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Old 25 February 2018, 07:38 AM   #1801
puckbw11
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[QUOTE=Atlantic;8313104]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heypacha View Post
My wife finds my explorer II very feminine. The ecru dial with white gold details must have something to do with it. Rolex probably changed the hands and surrounds to black for similar reasons.

I never even occurred to me that someone would see the early ivory dial explorers in that way.



Elegant yes, feminine no.


My buddy sold his 16570 for this reason. He said “I saw two polars in the wild and both on women and it made me think it looked better on them than on me!” He bought a sub to replace it. I still think he downgraded!


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Old 25 February 2018, 07:48 AM   #1802
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I love the way yours looks used and loved, the way it ought to be!
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Old 25 February 2018, 04:50 PM   #1803
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Got to love these under the radar sport watches.


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Old 27 February 2018, 06:08 AM   #1804
Colin G
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Originally Posted by KarlTheToyotaGuy View Post
I don't particularly care for the black dial EXPII, but I will acquire a Polar by the end of the year ....
Myself also. It may be a bit large for my girly 6.5" wrist but I still want a polar really badly.
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Old 27 February 2018, 06:15 AM   #1805
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I wear my Explorer ll daily. Don't really care what others think. It's my all-time favorite. So there. I do also wear an old Date-Just once in a while. Just cause I can.

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Old 27 February 2018, 08:53 PM   #1806
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Myself also. It may be a bit large for my girly 6.5" wrist but I still want a polar really badly.
Go for the 16570 Polar. A much more balanced design in my opinion.
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Old 27 February 2018, 09:47 PM   #1807
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The exp II is 1 of 3 Rolex I have no interest in at all other two being Cellini and milgauss.i tried on a few times and did nothing for me.Very plain looking and just didn’t make me want it.
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Old 27 February 2018, 09:50 PM   #1808
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I think both black and white dial explorer are equally beautiful. That’s why I bought both.




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Old 27 February 2018, 10:11 PM   #1809
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Def my fav summer time watch!
I haven't worn the subc since it arrived

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Old 27 February 2018, 10:32 PM   #1810
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Def my fav summer time watch!
I haven't worn the subc since it arrived

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Sharp looking polar. Love yours.

Mine is smaller brother and the smaller size suit me better that’s why I go for the 5 digit




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Old 27 February 2018, 10:36 PM   #1811
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I’ve been thinking about picking up a 16570 lately. It’s a really great under the radar sports watch. The newer version is nice but just a hair too big to my liking.


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Old 28 February 2018, 12:37 AM   #1812
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My guess is it has something to do with image. An Exp II, while a beautiful watch in it's own right, does not fit the prototypical image that comes to mind for most people when they hear the name "Rolex". As a result, these watches are often passed over by the average consumer.

Though those on TRF and other watch forums may better appreciate the watch, the reality is that prices reflect those of the general watch market, not just within our community. As a result, Exp II prices are kept lower, providing a relative bargain for a complicated SS sports Rolex.

As a disclaimer, this is all my speculation, but I don't think I'm too far off.
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Old 28 February 2018, 12:46 AM   #1813
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Wow, this thread has been running or 10 years! Do you guys think the OPs comments still apply to the upgraded Exp II? I do see the used market for them as softer than the Subs, but I think they earned a much stronger fan base since the thread was started 10 years ago.
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Old 28 February 2018, 01:58 AM   #1814
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baco Noir View Post
Wow, this thread has been running or 10 years! Do you guys think the OPs comments still apply to the upgraded Exp II? I do see the used market for them as softer than the Subs, but I think they earned a much stronger fan base since the thread was started 10 years ago.
Outside TRF they are not so popular, in 10 years the value has maybe increased USD 1000 while the 16710 probably has doubled in value. I’ve been wearing my 16570 everyday for the last eight years, this very thread actually inspired me to buy one. Not bored yet
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Old 1 March 2018, 02:34 AM   #1815
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Interested in opinions of owners of 16570

Greetings,

I am new to the Rolex forums and have a few specific questions for 16570 owners:

1. What are the pros and cons of the Explorer II vs. the GMT?

2. What is your experience with the 3185 vs. 3186 movement? Is the 3186 movement worth the price premium? Will it appreciate faster?

