Reference:216570 - Revision history

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

2026-09-05T01:21:00Z

site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:21, 5 September 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:explorer-ii\|Explorer II]] -> '''216570'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:explorer-ii\|Explorer II]] › '''216570'''</small>

	The 216570 is the 42mm Explorer II. Rolex launched it at Baselworld 2011 to mark the family's fortieth anniversary, replacing the long-run 40mm 16570, and discontinued it in 2021 alongside the 226570 announcement at the fiftieth. Caliber 3187 sits inside, an evolution of the 16570's 3186 with Paraflex shock absorbers, the blue Parachrom hairspring, and a Breguet overcoil. Two dial options carried through the run: a matte black dial and the white "Polar" dial that has anchored Explorer II identity since the 16550. The most-quoted feature on launch was a half-orange 24-hour hand returned to the watch as a callout to the original 1655 Freccione, the only Explorer II between 1971 and 2011 that wore an orange hand at all.		The 216570 is the 42mm Explorer II. Rolex launched it at Baselworld 2011 to mark the family's fortieth anniversary, replacing the long-run 40mm 16570, and discontinued it in 2021 alongside the 226570 announcement at the fiftieth. Caliber 3187 sits inside, an evolution of the 16570's 3186 with Paraflex shock absorbers, the blue Parachrom hairspring, and a Breguet overcoil. Two dial options carried through the run: a matte black dial and the white "Polar" dial that has anchored Explorer II identity since the 16550. The most-quoted feature on launch was a half-orange 24-hour hand returned to the watch as a callout to the original 1655 Freccione, the only Explorer II between 1971 and 2011 that wore an orange hand at all.
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	==Core facts==		==Core facts==

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable rp-facts"
	\|-		\|-
	! detail		! detail

Admin: site-wide: domain move BezelBase → Rolexopedia (rolexopedia.net)

2026-09-05T00:37:05Z

site-wide: domain move BezelBase → Rolexopedia (rolexopedia.net)

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:37, 5 September 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 216570 Explorer II}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 216570 Explorer II}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 216570 Explorer II — 42mm Production, Caliber 3187, Polar Dial \| ~~BezelBase~~		\|title=Rolex 216570 Explorer II — 42mm Production, Caliber 3187, Polar Dial \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=The Rolex Explorer II 216570, the 42mm fifth-generation Explorer II produced from 2011 to 2021, caliber 3187 with Paraflex shock absorbers and blue Parachrom hairspring, black or white Polar dial, half-orange 24-hour hand restored from the 1655.		\|description=The Rolex Explorer II 216570, the 42mm fifth-generation Explorer II produced from 2011 to 2021, caliber 3187 with Paraflex shock absorbers and blue Parachrom hairspring, black or white Polar dial, half-orange 24-hour hand restored from the 1655.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 216570, Explorer II, Polar dial, caliber 3187, Paraflex, Parachrom, 42mm, Maxi case, half-orange GMT hand, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 216570, Explorer II, Polar dial, caliber 3187, Paraflex, Parachrom, 42mm, Maxi case, half-orange GMT hand, reference guide

Admin: Cleanup: remove stale Category:Working Draft — page is fully published, category has no functional gate in code

2026-08-09T23:55:20Z

Cleanup: remove stale Category:Working Draft — page is fully published, category has no functional gate in code

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:55, 9 August 2026
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	[[Category:Explorer II]]		[[Category:Explorer II]]
	~~[[Category:Working Draft]]~~

Admin: Fix misattribution: the 'forty-year retrospective' framing was credited to Brice Goulard's Monochrome coverage, but Goulard's only 216570-family piece is the 2021 226570 launch (a different reference); the actual 2011 Monochrome 216570 piece (Frank Geelen) does not make this specific claim, and no source supports it as stated. Rewrote to the self-evidencing design observation without a false citation.

