39mm Explorer

Buying Advice

Buying a 39mm Rolex Explorer

There is one 39mm Explorer, reference 214270, and it existed for eleven years between two 36mm generations. It is also the reference where knowing what you are looking at matters most, because Rolex changed the dial and hands partway through production and the two versions are worth meaningfully different money. Buying a 214270 without establishing which one it is means accepting a price without knowing what you are paying for. Every 214270 we list is gone over by our watchmakers and ships with the WatchGuys 2 Year Warranty. For the full model context, see our Rolex Explorer collection.

One Reference, Eleven Years

The 214270 arrived in 2010 as the first size change in the Explorer's history, taking the model from the 36mm it had held since 1953 up to 39mm. It ran until 2021, when Rolex replaced it with the 124270 and returned to 36mm. That makes it the only 39mm Explorer ever produced and, given the model now offers 36mm and 40mm alongside each other, almost certainly the only one there will be. Eleven years is a short run by Explorer standards, where the 1016 alone lasted twenty-six, and the result is a reference that sits slightly outside the model's narrative rather than within it. Our 36mm Explorer collection covers the sizes either side of it.

Mark 1 and Mark 2

This is the distinction that governs everything about buying this reference. Early production, generally referred to as the Mark 1, carried 3, 6, and 9 numerals in plain white paint and a handset that many owners and reviewers considered too short for the enlarged dial. Around 2016 Rolex revised both: the numerals gained luminous fill so they glow like the rest of the markers, and the hands were lengthened to reach the minute track properly. Those two changes are usually called the Mark 2, and they addressed the exact criticisms the reference had attracted since launch. Both versions carry the same reference number, the same case, and the same movement. Only the dial and hands differ.

What the Lumed Numerals Changed

More than it sounds, and it is worth understanding rather than treating as a spec difference. On the Mark 1, the numerals sit in white paint while the baton markers around them are luminous, so at night the 3, 6, and 9 simply vanish and the dial reads as an incomplete set of markers. That is a genuine functional shortcoming on a watch whose entire design premise is legibility. The Mark 2 numerals glow, so the dial reads the same in darkness as it does in daylight. Combined with hands that actually reach where they should, the later dial is the version that does what the Explorer is supposed to do. That is why it commands a premium and why the gap between the two is wider than a cosmetic revision would justify.

Calibre 3132

The 214270 runs the Calibre 3132, which sits between the older generation used in the 114270 and the current generation in the 124270. It carries a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, both of which improve resistance to magnetism and impact, and it delivers roughly a 48-hour power reserve. That reserve is the clearest technical gap against the current reference, which offers considerably more, and it is the practical difference an owner notices: a 214270 left off the wrist over a weekend will have stopped. Against the 114270 it is the better movement. Against the 124270 it is the older one.

The Value Position

The 214270 is the least discussed Explorer of the modern era and that shows up directly in what it costs. It sits below the current 124270 while offering the same steel construction, the same dial layout, and a movement only one generation behind. It sits above the 114270 while being newer and more capable. For a buyer who wants a modern Explorer without paying current-production pricing, and who is comfortable with 39mm, it is arguably the best value in the family. The reference being somewhat overlooked is precisely why, and that is a reason to buy it rather than a reason to avoid it.

39mm Explorer Price

The range is narrow because there is one reference, and the spread within it is driven almost entirely by which dial version a watch has. Mark 1 examples sit at the lower end and represent the most affordable route into a post-2010 Explorer. Mark 2 examples carry a clear premium, generally a four-figure gap over comparable Mark 1 watches in similar condition, which is substantial on a reference at this price level. Full sets with box and papers add further. Because the version matters more than anything else here, ask what a specific watch is rather than working from a range. Most examples sit in our Rolex watches under $20,000 segment.

Is 39mm the Right Size?

It is the largest Explorer I ever made and it wears larger still, because the Explorer has no date aperture and a narrow bezel, so nearly the full diameter reads as dial. For anyone who found the 36mm too restrained and the 40mm too recent or too expensive, the 214270 lands neatly between them. It also suits buyers coming from a Submariner or GMT-Master II, where 39mm reads as a step down rather than a departure. If you are choosing purely on size, handle one against a 36mm before deciding, because the three millimetres show more on this watch than the number suggests.

Trusted Dealer

Why Buy a 39mm Explorer From WatchGuys

Two dial versions, one reference number, and a four-figure price gap between them. A great many 214270 listings do not specify which version is being sold, and photographs taken at the wrong angle or in the wrong light make the difference hard to establish. This is a reference where the description does the work.

Common Questions

39mm Rolex Explorer FAQ

• Which Rolex Explorer Is 39mm?

  Reference 214270, produced from 2010 to 2021. It is the only 39mm Explorer Rolex has made, arriving as the first size change in the model's history and replaced by the 36mm 124270. Since the Explorer now offers 36mm and 40mm alongside each other, it is almost certainly the only 39mm there will be. Every other Explorer I is 36mm or 40mm, and every Explorer II is 39mm, 40mm, or 42mm depending on generation.

• What Is the Difference Between the Mark 1 and Mark 2?

  The dial and the hands. Early production carried 3, 6, and 9 numerals in plain white paint and a handset widely considered too short for the enlarged dial. Around 2016 Rolex gave the numerals luminous fill and lengthened the hands. Both versions share the same reference number, case, and movement, so the difference is entirely in what you see. The revision addressed the exact criticisms the reference had attracted since launch.

• How Do You Tell Which Version You Are Looking At?

  Two checks. Look at whether the 3, 6, and 9 numerals are filled with luminous material or painted flat white, which is easiest to confirm in a low-light photograph where a Mark 2 will show them glowing. Then look at whether the minute hand reaches the minute track, since the Mark 1 hands stop noticeably short. Production year narrows it too, but the dial itself is definitive and worth confirming rather than inferring from a serial.

• How Much Is a 39mm Rolex Explorer?

  The range is narrow because there is one reference, and the spread is driven almost entirely by version. Mark 1 examples sit at the lower end and are the most affordable route into a post-2010 Explorer. Mark 2 examples carry a clear premium, generally a four-figure gap over comparable Mark 1 watches in similar condition. Full sets add further. Ask what a specific watch is rather than working from a published range.

• Why Was the 39mm Discontinued?

  Rolex has not explained it, but taste had shifted back toward smaller cases and the 39mm reference never generated the affection its 36mm predecessors did. When Rolex replaced it in 2021 it returned to 36mm rather than continuing at 39mm or moving larger, and added a 40mm option two years later. The 39mm was skipped in both directions, which suggests it was seen as a step that did not need repeating.

• Is the 39mm Explorer a Good Buy Now?

  For the right buyer it is arguably the best value in the family. It sits below the current 124270 while offering the same steel construction, the same dial layout, and a movement only one generation behind, and above the older 114270 while being newer and more capable. Being the least discussed modern Explorer is exactly why it is priced where it is. If 39mm suits your wrist, that is a reason to buy rather than avoid.

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