New submariner? Blue?

[Leongsam]

You wouldn’t have worry about such things if you get a winder

Then it would stop even more often.

 

[Leongsam]

What's your feedback thus far? My cousin is looking to get the same model.

Love the watch because I like the darker shade of blue that Tudor went with vs the Submariner. The size fits me perfectly too. (39mm).

For those with larger wrists the Pelagos may be a better fit.

 

[Scrooball (clone)]

You wouldn’t have worry about such things if you get a winder

If u can’t spare 15 secs every 2 days to wind your watch, then u got bigger things to worry about.

 

[Leongsam]

If u can’t spare 15 secs every 2 days to wind your watch, then u got bigger things to worry about.

The issue is not the 15 seconds it's remembering to wind the damned thing.

 

[glockman]

Love the watch because I like the darker shade of blue that Tudor went with vs the Submariner. The size fits me perfectly too. (39mm).

For those with larger wrists the Pelagos may be a better fit.

Yes, the blue is really nice. Have you verified the claimed 70 or 72-hr power reserve?

 

[Leongsam]

Yes, the blue is really nice. Have you verified the claimed 70 or 72-hr power reserve?

Have not tested the limit but it definitely lasts at least 50 hours.

 

[knnccb]

Nothing fancy about the uni directional bezel of a submariner.

what’s more interesting is the GMT hand in the gmt master ii. Even fewer knows how to adjust that gmt or how to use it.
View attachment 90073

th also got a copy

 

[Scrooball (clone)]

What a shameless rip off by Tag Heuer. The shape is ridiculously ugly too. Was it trying to ape the Royal Oak’s octagon shape?

 

[Leongsam]

@glockman guess what I just bought!

https://www.beyondthedial.com/post/collector-guide-the-rolex-explorer-ii-all-references-in-detail/

Reference 16570 (1989-2011)​

• 40mm case
• cal 3185 with Nivarox hairspring
• skinny red 24-hour hand
• black or white dials

Image: Bob’s Watches.
Chances are if you’ve seen an Explorer II on social media or on offer from a watch dealer in the last few years it was a ref 16570. Rolex produced this reference for over two decades. This was one of the longest runs in Rolex history. Rolex does not publicly share production quantities, but it is somewhere between a boat-load and a shit-ton (technical terms, of course).


Due to many aesthetic similarities with the previous model (16550), many people’s perceptions blend the two references together. The Explorer II 16570 retained many details from the 16550 such as the 40mm oyster case, 100m of water resistance, white or black dial options, jumping local-hour hand, and brushed fixed bezel, and red thin GMT hand.

The “Polar” Explorer ref 16570. Image: Bob’s Watches.
When you hear a watch referred to as “Polar Explorer”, the reference 16570 with a white dial is what they are talking about. The white dial with contrasting black hour markers, hands, and text is compared to the visuals found at both poles of the Earth. Throw in the GMT hand that is red like a survival suit and you have a virtual expedition on your wrist.

Literal “Polar Explorers” in the Arctic. Image: The Hidden Ocean, Arctic 2005 Exploration

This reference can be subdivided into four distinct eras.​

16570 Version 1 – (1989-1997) Features “SWISS – T<25” Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs case, pressure bracelet clasp


16570 Version 2 – (1998/1999 features “SWISS” Only Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs, locking bracelet clasp


16570 Version 3 – (1999-2005) features “SWISS MADE” Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs, or no-holes case


16570 Version 4 – (2005-2011) features “SWISS MADE Dial, 3186 movement, no holes case, rehaut, solid endlinks, locking bracelet clasp

 

[Leongsam]

Managed to find the < 25 which is version 1

 

[glockman]

@glockman guess what I just bought!

View attachment 147714

https://www.beyondthedial.com/post/collector-guide-the-rolex-explorer-ii-all-references-in-detail/

Reference 16570 (1989-2011)​

• 40mm case
• cal 3185 with Nivarox hairspring
• skinny red 24-hour hand
• black or white dials

Image: Bob’s Watches.
Chances are if you’ve seen an Explorer II on social media or on offer from a watch dealer in the last few years it was a ref 16570. Rolex produced this reference for over two decades. This was one of the longest runs in Rolex history. Rolex does not publicly share production quantities, but it is somewhere between a boat-load and a shit-ton (technical terms, of course).


Due to many aesthetic similarities with the previous model (16550), many people’s perceptions blend the two references together. The Explorer II 16570 retained many details from the 16550 such as the 40mm oyster case, 100m of water resistance, white or black dial options, jumping local-hour hand, and brushed fixed bezel, and red thin GMT hand.

