Rolex Explorer
Adventure on a grand scale
The Oyster Perpetual Explorer and Oyster Perpetual Explorer II were born from Rolex's close ties with the world of exploration. They go where few venture. Rolex has been able to test these watches in real-life conditions by equipping polar, mountaineering, and caving expeditions for many years. Some of the most intrepid explorers, mountaineers, and scientists have proven the reliability of these watches in the most extreme conditions.
Legible and durable, the Explorer and Explorer II watches are designed to accompany those who push the boundaries of knowledge.
From the 1930s onwards, Rolex equipped many explorers with Oyster Perpetual watches. The information they provided to the brand upon their return from expeditions contributed to the development of the Professional watch category, consisting of true tool watches, such as the Explorer and Explorer II. Rolex watches thus took part in some of the greatest human adventures, notably the 1953 expedition led by Sir John Hunt, which saw Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay Sherpa become the first mountaineers to reach the summit of Everest.
Designed for exploration
The Explorer, launched in 1953, is distinguished by the simplicity of its design and its highly legible black dial with its characteristic 3, 6, and 9 numerals and large indexes. It is a tool watch, designed to tell the time accurately, whatever the circumstances. In the dark, reading the dial is made easier thanks to the Chromalight display. Today, the Explorer is available in a 36 mm diameter – the size of the original 1953 model – and in a 40 mm diameter.
The Explorer II, launched in 1971, perpetuates Rolex's special relationship with exploration, in the same spirit as the Explorer. Thanks to its 24-hour display consisting of an additional orange hand and an engraved bezel, the Explorer II allows the user to clearly distinguish between day and night – a particularly useful option in areas where the alternation between day and night is no longer clearly established, such as underground or in polar regions at certain times of the year – or to display the time in a second time zone.
Resisting the extremes
The models in the Explorer range have continually evolved to best meet the needs of explorers. Ever more robust. Ever more reliable. The Explorer 36 is available in Oystersteel or yellow Rolesor (a combination of Oystersteel and yellow gold), while the Explorer 40 and Explorer II are made exclusively from Oystersteel. Specially developed for Rolex, Oystersteel is a unique alloy with excellent anti-corrosion properties.
All three models feature an Oyster bracelet, a three-link bracelet distinguished by its robustness. It features an Oysterlock safety clasp with a folding clasp, designed and patented by Rolex, preventing accidental opening. The Easylink comfort extension, also developed by the brand, allows the bracelet to be easily adjusted by approximately 5 mm.
The Explorer 36 and Explorer 40 are equipped with caliber 3230 and the Explorer II with caliber 3285, two self-winding mechanical movements entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. They offer a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
Superlative Chronometer certification
Like all Rolex watches, the Explorer and Explorer II are certified as a Superlative Chronometer. This designation certifies that each model that leaves the brand's workshops has successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories and according to its own criteria. Superlative Chronometer status is symbolized by the green seal that every Rolex watch bears and is accompanied by a five-year international warranty.
Rolex Explorer
A selection of models
Keep exploring
Chopard Happy Diamonds Icons Ring in Rose Gold and Diamonds