites/all/downloads/basel2011/ebrochures/the-new-explorer-ii/en/NEW_EXPLORER_II.pdf

[CWL]

Originally Posted by Rolex116520

Thank you Larry ! Do you think you can get pictures of the black dial version of the same quality ?

Go to Rolex's website for the black dia. it's a beauty. just drag the "DRAG TO NAVIGATE" box and you will see the black dia. Oh man, i am going broke. please pray for my financial health.

[TheVTCGuy]

Will you guys just STOP IT!!!! I fell in Lust over the white dial... but having seen the black... I'm thinking that's the way to go. When are they going to be at the ADs!?!?!?!

WHO started this stupid thread anyway!?!?!?!?!?

[CWL]

Thou shall not fall into temptation! except for the Exp II.

[walds11]

Black is beautiful!!! I want one!!!

[Steelfish]

I wonder what's the difference between the Exp I and Exp II bracelets?

[ral]

Originally Posted by Grumpy Badger

I want a true tool watch to use in the field... I know it's only an extra 2mm but it's unnecessary and just seem like Rolex have let the side down and jumped on the Big Bandwagon.

Well with a 41mm Day-Date II and Datejust, it make sense for pure sports watches like this to be a bit bigger. I like the proportions of this case too...

That being said, it is to big for me.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by ral

Well with a 41mm Day-Date II and Datejust, it make sense for pure sports watches like this to be a bit bigger. I like the proportions of this case too...

That being said, it is to big for me.

unless one thinks the DJII and DDII, as "dress watches", are too large....

anyway, 40mm or 42mm, i don't think the difference will be huge, and, if anything, it gives the Explorer II a "selling point" over the Sub and GMTII...

do i NEED the black one? no. would the milgauss black dial or a PAM 111 make more "sense" for my limited means and collection? yes. but, wow, the new black dial is niiiiiiiiice.....

[Sose]

Thank you Larry. I love this explorer.
There's no way I can justify getting any explorer with a fourth hand, having a GMT myself.

[BH13GMT]

stop it stop it

I can't get any work done with all this Explorer 2 hoohaa going on. It's too distracting

I can't buy this watch if I dont have an income to support it.

[tomee]

looking at the EXIF data on those pics it shows they were taken on 2009-11-19! 11:55:18

[SeamasterGMT]

Stunning in both colours.

Take off the crappy bit of plastic glued to the crystal, add the proper glidelock clasp and a triplock crown and it would be flawless.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by tomee

looking at the EXIF data on those pics it shows they were taken on 2009-11-19! 11:55:18

uh-oh.....so, when the watches start coming this fall, will the "should i be worried that my BNIB watch is actually two years old??" threads come shortly thereafter??

seriously, though, great catch!

[93 Turbo]

Larry, thank you very much for the pics and insight. Paul, go the black, or maybe not, go the white? Indecision, indecision.

I'll heading down the Exp II/III Noir path.

The great thing is these will be around for a while. Just glad I have the now discontinued Exp II white face with 3186 movement. Have to get me a Exp II 3185 mvt noir. Do I have thing for Explorer's? I think so.

[Roman4405]

Damn I want one. They absolutely knocked this one out of the park. Good job Rolex.

[Engi]

Originally Posted by tomee

looking at the EXIF data on those pics it shows they were taken on 2009-11-19! 11:55:18

Great point , they were ready for Basel 2010 ...

Ciao

Engi

[mtrunner]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

uh-oh.....so, when the watches start coming this fall, will the "should i be worried that my BNIB watch is actually two years old??" threads come shortly thereafter??

seriously, though, great catch!

Since the Explorer II was initially supposed to be released last year you know people are going to ask when their watch was made!

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by mtrunner

Since the Explorer II was initially supposed to be released last year you know people are going to ask when their watch was made!

i just thought of that again......imagine if it actually HAD been released last year. not only would it have been drowned out by the sub, but, this year would have been barren. rolex wins again!

[mtrunner]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

i just thought of that again......imagine if it actually HAD been released last year. not only would it have been drowned out by the sub, but, this year would have been barren. rolex wins again!

Smart move on their part. Clearly they knew what they were doing. I really think this is going to be a big hit with the masses and not just with us fanatics. I won't mind at at all as long as I can get my hands on one.

[Friedl41]

I like it. Not sure about the size. Want to see it in black .... Must be very cool. My wife says she likes it .... The seed is planted ... Just in case

[wgs]

Larry, what are your thoughts are on the new EXP II?

[Trurolexer]

DAMN!!! So Beautiful!!!

[buke45]

My next watch!!!

[Foxglove]

Originally Posted by Frogman4me

What the heck?!? 42mm?

+1

I wish they kept this at 40mm. With my wrist size (6.75"), 40mm is perfect, but 42mm is a bit too big. It will really depend on the lug-to-lug size at this point -- if that's under about 48-49mm then it should fit fine despite the large 42mm size.

Other than the size -- Obviously a stunner.

~Ross

[Tools]

Originally Posted by wgs

Larry, what are your thoughts are on the new EXP II?

I'll need to see it in person.. I may be weak with this one on my wrist..

[SCD]

Now we know why the Explorer I hands are so small...They needed to save up the metal for the Explorer II hands!

Overall I really like this design. I like the new fat hands...they're bold and match the bulky, purposeful proportions of the watch nicely. As before I generally prefer the black dial version, but I think they've made a small mistake with the "phantom" (geez what a fanciful name!) hands. It gets in the way of the overall "form-follows-function" vibe concept that holds the design together so nicely. So for the reason, maybe I prefer the white-dial. But my preference would be for the black dial with the white hands.

I'd also like to see "Explorer" on the dial not in orange...but whatever.

Overall...real nice.

[SCD]

oops...