2026-08-08T22:47:27Z

Fix misattribution: the 'forty-year retrospective' framing was credited to Brice Goulard's Monochrome coverage, but Goulard's only 216570-family piece is the 2021 226570 launch (a different reference); the actual 2011 Monochrome 216570 piece (Frank Geelen) does not make this specific claim, and no source supports it as stated. Rewrote to the self-evidencing design observation without a false citation.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:47, 8 August 2026
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	The 216570 takes the architecture the 16570 had run for twenty-two years and rebuilds it for a 42mm case. Sapphire crystal, Cyclops, fixed engraved 24-hour steel bezel, true GMT independent-hour function, Mercedes hand set and a red or orange 24-hour hand all carry over intact. What changes is scale. The case widens 2mm, the lugs lengthen, the dial markers and hands step up to Maxi proportions, and the bracelet picks up the Oysterlock-with-Easylink combination Rolex had introduced on the late Sea-Dweller and the modern Submariners. The wrist presence shifts from "modest GMT" to "full sport Rolex".		The 216570 takes the architecture the 16570 had run for twenty-two years and rebuilds it for a 42mm case. Sapphire crystal, Cyclops, fixed engraved 24-hour steel bezel, true GMT independent-hour function, Mercedes hand set and a red or orange 24-hour hand all carry over intact. What changes is scale. The case widens 2mm, the lugs lengthen, the dial markers and hands step up to Maxi proportions, and the bracelet picks up the Oysterlock-with-Easylink combination Rolex had introduced on the late Sea-Dweller and the modern Submariners. The wrist presence shifts from "modest GMT" to "full sport Rolex".

	The half-orange 24-hour hand is the visible historical citation. The original 1655 Freccione carried a fully orange arrow-tipped 24-hour hand, dropped from the 16550 and 16570 in favour of a red baton. The 216570 brings orange back, now as a black-and-orange split: black on the inner half closest to the centre, orange on the outer half that does the actual reading against the bezel. ~~Brice Goulard's launch coverage at Monochrome~~ reads it as a deliberate ~~forty-year retrospective on~~ the ~~family~~ rather than a styling ~~choice~~, ~~and that reading has held in subsequent collector writing~~.		The half-orange 24-hour hand is the visible historical citation. The original 1655 Freccione carried a fully orange arrow-tipped 24-hour hand, dropped from the 16550 and 16570 in favour of a red baton. The 216570 brings orange back, now as a black-and-orange split: black on the inner half closest to the centre, orange on the outer half that does the actual reading against the bezel. The choice reads as a deliberate nod to the 1655 rather than a styling coincidence, though no launch-era editorial coverage spells out the intent directly.

	On the way out, the 216570 hands off to the 226570 at the fiftieth anniversary in 2021. The successor keeps the 42mm case but moves to caliber 3285 with the Chronergy escapement, lifts the power reserve from 48 to 70 hours, narrows the inner faces of the lugs, widens the bracelet by roughly 1mm, and adds antireflective coating on the inside of the crystal and Cyclops. On the Polar dial, the 226570 also moves the hands and markers from black-lacquered to white-gold matte PVD; on the black dial, the hands change from partially blackened to fully polished. The 216570 is the last Explorer II with the older 3187 movement and the last with the 21mm bracelet at the lugs.		On the way out, the 216570 hands off to the 226570 at the fiftieth anniversary in 2021. The successor keeps the 42mm case but moves to caliber 3285 with the Chronergy escapement, lifts the power reserve from 48 to 70 hours, narrows the inner faces of the lugs, widens the bracelet by roughly 1mm, and adds antireflective coating on the inside of the crystal and Cyclops. On the Polar dial, the 226570 also moves the hands and markers from black-lacquered to white-gold matte PVD; on the black dial, the hands change from partially blackened to fully polished. The 216570 is the last Explorer II with the older 3187 movement and the last with the 21mm bracelet at the lugs.

Admin: Fix price-band contradiction against the page's own Auction record table (Sotheby's Watches Online Apr 2020 lot 138, Fine Watches Jun 2023 lot 246, Watches Online Dec 2019 lot 2, Masterworks of Time Nov 2021 lot 2)

2026-08-08T22:46:38Z

Fix price-band contradiction against the page's own Auction record table (Sotheby's Watches Online Apr 2020 lot 138, Fine Watches Jun 2023 lot 246, Watches Online Dec 2019 lot 2, Masterworks of Time Nov 2021 lot 2)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:46, 8 August 2026
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	==Auction record==		==Auction record==

	The 216570 trades as a recent-discontinued sport Rolex rather than as a vintage collector reference. Standard examples sit in the ~~lower~~ five~~-figure range~~ at major-house auctions; military branches sit ~~substantially higher~~.		The 216570 trades as a recent-discontinued sport Rolex rather than as a vintage collector reference. Standard examples sit in the high four to low five figures at major-house auctions; military branches sit well above that.

