1996 Rolex Explorer II 16570 T Series Black Tritium Dial

[luxuwrist]

The Rolex Explorer debuted in 1971 as what is now a legendary vintage sport watch, the 1655. It offered a robust steel case, an easy to use GMT function with a fixed steel bezel, and a date. It made sense to develop that platform further as a specialized tool for "speleologists, volcanologists and polar and jungle explorers". Speleologists can spend days at a time exploring deep in caves and caverns, often losing their sense of time and of day and night, and the GMT function allows these explorers to keep track of 24 hour time with the fixed bezel keeping the setting secure.

The formula has consistently worked, seeing as Rolex continues to produce the model today, albeit in a larger and slightly "blingier" style. The 16570 is an under-appreciated Rolex sports model, and a perfect example of the ethos of Rolex: creating tools best suited for specific jobs.

The watch offered here is a T series, indicating circa 1996 production, with a tritium dial and hand set and lug-holes case.

Condition as follows:

Case: Excellent condition 40 mm stainless steel case with minor wear commensurate with use as shown in the photos. The case is very sharp with crisp edges, thick lugs and bright polished surfaces. Serial and reference number are both clear between the lugs.

Bezel: Original fixed steel bezel in good condition with light surface wear as shown. Original sunburst finish is still present and sharp, and all enamel is intact.

Dial/Hands: Original gloss black dial and hands free from any defects.

Caseback: Excellent condition original caseback with only minor wear.

Crystal: Original sapphire crystal in excellent condition free from scratching or chipping.

Movement: Rolex 3185 Automatic GMT movement keeping excellent time. All functions work as they should.

Bracelet/Strap: Original bracelet showing only minor stretch. The bracelet is sized for a 7.75” wrist and does not include any additional links.

Accessories: None, sold as watch only.

























Price is $6900 shipped insured FedEx overnight CONUS via PayPal or wire (3% discount for wire). US sale preferred, international sales will pay the cost of shipping. Face to face in the Boston area also welcome. I have many references available. Please feel free to ask any questions. Thanks for looking!

[luxuwrist]

Still available.