The Explorer II is equipped with an additional 24-hour display; a dedicated hand circles the dial in 24 hours rather than the usual 12, pointing to a fixed bezel with 24 hour graduations.
On the black-dial version of the Explorer II, the black base of the hands blend with the dial to create a “phantom” effect in which they seem to float over the dial – a nod to the 1971 model.The Explorer II features a date display, an additional orange 24-hour hand and a fixed bezel with 24-hour graduations, enabling day to be distinguished from night. It became the watch of choice for speleologists, volcanologists and polar explorers. Its hour markers and hands feature a highly-legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence.
Rolex uses Oystersteel for its steel watch cases. Specially developed by the brand, Oystersteel belongs to the 904L steel family, alloys most commonly used in high-technology and in the aerospace and chemical industries, where maximum resistance to corrosion is essential. Oystersteel is extremely resistant, offers an exceptional finish once polished and maintains its beauty even in the harshest environments.
All Rolex watches are assembled by hand with the utmost care to ensure exception quality. Such high standards naturally restrict Rolex production capacity and, at times, the demand for Rolex watches outpaces this capacity.
Therefore, the availability of certain models may be limited. New Rolex watches are exclusively sold by Official Rolex Retailers, who receive regular deliveries and independently manage the allocation and sales of watches to customers.
Langfords is proud to be part of the worldwide network of Official Rolex Retailers and can provide information on the availability of Rolex watches.
The Explorer models embody the privileged relationship that has always bound Rolex and exploration. Since the late 1920s, Rolex has been using the world as a proving ground to test its watches under real-life conditions, in the quest for greater precision, robustness and reliability.