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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 1655 Explorer II}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Explorer II 1655}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Explorer II 1655 'Freccione' — Orange Hand, 1971–1984 | BezelBase
|title=Rolex Explorer II 1655 'Freccione' (1971–1985) | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex Explorer II 1655 — the original Explorer II "Freccione" with the orange 24-hour arrow hand, fixed steel 24-hour bezel, produced 1971 to 1985 across five distinct dial generations.
|description=Collector guide to the Rolex Explorer II 1655: its linked 24-hour hand, five commonly catalogued dial types, service dials and documented provenance.
|keywords=Rolex, 1655, Explorer II, Freccione, Steve McQueen, orange hand, fixed bezel, caliber 1575, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 1655, Explorer II, Freccione, calibre 1575 GMT, dial variants
|image=Ref 1655 hero.webp
|image=Ref 1655 hero.webp
|image_alt=1655 Freccione hero
|image_alt=Rolex Explorer II 1655 showing its orange 24-hour hand and fixed engraved bezel
|type=Article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-20T00:02:25Z
|published_time=2026-04-20T00:02:25Z
|modified_time=2026-06-28T23:37:57Z
|modified_time=2026-09-23T17:15:00Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II]] -> '''1655'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II]] → '''1655'''</small>


[[File:Ref 1655 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=1655 Freccione hero|1655 Freccione]]
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 1655 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Explorer II 1655 with orange 24-hour hand and fixed engraved bezel|Rolex Explorer II 1655.]]
</div>


The 1655 is the original Explorer II. Produced from 1971 through roughly 1984, it brought the 24-hour complication to Rolex's explorer line in a single 40mm steel case with a fixed, engraved 24-hour bezel. The orange straight-arrow GMT hand gave the watch the nickname that stuck, Freccione, Italian for "big arrow." The thirteen-year run produced five dial generations and four bezel variants, with two Beyeler service dials surfacing later. The caliber 1575 GMT was shared with the 1675 but configured differently. The provenance mixes genuine expedition use with a pop-culture myth Rolex never wrote.
Rolex introduced the Explorer II 1655 in 1971. Its fixed 24-hour bezel and orange arrow hand let the wearer distinguish day from night when there was no daylight. The hand is linked to the regular hour hand, so the 1655 cannot track a second time zone independently. Collectors call it the ''Freccione'', Italian for “big arrow.”
 
The reference sits at an odd angle in the Rolex family. It is the only Explorer with a 24-hour complication, and the only Rolex GMT-equipped reference whose 24-hour hand is geared to the hour hand rather than running independently. The case and bezel were designed for speleologists and polar expeditioners who needed to tell day from night when the sun did not cooperate, with caliber 1575 doing the same time-zone work the 1675 already did. Steve McQueen never wore one, marketing shorthand notwithstanding.
 
<span id="core-facts"></span>


==Core facts==
==Core facts==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 31: Line 29:
|-
|-
| reference
| reference
| 1655
| <code>1655</code>
|-
|-
| family
| family
Line 37: Line 35:
|-
|-
| production
| production
| 1971 to approximately 1984; some editorial extends the end to 1985
| introduced in 1971; sources place the end around 1984–1985
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
| caliber 1575 GMT (19,800 vph, approximately 48-hour power reserve)
| automatic calibre 1575 GMT, date, 26 jewels, 19,800 vph
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm steel Oyster, fixed engraved 24-hour bezel
| approximately 39mm stainless steel Oyster case
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| acrylic, flat
| acrylic
|-
|-
| water resistance
| water resistance
| 100m
| 100m (Fratello)
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| fixed, engraved on the steel bezel ring, four production variants plus a service bezel
| fixed steel bezel engraved with a 24-hour scale
|-
|-
| dial variants
| dial
| five Stern-produced production dials (Mark 1 through Mark 5) plus two Beyeler service dials
| black; five commonly catalogued production types and two later service types
|-
|-
| bracelet
| bracelet
| 7206 / 7836 / 78360 Oyster references across the run, with 380 folded or 580 solid end links
| Documented examples include Oyster references 7206, 7836 and 78360
|-
| hand
| orange straight-arrow 24-hour on first-year production; orange lollipop through the rest of the run
|-
| predecessor
| none; the 1655 is the first Explorer II
|-
|-
| successor
| successor
| 16550
| Explorer II 16550
|}
|}