3. What is your experience with wearability, legibility (esp. polar), and maintainability?

Thanks for any replies.

r/

Andrew
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Old 1 March 2018, 03:01 AM   #1816
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JAFO2 View Post
Greetings,

I am new to the Rolex forums and have a few specific questions for 16570 owners:

1. What are the pros and cons of the Explorer II vs. the GMT?

2. What is your experience with the 3185 vs. 3186 movement? Is the 3186 movement worth the price premium? Will it appreciate faster?

3. What is your experience with wearability, legibility (esp. polar), and maintainability?

Thanks for any replies.

r/

Andrew
I already have two Subs, a 14060M and a 114060, so for me a GMT would be redundant.

The 16570 with its steel bezel is a tougher watch.

The 16570, especially the polar version, has an understated elegance that is lacking in the GMTs and also the Subs for that matter.

The 3186 is an improved movement (mine is incredibly accurate, gaining less than one second per day) and it should appreciate faster for that reason and for the fact that fewer were used in the 16570 models.

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Old 1 March 2018, 03:10 AM   #1817
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Def my fav summer time watch!
I haven't worn the subc since it arrived

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It is a great summer watch. My Polar and TT Sub are my go to watches in the summer.
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Old 1 March 2018, 04:32 AM   #1818
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The Explorer II Enigma

Quote:
Greetings,



I am new to the Rolex forums and have a few specific questions for 16570 owners:



1. What are the pros and cons of the Explorer II vs. the GMT?



2. What is your experience with the 3185 vs. 3186 movement? Is the 3186 movement worth the price premium? Will it appreciate faster?



3. What is your experience with wearability, legibility (esp. polar), and maintainability?



Thanks for any replies.



r/



Andrew

Not sure what premium the 3186 will fetch, maybe a pretty niche of a niche thing? Personally, maybe a few hundreds?

For most maybe the condition and tritium vs luminova may be larger factors?

Either way, I really dig the polar 16570 with tritium and lug holes! And my previous owner upgraded to solid end links - in my world it almost doesn’t get better
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Old 1 March 2018, 04:52 AM   #1819
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The Explorer II Enigma

Quote:
Originally Posted by JAFO2 View Post
Greetings,



I am new to the Rolex forums and have a few specific questions for 16570 owners:



1. What are the pros and cons of the Explorer II vs. the GMT?



2. What is your experience with the 3185 vs. 3186 movement? Is the 3186 movement worth the price premium? Will it appreciate faster?



3. What is your experience with wearability, legibility (esp. polar), and maintainability?



Thanks for any replies.



r/



Andrew


Here’s the thing, or my take, for what it’s worth.
I was travelling a lot and owned a BLNR and realised after a year that the GMT II (its just my opinion, don’t shoot me) is of course popular but essentially over designed. And what I mean by that is that I never needed two ways to tell two time zones ie the hour jump setting AND a rotating bezel. Certainly I never needed to tell 3 time zones simultaneously (which is something of a stretch even on a GMT II let’s be honest.)
Basically (Living in London so on GMT) I realised that I was never rotating the bezel. Literally never. I didn’t need it.
Don’t get me wrong it ‘looks’ absolutely fantastic, if that’s what drives you (it clearly drives the secondary market) but the Explorer II has a purity of function that trumps it in my humble opinion. I should point out that the 16700 GMT Master that DOESN’T have the separate hour jump complication keeps me awake at night with wanting it, precisely because in order to see that second time zone you actually have need to rotate that fantastic bezel! But the GMT II does little for me since this realisation.

PS I also really like the fact that the explorer II is a Stainless Steel only watch. That kind of says it all. It’s anti showy, and is only ever commented on by Rolex owners. The general public have no idea it’s an expensive watch.

PPS I’m a 5 digit man because I’m small and the newer 6 digit is too big for me. Both black and polar are absolutely awesome watches in my opinion.


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Old 1 March 2018, 05:41 AM   #1820
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baco Noir View Post
Wow, this thread has been running or 10 years! Do you guys think the OPs comments still apply to the upgraded Exp II? I do see the used market for them as softer than the Subs, but I think they earned a much stronger fan base since the thread was started 10 years ago.
Whoops! That's what you get for reading something quickly. I did not see that this had started 10 years ago haha.

That being said, I still don't think my comments are too far off base.
They've certainly earned a stronger fan base, but it's still well behind that of the more well-known SS models.
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Old 2 March 2018, 01:53 AM   #1821
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All,

Thanks for the enlightening replies. I am considering purchase of my first Rolex.

