16570 Explorer II and thin frame hour markers

[WojtekSk]

Hi there,

Would anyone know when (what year) Rolex introduced thin frame markers to the 16570 Explorer II?

I would love to get one in a good condition and need to know which year that started...

Thanks!

W

[Tools]

I thought that I knew a bunch about Exp II's, but I'm not sure what you are asking for.

Do you have an example?

[Greg.A]

I had it with a G series, 2012 onwards.

[Diversd]

Happen to have mine on this morning. The last batch of polar 16570’s (can’t speak for black dials) have a dial where the hour plot surrounds are thinner. Mine is a G serial number (2010) and also has the 3186 movement.




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[Crazy Lugs]

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=248803

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Tools

I thought that I knew a bunch about Exp II's, but I'm not sure what you are asking for.

Do you have an example?

Its just a simple font change depending on which of the 3 factories now all owned by Rolex printed the dial. Much like the hundreds of other slight font thickness,colour, spacing etc on most all Rolex dials over the past 40 odd years.But with today's loupe madness this minuscule differences are mostly noticed by today WIS type owners.

[Tools]

So, it appears that these thin-frame indices began in the 2010 releases. This would include G and Random serial runs, which both ran concurrently beginning mid-2010.

[timlaw]

my black dial is also a G series made in late 2010 and sold in 2011

but as to the OP's request i have no idea lol

[Polarexplorerii]

Originally Posted by Tools

So, it appears that these thin-frame indices began in the 2010 releases. This would include G and Random serial runs, which both ran concurrently beginning mid-2010.

thats what I have been told

[77T]

Originally Posted by padi56

Its just a simple font change depending on which of the 3 factories now all owned by Rolex printed the dial. Much like the hundreds of other slight font thickness,colour, spacing etc on most all Rolex dials over the past 40 odd years.But with today's loupe madness this minuscule differences are mostly noticed by today WIS type owners.

I think on the White dialed Explorer II it is easily seen with normal vision. Mine from 2000 had the thicker surrounds on the hour plots. Back then I liked it for daytime legibility because the white dial and LumiNova plots would have been too hard to distinguish.

At night it didn’t matter since the glow was bright enough to easily read the time.


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[Onikage]

Later 16710 GMTs also got the thin frame indices. Not sure about 16610 Subs. Miniscule change but almost a semi maxi dial.. Well not really. Just a tiny bit more lume area.

[snok]

I don't know about the 16610 Submariners but I know 16710 GMTs has the thin frame.

[yowlie]

It's not all G's. I think all randoms have it. It is a pretty big change, not a small font change. It it also appears as a service dial.

[Twophonetoni]

Originally Posted by Diversd

Happen to have mine on this morning. The last batch of polar 16570’s (can’t speak for black dials) have a dial where the hour plot surrounds are thinner. Mine is a G serial number (2010) and also has the 3186 movement.




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Off topic but these look so damn good on a jubilee!


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[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Tools

So, it appears that these thin-frame indices began in the 2010 releases. This would include G and Random serial runs, which both ran concurrently beginning mid-2010.

That all sounds about right
It was in conjunction with the introduction of the 3186 movement
I nearly bought one myself but the DSSD I bought pushed the EXP IIs aside and out of my life

[Kharouf]

Any idea if service dials are also thin framed?

[rgwarden]

Originally Posted by Dirt

That all sounds about right
It was in conjunction with the introduction of the 3186 movement

This is what i think too

[Cloitus]

Originally Posted by Dirt

That all sounds about right
It was in conjunction with the introduction of the 3186 movement
I nearly bought one myself but the DSSD I bought pushed the EXP IIs aside and out of my life

Have seen a fair few 3186 exp2's without the thin frame around the markers. I think it's only the very last of these 16570 that have it. IMO it looks better with the thicker black frame :)

[BillA]

Thin frame markers
Thick frame markers
Can someone explains what this means and pics would be good

This is my K serial watch, what do I have?

[faimag]

Originally Posted by BillA

Thin frame markers
Thick frame markers
Can someone explains what this means and pics would be good

This is my K serial watch, what do I have?

It's about the thickness of the black surround frames of your hour markers (which are white gold on the black dial). You have thick.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by faimag

It's about the thickness of the black surround frames of your hour markers (which are white gold on the black dial). You have thick.

This
The thick ones were the way it was done back in the "K" serial days from late 2001. Those watches had the 3185 movement.
They are great watches

The thin markers coincided with the introduction of the 3186 movement and continued exclusively right through to the end of the 5 digit references. They were also great watches, especially when Rolex quickly fixed that little bug in the 3186 movement

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by BillA

Thin frame markers
Thick frame markers
Can someone explains what this means and pics would be good

This is my K serial watch, what do I have?

Thick
It's all good

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Cloitus

Have seen a fair few 3186 exp2's without the thin frame around the markers. I think it's only the very last of these 16570 that have it. IMO it looks better with the thicker black frame :)

Sorry, but you're mistaken.
The thin markers were exclusive from the introduction of the 3186 movement from new.
Unless you've seen watches that have had the dials swapped for service dials

[Nico81]

Originally Posted by WojtekSk

Hi there,

Would anyone know when (what year) Rolex introduced thin frame markers to the 16570 Explorer II?

I would love to get one in a good condition and need to know which year that started...

Thanks!

W

I had a random serial explorer II with thin markers.
I loved it, as full markers were too bold


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[Nico81]

Originally Posted by padi56

Its just a simple font change depending on which of the 3 factories now all owned by Rolex printed the dial. Much like the hundreds of other slight font thickness,colour, spacing etc on most all Rolex dials over the past 40 odd years.But with today's loupe madness this minuscule differences are mostly noticed by today WIS type owners.

Its actually a very noticeable difference


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[PepsiBezel]

IMG_0399.jpeg

Courtesy of @WatchAnd (tropicalwatch.com), a thin frame 16570 with Chromalight (!) lume from the very end of its production run (circa 2011).

https://tropicalwatch.com/watches/6iek

[David1973]

Rolex never used Chromalight in the 16570, but used Superluminova until the model was discontinued.

The thin frame dial also did not start with the 3186 movement, but in the middle of the last series.

My 2011 has a thin frame dial, my 2009 has the "normal" dial but also the 3186 movement.

[0nly5iv3Digits]

The above answers appear to be correct. Service dials now have thin hour marker surrounds. My F serial polar has the original “thic” hour surrounds.

[Cru Jones]

Here is a thread by Puffy from several years back:

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=193949

[PepsiBezel]

Originally Posted by David1973

Rolex never used Chromalight in the 16570, but used Superluminova until the model was discontinued.

The thin frame dial also did not start with the 3186 movement, but in the middle of the last series.

My 2011 has a thin frame dial, my 2009 has the "normal" dial but also the 3186 movement.

David, respectfully, I’m going to go with Jacek and the watch I linked to — he is as expert as it comes to this era of watches.