==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==


The 1655 is the first Explorer II. There is no predecessor — the Explorer line before 1971 was the 1016 and its Bubbleback / OCC ancestors, all single-time-zone watches without a 24-hour complication. Rolex built the Explorer II for speleologists, polar expeditioners, and others operating in conditions where ambient light could not be trusted to tell day from night. The fixed 24-hour bezel and matching orange hand do one thing: show the wearer which half of the day is outside, regardless of what the main dial is reading.
The 1655 was added to the Explorer range while the Explorer 1016 remained in production. Rolex describes the Explorer II’s orange hand and fixed 24-hour bezel as aids to reading day and night. In the 1655, the orange hand follows the hour hand at half its rate and indicates AM or PM against the fixed scale.


The successor is the 16550 (1984–1989), which rebuilt the line on a sapphire crystal, caliber 3085 with a true independent hour hand for time-zone use, and a redesigned 40mm case. The 16570 then ran from 1989 through 2010 on the same architecture before the 42mm 216570 took the Explorer II through the 2010s and into the 226570 currently in production. The 1655 is the only Explorer II with the caliber 1575 movement, the only one with the acrylic crystal and fixed engraved bezel, and the only one with the straight-hand/lollipop split. Everything that came after is a different reference architecture on the same family name.
The 16550 followed in 1984, according to Rolex and specialist histories. Its calibre 3085 introduced an independently adjustable hour hand, and the line moved to a sapphire crystal and a different dial design. Sources give the 1655’s final production year as either 1984 or 1985, so a delivery or catalogue date in 1985 does not by itself establish when the watch was made.


==Production outline==
==Production outline==


The 1655 runs as a single long production with internal dial and bezel drift that collectors have cataloged into a generation map. The movement stays on caliber 1575 throughout. The case stays on the same 40mm Oyster shell throughout. What changes is the dial printing and, to a lesser extent, the bezel font and the seconds hand. The generation map below follows the Italian Watch Spotter / Revolution consensus; it is not Rolex nomenclature.
Collectors group the black dials into five production types, usually called Mark 1 through Mark 5. Collectors introduced these names and date ranges; Rolex did not use them as designations. The table summarizes published dial guides, while surviving watches and catalogues leave exact serial-number cutoffs unresolved.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! dial
! dial type
! rough period
! approximate period
! tells
! commonly cited features
|-
|-
| Mark 1
| Mark 1
| 1971 to about 1973
| early production, from 1971
| large-crown coronet, round-foot R, T SWISS T printing without angle brackets
| broad coronet, round-foot R in <code>ROLEX</code>, <code>T SWISS T</code> at six o’clock
|-
|-
| Mark 2
| Mark 2
| about 1973 to 1977
| early to mid-1970s
| the "Frog Foot" coronet with thicker feet; closely related to Mark 1 but visibly heavier on the logo
| wider coronet feet; the L in <code>PERPETUAL</code> aligns with the lower-right stroke of the X in <code>ROLEX</code>
|-
|-
| Mark 3
| Mark 3
| about 1977 to 1979
| later 1970s
| the "Rail Dial" — the Cs of CHRONOMETER and CERTIFIED line up vertically, which no other Mk does
| “Rail Dial”: the C letters in <code>CHRONOMETER</code> and <code>CERTIFIED</code> align vertically
|-
|-
| Mark 4
| Mark 4
| about 1979 to 1982
| late 1970s to early 1980s
| taller narrower crown; T SWISS < 25 T printing in serif font
| taller, narrower coronet; <code>T SWISS < 25 T</code> in serif lettering
|-
|-
| Mark 5
| Mark 5
| about 1982 to 1984
| late production
| same T SWISS < 25 T line but in sans-serif; the last production-era dial
| narrower coronet with a larger lower opening; tritium line in sans-serif lettering
|-
| Service Mk A
| Beyeler-produced
| post-production service replacement, identifiable by printing vendor characteristics
|-
| Service Mk B
| Beyeler-produced
| a second service printing era
|}
|}


