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Explorer II
My Patek Aquanaut 5167A has been my daily go-to, do anything watch for over 10 years, but recently I somehow managed to beat it up too much, and the hour hand got knocked out of position (I still have no idea exactly how this happened). With the Aquanaut now out of commission until I can get it serviced, I’ve been looking for a new daily beater watch. And I think I found it: Enter the Rolex Explorer II Polar, ref 226570.
The Explorer II may be the last true tool watch from Rolex. All the others are either dress/office type, or has a ceramic bezel. The Explorer II still has the brushed metal bezel, giving it a distinct look and feel in the Rolex lineup.
So what am I looking for in a daily beater watch?
If it’s going to be on my wrist for a long time, average daily accuracy is important. Rolex rates the 3285 movement to +2/-2 seconds per day, but mine seems to be slightly more accurate than that. With the face up at night when not wearing it, it gains around 1 second a day. Resting on the side with the crown down position at night, it loses perhaps around 0.5 seconds per day. Hence I can easily switch between face up and rest at crown down, and make it almost 100% accurate over the course of a week. Outstanding!
A long power reserve is handy, so that I can put the watch away, and it will still be ticking and hold correct time a few days later. Power reserve in this newest iteration of the movement, calibre 3285, is good: 70 hours. The watch will still be running if I take it off Friday night and put it back on again Monday morning. The long power reserve is actually a big deal; well done of Rolex to deliver 70 hours power reserve.
At age 55, presbyopia is a real thing, so high contrast and good legibility is important. The white dial provides good contrast, particularly in this new version of the watch, where the round indexes and hands are more matte black. The cyclops helps when reading the date, and most of the time I’m able to actually see the date without having to wear glasses. Excellent! The lume is very good, but in fairness I have to give the edge to the Aquanaut when it comes to lume.
Good water resistance is a must – and while I don’t go deep sea diving, I do swim in the ocean, jump off the side on the boat and such, so 2-3 meters water resistance isn’t going to cut it. But the 100 meter water resistance on the Explorer II is all I will realistically ever need.
A daily watch must have a solid movement that can take hard use, or a fall or an accidental drop. I have no doubt that the Rolex will be robust enough for me.
At 42mm, the Explorer II 226570 is a large watch. I have a 7.5 inch (19cm) wrist, and I feel it’s borderline of what I can pull of in size. But it works, and it’s very comfortable to wear.
A cool extra benefit of the Explorer II (or any watch with a GMT function), is that they can be used as a compass. Obviously today we have smart watches and handheld GPS units and whatever else, but it still a nice feature to have. With the hour hand and GMT hand synced, point the hour hand towards the sun, and the GMT hand will point in the general direction of north (or south, if you’re in the southern hemisphere). This method is not 100% accurate, because the sun’s position in the sky will vary at different times of year, and daylight savings time will also impact the reading. But it will give you a general idea of direction.
For me, the Explorer II checks pretty much all the
boxes. I also like it because it's "different", and not your typical Rolex. I predict it will be getting a
lot of wrist time. The Explorer II is my
first and only Rolex, and is for sure a welcome addition to my small collection!
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Explorer II
My Patek Aquanaut 5167A has been my daily go-to, do anything watch for over 10 years, but recently I somehow managed to beat it up too much, and the hour hand got knocked out of position (I still have no idea exactly how this happened). With the Aquanaut ...
Thanks for your great post and beautiful pictures!
I am sure you will enjoy the Explorer. I have had mine a couple of years and I am wearing it this week. It’s a great tool watch which I’m sure will serve you well as a beater. All the best, Jon
Fantastic post of a really appealing watch
I agree with you that the Explorer II stands apart from the rest of the current Rolex lineup. It's the only one that *feels* adventurous to me! (I know the others are just as sturdily built, but they all look glitzier) My wrist is considerably smaller tha...
I got mine just about a week ago and I’m very happy with it.
So far it lost 2s/week, but it’s not broken in… I’m glad to hear you’re happy with yours, it looks great on you! Nice photos too!
those 2 shots with snow background & the map on background...well conceived....bravo !
I'm a big fan of the white dial Explorer II...overall the entire Explorer II line is under appreciated one. Best, mahesh.,