Is simple design good design? Perhaps the enigma of the Explorer II is that while increased size and complexity attract a higher price premium, some may prefer a more straightforward solution. In this case, the five-digit Explorer II makes sense.
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Old 2 March 2018, 02:03 AM   #1822
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My 16570 Polar is due to arrive tomorrow. I’ve been without a Rolex for several years so it’ll be like Christmas in March.
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Old 2 March 2018, 02:14 AM   #1823
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I always thought the Ex 2 was 42mm ?
That was the main reason for me never taking much interest in it as I thought it would be too big
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Old 2 March 2018, 02:38 AM   #1824
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Quote:
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I always thought the Ex 2 was 42mm ?

That was the main reason for me never taking much interest in it as I thought it would be too big


The 5 digit reference number (16570) was a 40mm case. That said, the lug to lug distance on the 216570 is not too long so the 42mm version wears well too.
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Old 2 March 2018, 04:18 AM   #1825
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JAFO2 View Post
Greetings,

I am new to the Rolex forums and have a few specific questions for 16570 owners:

1. What are the pros and cons of the Explorer II vs. the GMT?

2. What is your experience with the 3185 vs. 3186 movement? Is the 3186 movement worth the price premium? Will it appreciate faster?

3. What is your experience with wearability, legibility (esp. polar), and maintainability?

Thanks for any replies.

r/

Andrew
I do not own a GMT, but do have a 16570 (black). I travel a number of times per year and keep the GMT hand set for the time at home, so I have found it useful from that perspective. In addition to cost, I very much liked the understated elegance of this piece. I have worn it with everything from shorts and flip flops to a suit. I will pause for just a moment so that those horrified at the thought of wearing a sports watch with a suit can catch their breath.

While obviously not rare, it is a watch I have never seen on someone else in the wild.

As for the movement, the only difference I am aware of is the newer parachrom hairspring in the 3186 that is meant to be less resistant to shock and temperature variations. I certainly don't doubt that, but mine has the 3185 and is at about + 2 per day, which is certainly precise enough for me.

As for legibility and maintainability, I have had no issues at all. The only issue is that the date can be somewhat hard to make out, depending on the glare, but is suspect that is true for every reference.

The bottom line is that I love mine. It is a great watch.
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Old 2 March 2018, 05:24 AM   #1826
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I have had several Rolex’s over the past 15 or so years that I have bought and sold. Mostly the older DJ that were relatively inexpensive. I have always wanted an exII and just could never come to the point of being able to pull the trigger. Everyone seems to have the sub,gmt, and now and then the Daytona, but I have only seen 1 or 2 exII on people. I think as many others on this post have said that it’s the most under the radar Rolex out there. I don’t live life according to what everyone else has or does and feel like this watch just fits that to a T. Just bought this today brand new from an ad and couldn’t be happier. I have to give my wife a huge thanks for being ok with the huge purchase. She gets my love of watches although she doesn’t have the same feelings about them. She feels they are just another way to tell time.
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Old 2 March 2018, 09:55 PM   #1827
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I always thought the Ex 2 was 42mm ?

That was the main reason for me never taking much interest in it as I thought it would be too big


That’s precisely what I thought (in my case as a relative Rolex newbie back in 2015) and then I tried on a 40mm Explorer II and was immediately wanting one.


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Old 3 March 2018, 02:49 AM   #1828
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Originally Posted by JAFO2 View Post
All,

Thanks for the enlightening replies. I am considering purchase of my first Rolex.

Is simple design good design? Perhaps the enigma of the Explorer II is that while increased size and complexity attract a higher price premium, some may prefer a more straightforward solution. In this case, the five-digit Explorer II makes sense.


You should always try to keep it simple or as simple as possible.
I want a watch that tells time at a glance (42mm) is strong (stainless steel and fixed bezel) and is under the radar.
My explorer II ticks all the boxes.

It has been my companion during all the hours away from home in the last 2 years.


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Old 3 March 2018, 02:52 AM   #1829
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You should always try to keep it simple or as simple as possible.
I want a watch that tells time at a glance (42mm) is strong (stainless steel and fixed bezel) and is under the radar.
My explorer II ticks all the boxes.
Well said and a beautiful watch.
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Old 4 March 2018, 11:16 AM   #1830
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