The Mark boundaries are approximate. No Rolex document defines them. Collector consensus from the Vintage Rolex Forum serial-project corpus places transitions inside three-to-six-month windows rather than on specific serial cutoffs. The Mark 2 to Mark 3 transition is the fuzziest of the set and has moved across collector writeups as new examples surface. A Mark 1 on a 1973 serial and a Mark 2 on a 1972 serial both exist in the dealer population, which is the kind of overlap any long-run vintage Rolex reference shows.
Ross Povey’s Revolution survey describes five Stern production dials and two later Beyeler service dials. Dial boundaries are approximate. For example, auction catalogues identify individual watches by dial and bezel types, but those labels do not create a definitive year-by-year sequence. The lollipop seconds hand replaced the earlier straight seconds hand during production; published accounts place the change early in the run but do not agree on a precise serial boundary. The 24-hour hand is usually described as orange. Antiquorum’s 2008 catalogue describes the pictured hand as orange, then says a later version changed to red. Its own description leaves the color history unclear, and the sources reviewed here do not establish a distinct red-hand production variant.


The seconds hand is the other visible production variable. First-year examples ship with a straight seconds hand. The lollipop hand — the round-tipped design most people associate with the reference — arrives early, usually reported on late 1971 or 1972 production, and runs through the rest of the reference's life. Straight-hand examples are the narrowest collector branch on the 1655, and a straight-hand watch paired with a Mark 1 dial on a matching early bezel is the most documented early configuration.
Rolex’s successor arrived in 1984, while some references describe 1655 production as continuing into 1985. The available published record supports an approximate end date rather than a firm last-production serial.
 
Production end is usually placed in 1984, though some editorial rounds to 1985. Leftover inventory delivered through 1985 is real, but active production ran out in 1984 when the 16550 took over.


==Movement notes==
==Movement notes==
[[File:Ref 1655 caliber-1575.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Caliber 1575|Caliber 1575 movement]]


The 1655 uses calibre 1575 GMT, also used in the period GMT-Master 1675. In both watches, the 24-hour hand is linked to the hour hand and makes one turn per day. The 1675’s rotating bezel lets the wearer track another time zone; the Explorer II’s fixed bezel leaves the orange hand to indicate day or night. Independent adjustment of the hour hand came with the later 16550 and calibre 3085.


Caliber 1575 powered the 1655 throughout production. The same 1575 powered the GMT-Master 1675 across a similar period; what differs between the two references is the 24-hour-hand configuration. On the 1675, the hour hand advances independently of the 24-hour hand — set local time on arrival, leave the 24-hour hand on home time. On the 1655, the 24-hour hand is geared to the hour hand through a fixed ratio. Setting the watch advances both hands together. The 24-hour function on the 1655 is therefore a day-night indicator rather than a traveler's second-time-zone tool. That distinction is the single most-misunderstood specification on the reference.
Calibre 1575 GMT runs at 19,800 vibrations per hour and has 26 jewels. Some auction catalogues identify the movement as calibre 1570. Ashton Tracy notes that a 1575 bridge may carry that stamp, so identification depends on the movement configuration as well as its markings. Early examples did not all hack; hacking seconds appeared during the movement’s production, and the exact changeover for 1655 examples remains unresolved.


The 1575 runs at 19,800 vph with 26 jewels and approximately 48 hours of power reserve. Hacking seconds arrived on the 1575 family during the early 1970s and are present on most 1655 examples from launch onward. Late Mark 4 and Mark 5 watches carry the most consistent hacking behavior; earlier examples sometimes show minor hacking inconsistencies that reflect production-era caliber revisions rather than service wear.
[[File:Ref 1655 caliber-1575.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Calibre 1575 GMT movement used in the Rolex Explorer II 1655|Calibre 1575 GMT.]]


