36mm vs 39mm Explorer! Stuck in between

[gaoxing84]

Originally Posted by douglasf13

Fine by me. I’m just saying that’s likely why 36mm looks small to you.

i think on my wrist it looks fine but as a whole, with me standing up with the entire package, it looks pretty small.

[SearChart]

I prefer the 36mm

[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by gaoxing84

i think on my wrist it looks fine but as a whole, with me standing up with the entire package, it looks pretty small.

It's just a matter of taste and perspective. I'm a couple of inches taller than you and still prefer 36mm. Sir Edmund Hillary wore 34mm, and he was 6'6"!

[betterwatchit]

36mm seems a better proportioned watch overall in my opinion.

[htc8p]

a few years ago i would have gone big but now i seem to like the smaller sizes. but forward looking what happens when my eyesight goes...

watches are complicated

[Juggernaut]

I'm refreshing this thread because this 36 vs 39 choice is facing me right now.
Is it me, or does does the 214270's winding crown look proportionately smaller? Did they reuse the same crown from the 14270/114270 like they did with the hands on the early 214270??

[Boomguy57]

The 36mm size is perfect, and was so for decades. It’s a classic for a reason!


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[aleeboy]

The 36mm model has better proportions and nicer lugs.

Plus, it fits you much better!

[Calatrava r]

Well, if you want a new watch with the parachrome hair spring and greater shock proof specs you have only one option, the 39mm.

[jstan9]

Originally Posted by Maiden

36 looks so much more proportionate and elegant IMO. Like all the other Rolex 36mm vs their larger siblings.

I agree. They’re both amazing, but if the choice were mine it would be the 36.


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[RamyAshour]

The bracelet on the 39mm is amazing, but the 36mm just has way better proportions in my humble opinion. Would go with 36 :)

[Juggernaut]

Wow, that's pretty unanimous.
I think wrist size is a big factor too. I'm 6-1/2" to 6-3/4" so I can probably go either, but I think the 39 might look a bit too big for a watch without a turning bezel.
But yeah, I love the new bracelet and the lumed numbers is awesome. I wish they would have used luminous paint on the numbers of the 114270....maybe the only design flaw.

[007_Omega]

I think the 36mm looks amazing in close up shots but I have tried it on multiple times in person and man does it wear small. It wears even smaller than the modern 36mm references.

I'd go with the 39mm. Besides aesthetics, it's simply the better watch. The bracelet improvement is night and day, while the lume is true to the 1016.

[fskywalker]

I had the 214270 (first) once and the 114270 twice; don’t like the proportions of the 39mm. Looking at your pictures would say the 36mm looks better proportioned in your wrist, but as others said is a matter of personal taste.




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[BzKneez]

I prefer the 39 on your wrist.

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[Kowlick]

I was faced with the same dilemma earlier this year. I wanted a new watch from an AD for my first but couldn’t get over how the 39mm Explorer was not just bigger, but a different watch to me than the 36mm.

I’m 6’3” but have 6.75” wrists and the 39mm looks better proportioned for me when seen from a distance, but I didn’t like how the watch read when on my wrist.

I think I focus on the dial size more than the bezel diameter. Too much dial surface area just looks off to me. Maybe I’ve just become accustomed to certain proportions. My Dad has worn a 36mm Datejust as long as I can remember.

After much deliberation, I picked up a 114270.



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[chloebear]

I have to preface this with I’ve never worn a 36mm Explorer. They look fantastic, but I’ve flipped the 39mm version 3 times because it felt too small! So I assume the 36 would seem way too small to me. 40 to 42 is the only size I like these days.


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[bsh_watch]

I tried on both 36 and 39 when I got my Explorer I, and I thought that the 39 was a more modern size for my wrist.

[Beckster]

I was also considering these 2 not too long ago. Eventually went with the 214270 as the price difference was not much, I can get it brand new from an AD and can create my own history with it. Very happy. Even though there are times when I go try the 36mm version and I do like it a lot, just can't justify getting an older one for essentially similar price as compared to one that's brand new.

[goldenboy80]

I think it also comes down to what you are looking for out of your watch. The 114270 seems truer to the tool watch ethos, while the 214270 is more modern and blingy. I think a lot of the people on this site are purists and would naturally go for the 36. However, I believe that the typical finance or legal professional looking to "own a Rolex" would likely go for 39 as it's a more extroverted piece. Having owned the 214270, which admittedly I enjoyed tremendously, at this point I'd go for a 1016 because purity of concept and design is more important to me than when I first started collecting.

[pozer]

I've tried both and have a 36 (114270) and a 1016, fwiw. There is one big difference, probably - do you still have lume on the 36mm? Mine is basically gone.

Regardless, I think the 36mm is going to hold value better and for me, looks just a bit better on the wrist (7")

[sgarrity]

The 39mm is the perfect watch IMHO. With the upgraded movement and bracelet, it was a easy decision for me. I use the EasyLink frequently. Of course my watch journey started with a 34mm Date, then on to a 44mm Breitling Superocean Steelfish, and now the 39mm Explorer.

[Bobby T]

Wear one on each wrist........problem solved!!!

[2nastie]

The look and size is personal preference. Buy the one you like.

To say one is better than the other is pretty funny. Both have their pros and cons.

I picked the 39mm MK2 myself as I like the "bigger" size. It's actually small in comparison to other modern watches. It also has the updated oyster clasp and bracelet which I like more than the 36mm. The lume is beautiful on the 3,6,9. And for the price, I bought one new from the Boutique/AD without the hassle or finding a more complete version of the 36mm.

I say many people are too fixated with old or vintage. Everything new is too "shiny" and modern. Every model seems to be riding that train. The older model is better cause everything is "classic." Eventually 10 years down the road, when a new refresh comes up people will say this current generation is better.

Just buy what your heart tells you new or old.

[spoilsofwar01]

36mm here,

[faaaaaaaasterrrrr]

36mm, but that's what looks good on me. YMMV.

[Noonan]

I have small wrists (<7") and find the 39mm size perfect. Picked up a 39mm OP and couldn't be happier. That being said, I'm also used to wearing my Speedy, which is larger.

[FlyDuc78]

I like the size and look of the new 39.

[javier]

Originally Posted by Bobby T

Wear one on each wrist........problem solved!!!

LOL

[evlkoala]

36mm you won't regret it