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	The split between standard examples in the high four to low five figures and military-branch lots in the ~~high~~ five figures has been the consistent pattern across the post-2019 auction record. Standard 216570 lots ride below the 16570 Polar premium tier and well below any vintage Explorer II reference; the SAS and Apache military lots reach into territory the standard reference does not occupy.		The split between standard examples in the high four to low five figures and military-branch lots in the low-to-mid five figures has been the consistent pattern across the post-2019 auction record. Standard 216570 lots ride below the 16570 Polar premium tier and well below any vintage Explorer II reference; the SAS and Apache military lots reach into territory the standard reference does not occupy.

	== Related references ==		== Related references ==

Admin: Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

2026-08-08T22:25:56Z

Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

Show changes

Admin: Style: canonical '== Sources ==' heading spacing per AGENTS.md

2026-08-08T21:31:30Z

Style: canonical '== Sources ==' heading spacing per AGENTS.md

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:31, 8 August 2026
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	See also the [[Reference:explorer-ii\|Explorer II family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].		See also the [[Reference:explorer-ii\|Explorer II family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].

	==Sources==		== Sources ==

	* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-ii-adventure-watch-gmt-1655-16550-16570-216570-226570-in-depth/ "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Explorer II, The Ultimate Adventure Watch", Monochrome]		* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-ii-adventure-watch-gmt-1655-16550-16570-216570-226570-in-depth/ "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Explorer II, The Ultimate Adventure Watch", Monochrome]

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2026-08-04T00:19:51Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

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	\|modified_time=2026-07-~~18T12~~:52:~~29Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:11:21Z
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Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-08-04T00:11:21Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 216570 Explorer II}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 216570 Explorer II}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 216570 Explorer II — 42mm Production, Caliber 3187, Polar Dial \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 216570 Explorer II — 42mm Production, Caliber 3187, Polar Dial \| BezelBase
	\|description=The Rolex Explorer II 216570, the 42mm fifth-generation Explorer II produced from 2011 to 2021, caliber 3187 with Paraflex shock absorbers and blue Parachrom hairspring, black or white Polar dial, half-orange 24-hour hand restored from the 1655.		\|description=The Rolex Explorer II 216570, the 42mm fifth-generation Explorer II produced from 2011 to 2021, caliber 3187 with Paraflex shock absorbers and blue Parachrom hairspring, black or white Polar dial, half-orange 24-hour hand restored from the 1655.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 216570, Explorer II, Polar dial, caliber 3187, Paraflex, Parachrom, 42mm, Maxi case, half-orange GMT hand, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 216570, Explorer II, Polar dial, caliber 3187, Paraflex, Parachrom, 42mm, Maxi case, half-orange GMT hand, reference guide
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-30T03:29:11Z		\|published_time=2026-04-30T03:29:11Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~29T01~~:18:~~41Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:52:29Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
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Klaudiusz: Internal linking: related references + component links

2026-07-18T12:52:29Z

Internal linking: related references + component links

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:52, 18 July 2026
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	The split between standard examples in the high four to low five figures and military-branch lots in the high five figures has been the consistent pattern across the post-2019 auction record. Standard 216570 lots ride below the 16570 Polar premium tier and well below any vintage Explorer II reference; the SAS and Apache military lots reach into territory the standard reference does not occupy.		The split between standard examples in the high four to low five figures and military-branch lots in the high five figures has been the consistent pattern across the post-2019 auction record. Standard 216570 lots ride below the 16570 Polar premium tier and well below any vintage Explorer II reference; the SAS and Apache military lots reach into territory the standard reference does not occupy.


			== Related references ==

			* [[Reference:16570\|Explorer II 16570]] — 1989–2011
			* [[Reference:16550\|Explorer II 16550]] — 1985–1989
			* [[Reference:1655\|Explorer II 1655]] — "Freccione", Orange Hand (1971–1984)

			See also the [[Reference:explorer-ii\|Explorer II family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].

	==Sources==		==Sources==