Rolex Explorer II

Buying Advice

Buying a Rolex Explorer II

The Explorer II is the least understood watch Rolex makes. It looks like a GMT without the colour, it is often described as one, and for the first fourteen years of its life it could not actually do what a GMT does. It also carries a celebrity association that is entirely false. Sorting out what the watch is, and which generation does what, is most of what a buyer needs. Every Explorer II we list is inspected by our watchmakers and carries the WatchGuys 2 Year Warranty. For the complete reference timeline and specifications, see our Explorer II reference breakdown, and for how it sits alongside the Explorer I, our Rolex Explorer collection.

The 24-Hour Hand Does Two Different Things

This is the single most important distinction in the model and it splits the line in half. On the original 1655, the 24-hour hand was geared to the main hands and could not be set independently. It told you whether it was nine in the morning or nine at night, which was the entire point for cave explorers working without daylight, but it could not track a second time zone. From the 16550 onward that changed: the 24-hour hand became independently adjustable, which turned the Explorer II into a genuine dual-time watch. So two Explorer IIs that look broadly similar can do fundamentally different jobs. If you are buying for travel rather than for collecting, this is the specification to confirm before anything else.

Polar or Black

The white Polar dial arrived with the 16550 in 1985 and has been the Explorer II's signature ever since. It is the only white dial in the Explorer line, and on the modern references it is paired with black-outlined markers and hands that give it a graphic quality no other Rolex sports model has. Black dials read as more conventional and more discreet. Commercially the Polar has generally carried a premium, though the gap narrows and widens by generation, and on older references the white dial is also where condition shows most clearly. Neither is the correct answer, but the Polar is the one people picture when they hear Explorer II. Compare dial options in our white dial Rolex and black dial Rolex collections.

The Case Grew, Then Got Better

The Explorer II started at 39mm on the 1655, moved to 40mm for the 16550 and the long-running 16570, then jumped to 42mm in 2011 with the 216570. That generation used the broad-lug case of the period, and at 42mm with those proportions it is the largest and most assertive Explorer Rolex has made. The current 226570 kept the 42mm diameter but slimmed the lugs and reworked the case, so it reads as more refined than its predecessor despite being nominally the same size. Anyone who tried a 216570 and found it too much watch should handle a 226570 before ruling the size out, because the difference is larger than the shared diameter suggests. The current reference has its own page at Explorer II 226570.

Explorer II or GMT-Master II?

The functional overlap is real and the choice usually comes down to what you want the watch to say. Both track a second time zone with an independently adjustable hand. The GMT-Master II gives you a rotating bezel, which means you can track a third zone, plus ceramic and the colour combinations that drive the nicknames. The Explorer II gives you a fixed steel bezel, no colour, and considerably less recognition, at a lower price and with far less difficulty buying one. If you travel constantly and want the third-zone capability, the GMT-Master II is the better tool. If you want dual-time function without the queue or the attention, the Explorer II does the job for less money and is the more interesting watch to explain.

The Steve McQueen Problem

The 1655 is widely called the Steve McQueen, and the nickname is simply wrong. McQueen was a Rolex wearer, but the watch he actually wore was a Submariner. There is no credible evidence he ever owned or wore an Explorer II, and the association appears to have originated with Italian dealers and stuck because it sold watches. Collectors who know the model tend to use Freccione instead, from the Italian for arrow, after the distinctive arrow-tipped orange 24-hour hand. Both names refer to the same reference, listings use both, and the McQueen label continues to add a premium it has not earned. Worth knowing so you are not paying for a story rather than a watch. See how nicknames attach across the catalogue in our Rolex nicknames reference.

Rolex Explorer II Price

The modern references are among the more accessible steel Rolex sports watches. The current 226570 carries a retail figure around $9,750 and trades modestly above it, and the discontinued 216570 generally sits below that, which makes the previous generation one of the better value propositions in the Rolex catalogue. The long-running 16570 typically runs in the high single digits to low teens depending on dial and condition, with Polar examples usually at the upper end. Older references move sharply upward: the short-production 16550 and the original 1655 both run well into five figures and are priced on condition, dial, and originality rather than on the reference alone. Most of the modern line sits in our Rolex watches under $20,000 segment.

Which Generation Should You Buy?

For a watch to wear without thinking about it, the 226570 gives you the current movement, a 70-hour reserve, and the best-resolved version of the 42mm case. The 216570 offers most of that at a clear discount if you like the broader case, and it is the value pick of the modern references. The 16570 ran for over twenty years, which means supply is deep and prices are reasonable, and at 40mm it is the size many buyers actually want. The 16550 and 1655 are collector territory rather than daily wear, and on the 1655 remember that the 24-hour hand will not track a second time zone. For the full generation-by-generation detail, our Explorer II reference breakdown covers all of it.

Trusted Dealer

Why Buy a Rolex Explorer II From WatchGuys

Five generations across fifty years, a function that changed halfway through, and a white dial that shows every mark and every year. The Explorer II rewards knowing exactly which reference is in front of you, and listings frequently do not make that clear.

Common Questions

Rolex Explorer II FAQ

• Which Rolex Explorer II References Are There?

  Five. The 1655 launched the model in 1971 at 39mm with the arrow-tipped orange hand. The 16550 followed in 1985 at 40mm and introduced the white Polar dial. The 16570 ran from 1989 for over twenty years, also at 40mm. The 216570 arrived in 2011 at 42mm with a broader case. The current 226570 kept 42mm but reworked the case and moved to the current-generation movement with a 70-hour power reserve.

• Is the Explorer II a True GMT Watch?

  It depends on the reference, which surprises people. On the original 1655 the 24-hour hand was geared to the main hands and could not be set independently, so it indicated day or night but could not track a second time zone. From the 16550 onward the hand became independently adjustable, making those references genuine dual-time watches. If you are buying for travel, confirm which generation you are looking at before committing.

• How Much Is a Rolex Explorer II?

  The current 226570 carries a retail figure around $9,750 and trades modestly above it. The discontinued 216570 generally sits below that and is the value pick among modern references. The long-running 16570 typically runs in the high single digits to low teens depending on dial and condition, with Polar examples at the upper end. The 16550 and 1655 run well into five figures and are priced on condition and originality.

• Did Steve McQueen Wear an Explorer II?

  No. The nickname attached to the 1655 is simply inaccurate. McQueen wore a Rolex, but it was a Submariner, and there is no credible evidence he owned or wore an Explorer II. The association appears to have originated with Italian dealers and persisted because it helped sell watches. Collectors who know the model tend to use Freccione instead, from the Italian for arrow, after the distinctive orange 24-hour hand.

• Should I Buy a Polar or Black Dial?

  The Polar is the Explorer II's signature and the only white dial in the Explorer line, with black-outlined markers giving it a graphic quality no other Rolex sports model has. Black reads as more conventional and more discreet. The Polar has generally carried a premium, though the gap moves by generation, and on older references a white dial also shows condition far more clearly. Buy the Polar if you want the watch people picture, black if you want it to disappear.

• Is the 226570 Bigger Than the 216570?

  Same 42mm diameter, but it does not wear that way. The 216570 used the broad-lug case of its period and is the most assertive Explorer Rolex has made. The 226570 kept the diameter while slimming the lugs and reworking the case, so it reads as noticeably more refined. Anyone who tried a 216570 and found it too much watch should handle the current reference before ruling out the size, because the difference is greater than the shared number suggests.

Browse More