The “Polar” Explorer ref 16570. Image: Bob’s Watches.
When you hear a watch referred to as “Polar Explorer”, the reference 16570 with a white dial is what they are talking about. The white dial with contrasting black hour markers, hands, and text is compared to the visuals found at both poles of the Earth. Throw in the GMT hand that is red like a survival suit and you have a virtual expedition on your wrist.

Literal “Polar Explorers” in the Arctic. Image: The Hidden Ocean, Arctic 2005 Exploration

This reference can be subdivided into four distinct eras.​

16570 Version 1 – (1989-1997) Features “SWISS – T<25” Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs case, pressure bracelet clasp


16570 Version 2 – (1998/1999 features “SWISS” Only Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs, locking bracelet clasp


16570 Version 3 – (1999-2005) features “SWISS MADE” Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs, or no-holes case


16570 Version 4 – (2005-2011) features “SWISS MADE Dial, 3186 movement, no holes case, rehaut, solid endlinks, locking bracelet clasp

Excellent choice boss, a collectible. Can't go wrong with a polar face 16570. Tritium lume too (hence swiss – t<25), which will turn a nice creamy patina as time goes by. Yours would be a 1997 or earlier model. Mine's black 2002 with superluminova lume. My 216570 is also black.

 

[Leongsam]

Excellent choice boss, a collectible. Can't go wrong with a polar face 16570. Tritium lume too (hence swiss – t<25), which will turn a nice creamy patina as time goes by. Yours would be a 1997 or earlier model. Mine's black 2002 with superluminova lume. My 216570 is also black.

The problem with the tritium lume though is that it has run out of juice and no longer works at all. What should I do? I was thinking of changing the dial.

 

[glockman]

The problem with the tritium lume though is that it has run out of juice and no longer works at all. What should I do? I was thinking of changing the dial.

Yes I would think so, since tritium is said to have a half life of 10-15 years. You could get it relumed with the exact creamy look, if you can find a pro to do it. But I reckon most would not be using tritium paint anymore since it is very mildly radioactive. If you replaced it with superluminova, then it wouldn't be staying true to the T<25 at the six o'clock.

Dial replacement costs in the four figures. Not cheap. And you'd need to find one that reads T<25 to stay true to your model year. But then the lume would likely be weak or gone too.

My advice : leave it as is. Don't do any after market work which would likely affect its value. Wear it in the day. And use your BB58 at night.

 

[Leongsam]

 

[Leongsam]

 

[Leongsam]

Yes I would think so, since tritium is said to have a half life of 10-15 years. You could get it relumed with the exact creamy look, if you can find a pro to do it. But I reckon most would not be using tritium paint anymore since it is very mildly radioactive. If you replaced it with superluminova, then it wouldn't be staying true to the T<25 at the six o'clock.

Dial replacement costs in the four figures. Not cheap. And you'd need to find one that reads T<25 to stay true to your model year. But then the lume would likely be weak or gone too.

My advice : leave it as is. Don't do any after market work which would likely affect its value. Wear it in the day. And use your BB58 at night.

I was actually looking for a 16550 model that was produced in the 80s.

Defective paint which has turned yellow with age has actually more than doubled the value of this batch of Explorer 2s compared to the early 16570 models.

https://tropicalwatch.com/watches/wd0z

 

[Leongsam]

 

[Leongsam]

The Rolex Explorer II reference 16550 is a reference that, for many flies under the radar. At the same time, It is part of one of Rolex’s most popular model lines – a model which has been around for several decades.


The first Rolex Explorer II was released in 1971 and was specifically developed for spelunkers, cave explorers. With that said, the name of this model reveals what this watch is all about. This is a model that is, just like most of Rolex’s watches, built for a purpose. Over time, Rolex has also widened its marketing campaigns to not only include spelunkers (after all, it is, in general, a rather niche activity), to include many different types of exploring activities such as hiking, mountain climbing, and more.


The Explorer II has a few key features that make it stand out and which are also crucial for spelunkers. That is, excellent lume which enables the wearer to read the time in a cave, a robust case that can handle damp spaces, and of course an additional GMT hand with a 24-hour bezel which helps the wearer distinguish from day and night.


Over the years, Rolex has released numerous iterations of the Explorer II – revising and building upon its model in traditional Rolex fashion by following its winning formula ”evolution, not revolution”.


In this article, we are looking closer at one particular reference of the Explorer II, specifically the Rolex Explorer II 16550, often known as the cream dial.

Rolex Explorer II 16550 Cream dial – a complete guide​

The Rolex Explorer II 16550 is the second generation Explorer II following the first model reference 1655. The Explorer II 16550 was originally released in 1985 and is now known as a transitional reference. The reason why it is called a transitional model is that it bridged the gap between the 1655 and 16570.

