40mm Explorer

Buying Advice

About the 40mm Rolex Explorer

Forty millimetres is the newest Explorer I size and the oldest Explorer II one, which makes this the most misread filter in the family. A search for a 40mm Explorer returns a reference introduced in 2023 alongside references discontinued in 2011, and they are not remotely the same watch. Establishing which model you are looking at comes before anything else here. Every 40mm example we list is gone over by our watchmakers and ships with the WatchGuys 2 Year Warranty. For the full timeline across both models, see our Explorer reference breakdown.

Forty Millimetres Spans Both Models

This is the fact that shapes the page. On the Explorer I, 40mm is brand new: the 224270 arrived in 2023 and is the only Explorer I ever made at that size. On the Explorer II, 40mm is historic: the 16550 and the long-running 16570 both used it, covering production from 1985 all the way to 2011. So the size was the Explorer II's for twenty-six years, disappeared from the family entirely when the 216570 moved to 42mm, and then returned twelve years later on a completely different watch. Two references at the same diameter, separated by more than a decade and by whether they have a date, a GMT hand, and a 24-hour bezel.

The 224270, and Why Rolex Added It

The 224270 joined the 36mm 124270 in 2023 rather than replacing it, which is the important part. Rolex had spent the previous two years having returned the Explorer to 36mm after a decade at 39mm, and rather than picking a side it chose to offer both. The 40mm carries the same black dial with 3, 6, and 9 numerals, the same Oyster bracelet, and the same current-generation movement as its smaller sibling. Nothing about it is a different watch except the case. For buyers who had wanted a larger Explorer through the 36mm-only years, or who found the 39mm reference unsatisfying, it is the first current-production answer the model has offered.

The Explorer II Owned 40mm First

Long before the Explorer I got there. The 16550 introduced the size in 1985, and it also introduced the white Polar dial and the independently adjustable 24-hour hand that turned the Explorer II into a genuine dual-time watch. The 16570 followed in 1989 and stayed at 40mm until 2011. Those are very different watches from the 224270: they have a date with Cyclops, a fixed 24-hour bezel engraved into the steel, and a fourth hand. If you want the size with the GMT function rather than without it, the Explorer II references are where to look, and our Rolex Explorer II collection covers them properly.

The 16570 Ran for Twenty-Two Years

That matters commercially more than it might appear. A twenty-two year production run means deep supply, which means the 16570 is among the most available vintage-adjacent Rolex sports watches on the market and priced accordingly. It also means variation: dial versions, lume compounds, and movement updates all shifted across those decades without the reference number changing. Both black and white Polar dials were offered throughout, with the Polar generally carrying a premium, which our white Explorer collection covers. For a buyer wanting a 40mm Explorer with genuine history rather than current production, this is the reference that offers the most choice for the money.

Calibre 3230 in the 224270

The current 40mm runs the same movement as the 36mm, a current-generation automatic delivering roughly a 70-hour power reserve. That reserve is the clearest practical advantage over every earlier Explorer, and it is the difference between a watch that has stopped by Monday morning and one that has not. It also means the 224270 and the 124270 are mechanically identical, so choosing between them genuinely is a decision about case size and nothing else. Against the 40mm Explorer II references, which use considerably older calibers with shorter reserves, the current watch is the more capable timekeeper by a wide margin.

40mm Explorer Price

The two ends of this size sit far apart. The current 224270 trades close to its retail figure, which was around $8,350 as of mid-2026, and like the rest of the Explorer line it does not carry the premium that follows a Submariner or GMT-Master II. The 16570 Explorer II generally runs in the high single digits to low teens depending on dial and condition, with Polar examples at the upper end, and represents the value position at this size. The short-production 16550 is a different proposition again, running well into five figures on condition and originality. Almost everything at this size falls inside our Rolex watches under $20,000 range.

Which 40mm Explorer?

The decision is not really about size, since both are 40mm. It is about whether you want a time-only watch or a dual-time one. The 224270 gives you the current movement, a 70-hour reserve, factory warranty on recent examples, and the cleanest dial Rolex makes. The 16570 gives you a date, a second time zone, a choice of black or Polar dial, and twenty-two years of production to choose from at a lower price. If you want the Explorer as a pure field watch, take the 224270. If you travel and want the extra function, the Explorer II at this size is the more useful watch and the better value. For how 40mm compares against the smaller case, our 36mm Explorer collection covers that comparison in full.

Trusted Dealer

Why Buy a 40mm Explorer From WatchGuys

Two entirely different watches share this diameter, separated by twelve years and by whether they have a date and a GMT hand. Listings that say Explorer and 40mm without saying which model leave buyers to work out the rest, and on a size this split that is not a detail worth guessing at.

Common Questions

40mm Rolex Explorer FAQ

• Which Rolex Explorer References Are 40mm?

  Three, across two models. On the Explorer I, the 224270 introduced in 2023 is the only one ever made at this size. On the Explorer II, the 16550 from 1985 and the 16570 that ran until 2011 were both 40mm. The Explorer II moved to 42mm afterward and the Explorer I had never used the size before, so 40mm disappeared from the family between 2011 and 2023.

• When Did Rolex Add a 40mm Explorer?

  The 224270 arrived in 2023, two years after Rolex had returned the Explorer I to 36mm following a decade at 39mm. Rather than choosing between the sizes, Rolex offered both. The 40mm carries the same black 3, 6, and 9 dial, the same Oyster bracelet, and the same current-generation movement as the 36mm, so the only difference between them is the case.

• Is the 40mm Explorer Replacing the 36mm?

  No. Both are in current production and Rolex has given no indication that either is going anywhere. The 224270 was added alongside the 124270 rather than succeeding it, which is a departure from how the model has worked historically, where each size replaced the last. For buyers it means the size decision is genuinely open rather than being a choice between current and discontinued.

• Was the Explorer II Ever 40mm?

  Yes, for twenty-six years. The 16550 introduced 40mm in 1985 along with the white Polar dial and the independently adjustable 24-hour hand, and the 16570 continued at that size until 2011 before the 216570 moved to 42mm. Those references have a date with Cyclops, a fixed engraved 24-hour bezel, and a fourth hand, so they are considerably more watch than the time-only 224270 at the same diameter.

• How Much Is a 40mm Rolex Explorer?

  The current 224270 trades close to its retail figure, around $8,350 as of mid-2026, without the premium that follows a Submariner or GMT-Master II. The 16570 Explorer II generally runs in the high single digits to low teens depending on dial and condition, with Polar examples at the upper end, and is the value position at this size. The short-production 16550 runs well into five figures on condition and originality.

• Which 40mm Explorer Should I Buy?

  It comes down to time-only against dual-time rather than to size. The 224270 gives you the current movement with a 70-hour reserve, factory coverage on recent examples, and the cleanest dial Rolex makes. The 16570 gives you a date, a second time zone, a choice of black or Polar dial, and a twenty-two year production run to choose from at a lower price. Take the 224270 as a pure field watch, the Explorer II if you travel.

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