A Rolex 1655 Query

[BristolCavendish]

Actually two of them.

(1) Some folks have described the 1655 dial as being a bit too 'busy'. It would seem that Rolex could have easily resolved this issue by initially forgoing (or later eliminating) the 2.5 minute markers on subsequent versions of the 1655.

(2) Compared to the classic GMT and Submariner designs, why did Rolex opt to retool the overall appearance of Explorer IIs? Did they suspect that they had created a non-selling 'dog' model in its original form?

Ironically, some of the original 1655s (e.g. a Mark I) are now approaching $20K. Not bad for a watch that some felt lacked a good design and/or few wanted to buy in its original form.

[JManuel]

IMO is a spot model that has aged very well, still for todays standards the model is very cool looking, not out dated.

I do not see the watch being "too busy" since it does not have numbers in the dial at all, so it compensates.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by BristolCavendish

Actually two of them.

(1) Some folks have described the 1655 dial as being a bit too 'busy'. It would seem that Rolex could have easily resolved this issue by initially forgoing (or later eliminating) the 2.5 minute markers on subsequent versions of the 1655.

(2) Compared to the classic GMT and Submariner designs, why did Rolex opt to retool the overall appearance of Explorer IIs? Did they suspect that they had created a non-selling 'dog' model in its original form?

Ironically, some of the original 1655s (e.g. a Mark I) are now approaching $20K. Not bad for a watch that some felt lacked a good design and/or few wanted to buy in its original form.

Certainly not too busy for me! It's my favorite vintage Rolex with a date feature. So cool and unique. Nothing else like it. And straight-hand versions aren't the only 1655s approaching $20K and above. Prices for the reference, which had plateaued a couple of years ago, seem to be on the rebound again, from what I've seen, anyway.