1655 Explorer II

[sg719]

I’m not too savvy on vintage pieces but would like to get in. I came across this today and wanted to see about getting some information on it. It comes with inner and outer box, 2 manuals, extra link. No papers. He said the serial was 1979-1980 model. Would this be a good start to start a collection?






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[antbkny]

$1225.00? see if they will take $950 cash
sorry im no help but the 1655 is my favorite vintage model.

[sg719]

Originally Posted by antbkny

$1225.00? see if they will take $950 cash

sorry im no help but the 1655 is my favorite vintage model.

Haha I wish it was $1,225!! I thought it was pretty cool that they had the sticker on there still.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rushwarp]

Looks like a good one at first overview. The box and booklets are correct for the US market and year too, as well as the markings at 6 o'clock and the bezel - but I am sure there are others here who can chime in better than me!

For the fun of it, did you check if the serial on the box sticker and the watch are the same? The bracelet code can be easily checked too as part of a background overview.

The 1655 is also my all time favorite vintage Rolex; it's different from everything else, special and a subtle conversation starter to boot....

[swish77]

I'd need to see better photos of the case/dial, but I can tell you that the booklets are incorrect and the bracelet is off of a Submariner, so most likely not original to the watch. I've heard that some dealers would swap bracelets in certain cases back in the day, based on customers' preference. Not sure how you could confirm that, although the date code on the clasp could provide some clues. My guess is that it's a later Sub bracelet.

Also, depends how picky you are about the case. Those crown guards have been polished down quite a bit. They should have a flatness to them and be slightly squared off (like below). Nothing wrong if the case has been polished, but you want it to have been polished well, of course.

What's the beginning of the serial number, and asking price?

[sg719]

Originally Posted by swish77

I'd need to see better photos of the case/dial, but I can tell you that the booklets are incorrect and the bracelet is off of a Submariner, so most likely not original to the watch. I've heard that some dealers would swap bracelets in certain cases back in the day, based on customers' preference. Not sure how you could confirm that, although the date code on the clasp could provide some clues. My guess is that it's a later Sub bracelet.



Also, depends how picky you are about the case. Those crown guards have been polished down quite a bit. They should have a flatness to them that are slightly squared off (like below).



What's the beginning of the serial number, and asking price?

I’m not sure of the date code of the clasp. The serial number is 6,2xx,xxx and they are asking $14,500.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[swish77]

Well, that's on the lower end of what good examples are going for nowadays. But there might be a reason. I'd make sure you do tons of homework on the dial type, to make sure it hasn't been swapped. There's tons of info online about the 1655 and dial variations.

Also, for me, it would be a red flag that they're trying to pass off those booklets as correct/original. One is for a Daytona, I believe, and the other is a later Explorer booklet. The correct one would have a mountain range on it. Relatively minor, but still not a good sign.

[Fredrik]

Boxes and stuff are not worth much without the papers. It is the warranty paper with the serial number punched that is worth something.

[sg719]

Originally Posted by swish77

Well, that's on the lower end of what good examples are going for nowadays. But there might be a reason. I'd make sure you do tons of homework on the dial type, to make sure it hasn't been swapped. There's tons of info online about the 1655 and dial variations.



Also, for me, it would be a red flag that they're trying to pass off those booklets as correct/original. One is for a Daytona, I believe, and the other is a later Explorer booklet. The correct one would have a mountain range on it. Relatively minor, but still not a good sign.

Thanks for all of the info. I remember flipping the explorer booklet open and there was a photo of a 16570 polar in it. I’ve been flipping through google pages of 1655 dials and from what I’ve found it’s a mk4 dial. I’m just having trouble finding out if it’s original to that year or that it could be a service dial. The sales guy wasn’t 100% familiar with everything. He pretty much said that the original owner came in wanting to purchase a two tone sub and he took it on trade. It worries me if the bracelet/clasp isn’t correct. I have a 16800 and it seems to be the same clasp as what the 1655 had on it. I can’t think of the correct term, but it has the wetsuit extender. Do you happen to know if that came on the Explorer? Thanks again for the info.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[swish77]

The original bracelet would most likely have been a 78360 Oyster with 580 end pieces. But I wouldn't sweat that too much. You could always track one down and sell the Sub bracelet.

The much more important issue is the head and dial/hands. You'd just want to make sure they're correct, mint and all original (no relume). Hard to tell from the photo you posted. The bezel on these 1655s is very important too, because if you're a stickler for originality and period/serial correct parts, those are very expensive to source separately. Then there's the case .... and the original date wheel would be brushed metal with open 6s and 9s.

(For comparison, my watch is a 5.4 million, MK2 dial and bezel.)

It's a shame, because the Stefano Mazzariol blog on the 1655 is incredibly thorough and helpful, but you need to pay to access it now. Still, there's a lot of info out there, especially on VRF.

Good luck!

[SubKing]

Originally Posted by swish77

I'd need to see better photos of the case/dial, but I can tell you that the booklets are incorrect and the bracelet is off of a Submariner, so most likely not original to the watch. I've heard that some dealers would swap bracelets in certain cases back in the day, based on customers' preference. Not sure how you could confirm that, although the date code on the clasp could provide some clues. My guess is that it's a later Sub bracelet.

Also, depends how picky you are about the case. Those crown guards have been polished down quite a bit. They should have a flatness to them and be slightly squared off (like below). Nothing wrong if the case has been polished, but you want it to have been polished well, of course.

What's the beginning of the serial number, and asking price?

from previous research, 1655 crown guards differ from year to year. Some are squared off on top like yours, while some are more rounded from the factory

[Dr.Smellody]

Love it!!!!

[jdmi32]

A 1655 would be a fantastic start to a vintage collection. Need better close up pics of the watch.

[hoffmanasher]

did you end up finding out anything else about the watch? Did you end up buying it?

[henrylee]

I would be tempted to purchase at that price