WRISTPORN by MillenaryWatches
In addition, the 16550 would only come to be in production for about 4 years until 1988 when it was discontinued and replaced by the reference 16570. As a result of its short production period and for being a transitional reference, there are relatively few pieces made in comparison to the 16570. This has led it to become more of a collector’s reference than many others. At the same time, it is a less popular and less-known reference amongst the general public. This means that technically, it is one of the rarest Explorer II references today.


The predecessor, reference 1655 had a case with a diameter of 39mm, but the new 16550 introduced, for the first time, the 40mm case to the Rolex Explorer II model. Following this, Rolex would hold on to the 40mm case for another 40 years.


This model also introduced several different changes and improvements from the predecessor, including a sapphire crystal, a revised dial, as well as a new caliber, the caliber 3085.


Also, the 16550 was also available with either a black or white dial – an option that Rolex has continued with to this day.

WRISTPORN by Rolexpassionmarket

The new movement was an important upgrade to the Explorer II as the caliber 3085 now enabled the wearer to adjust the 24-hour hand independently without adjusting the regular hour hand. This meant that the Explorer II would no longer only indicate night and day but was also able to display a timezone – similar to a GMT watch. As a result of this, the Explorer II was no longer only useful for spelunkers, but also to a wider audience of wearers, such as mountaineers, explorers, and travelers. The Caliber 3085 that was used for the 16550 is also the same movement that was used for the GMT-Master 16760.


Visually, Rolex introduced several changes from the predecessor. The dial is certainly one of the key changes, which we’ll go into detail about further on, but another key change was the bezel. For the 16550, Rolex changed from the ”lines” between each hour marker on the bezel and replaced it with arrows for a sportier look.

Rolex Explorer II 16550 dials and cream dial​

Rolex also made a number of changes to the dial for the 16550. First and foremost, you now have the ability to choose between either white or black dial.


Furthermore, Rolex now introduced lume-filled hour markers with metal frames rather than painted lume on the dial. It still follows a similar theme of using a triangle at 12 o’clock and rectangles, but Rolex did remove the lume markers between each second, which could be found at the very edge of the dials on the 1655s.


The 16550 would also come to introduce the Mercedes-style hands compared to standard sword-shaped hands. This allowed for a sportier and, at least by now, a more iconic and distinct appearance.


The 16550 is often referred to as the ”cream dial”, and the background behind this is actually very interesting. But note that this only relates to the white dial version and not the black. If you look at the white dial 16550s today, you can see that these dials are not really white but rather cream-colored with a brown/yellowish/ivory//cream-color hue to them. This is actually not done by purpose, but rather the result of a paint defect in Rolex’s white paint that was used. This cream color only developed after some time. Since Rolex is all about making perpetual products that remain the same for generations to come, the cream dials can be seen as a great failure by Rolex, but the fact is that the 16550 cream dials command a huge premium on the market today and have become true collectibles for this reason.

WRISTPORN by HqMilton

What is interesting is that during the production of the 16550, Rolex realized this color defect, and as soon as they did, they corrected this mistake, which was towards the end of the 16550 products. This can be seen by the fact that the white dials fitted in the 16550s towards the end of the production also have black surroundings for the markers rather than metal (the same as in the 16570 that followed). As a result, you can find 16550s with white dials that both have and do not have the cream dial paint error.


Also, because the cream dials were seen as a mistake and error, Rolex also offered clients with cream-colored dials to change their dials as a repair. In hindsight, this was a great mistake by the owners who did, when looking at the great collectibility of the cream dials. This also means that fewer watches with the cream dials now remain on the market, making them even rarer.

Explorer II 16550 black dial​

The reference 16550 was also made with a black dial, and there is a huge difference in price between the black dial versions and the white cream dial versions.


And since the black dials didn’t use the white paint, they didn’t develop an issue. The black dial used is a gloss dial with hour markers and hands featuring metal frames.


Worth noting is that both the black and white dial versions also have so-called ”rail dials” which were used during parts of their production. The rail dial versions are another detail that affects their prices and commands a premium on the market.

Rolex Explorer II 16550 Specifications​

• Production: 1985-1988
• Caliber: 3085
• Diameter: 40mm
• Dials: black & white (both cream and non-cream) and rail and non-rail dial versions
• Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, GMT-Hand with individually adjusted hand for timekeeping of multiple Time-zones, date window
• Crystal: sapphire

​

 

[glockman]

Perfect for smaller wrists. 39mm, full titanium. But no date.