( Read our thoughts on the releases here.) Perhaps equally surprising, the watch shifted its case size back to 36mm, after a brief-ish 11 year stint at 39mm in the 214270 reference. The far more curious releases happened in the Explorer range, which received, for the first time ever, a two-toned model.

They did welcome their latest 3285 GMT caliber to a new 226570 reference, however, the exterior remains, for all intents and purposes, identical to the reference it replaces (shrugs). This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Explorer II, and expectations were high that we’d see something new and exciting out of that range. What works, what didn’t, what were they thinking, waitlist memes… that kind of thing.

Let’s get to it.Įarlier this year Rolex revealed a slew of new releases that, as usual, dominate discussion for a day or two, for better or worse. I don’t care who’s been seen wearing one, or what they’re commanding in the open market. As they say in the investment world, “past performance is not a guarantee of future results”, and I’m here to judge the newest reference 124270 Explorer on its own merits. Lord knows there are plenty of places to get your fill on the subject in all manner of books, blogs, and forums. There have been some great Explorer references through the generations, from the first 6298 references, the tone-setting 6610 in 1959, to the ever charming 1016, which remained in production through the late ‘80s, to the 142… look, I’m not here to wax poetic about the history of the Explorer. The Explorer enjoys a wealth of prestige today thanks to nearly 70 years worth of brand building by Rolex, some rock solid, some less so (ahem, Edmund Hillary was wearing a Smiths when he summited Everest ). Everest, to appearing on the wrists of celebrities on your Instagram feed in 2021 (ok, that part maybe not so intriguing), it’s seen some shit. From its (intentionally fuzzy) origin story in the 1953 summit of Mt. Without question, this is a watch with a vast, and at times intriguing history. It’s easy to romanticize the Explorer, as has been done in countless words among countless posts since watch enthusiasts first gathered on the internet.

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