Rolex serviced the 1655 through the standard caliber-1575 service network for decades after production ended. Service records rarely survive on a given watch, so the practical identification of a serviced-versus-original movement is done through the movement's service stamp rather than through paperwork. An entirely un-serviced 1655 is rare; a clean service record is a stronger positive signal than an absent one.
==Dial map==


==Dial map==
The comparison image shows the dial-printing changes; the close-up shows the orange 24-hour hand and its scale.
[[File:Ref 1655 dial-generations.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=1655 dial generations|1655 dial generations]]


<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 1655 dial-generations.webp|Dial-printing variations in a specialist comparison.
File:Ref 1655 detail.webp|Orange 24-hour hand and dial detail.
</gallery>


===Mark 1===
===Mark 1===
[[File:Ref 1655 detail.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=1655 Freccione detail|1655 Freccione orange arrow hand]]


The first production type has a broad coronet, a round-foot R in the <code>ROLEX</code> signature and <code>T SWISS T</code> at the bottom of the dial. Examples appear with both the early straight seconds hand and the later lollipop seconds hand, so the seconds hand alone does not identify a Mark 1 dial.


The Mark 1 is the first 1655 dial. The coronet uses the large-crown shape — the flared, slightly rounded outline that reads heavier than the tighter coronet the later Mks use. The ROLEX signature uses a round-foot R character. The bottom-line printing reads T SWISS T, without the <code>< 25</code> notation that arrived later. Mark 1 dials most reliably pair with caliber 1575 movements bearing early serial-band stamps.
===Mark 2===


A Mark 1 on a straight-hand configuration is the earliest documented 1655 configuration. Mark 1 dials with the lollipop hand also exist and make up the majority of surviving Mark 1 examples; the straight-hand sub-variant is a small share of the Mark 1 production.
The coronet’s wider feet distinguish the Mark 2 in the collector taxonomy. “Frog Foot” is a nickname for that shape. The L in <code>PERPETUAL</code> also lines up with the lower-right stroke of the X in <code>ROLEX</code>; on Mark 1, the A in <code>PERPETUAL</code> sits below the X. Published date ranges overlap with those given for Mark 1 and Mark 3, so the visual features are more useful than a claimed year cutoff.


===Mark 2 (Frog Foot)===
===Mark 3===


Mark 2 shares the overall layout with Mark 1 but the coronet switches to a thicker-footed shape collectors label Frog Foot. The name refers to the widened feet of the crown that give it a chunkier visual weight than Mark 1. The rest of the printing stays similar, and the distinction between Mark 1 and Mark 2 rests almost entirely on the coronet shape. Some writeups place Mark 2 production from 1973 through 1977; others narrow it further depending on which surviving examples they include in the auction record. There is no published serial boundary.
The “Rail Dial” name refers to the vertical alignment of the C letters in <code>CHRONOMETER</code> and <code>CERTIFIED</code>. The coronet also differs from the earlier two types. Specialist guides place this dial in the later 1970s. Auction catalogues provide identified examples, including a Phillips lot catalogued as an early Mark 1 and an Antiquorum example described as a Mark 5 dial on a differently classified bezel.


===Mark 3 (Rail Dial)===
===Marks 4 and 5===


Mark 3 is the Rail Dial. The identifying feature is the vertical alignment of the C in CHRONOMETER with the C in CERTIFIED — two letters stacked exactly over each other, forming the vertical "rail" the nickname references. On Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 4, and Mark 5, those letters sit at slightly different radial positions and do not align. Mark 3 reads as visually cleaner than the other Mks for exactly that reason: the vertical rail brings the printing into a grid that the other dials lack.
Both types carry the <code>T SWISS < 25 T</code> tritium marking. The collector distinction is chiefly the lettering style: serif on Mark 4 and sans serif on Mark 5. Mark 5 also has a narrower coronet with a larger opening in its lower oval. Their approximate dates overlap across sources.


Mark 3 production is usually placed in the 1977–1979 window. Rail Dial examples are widely documented at auction and through specialist dealer inventories. The rail alignment is consistent across surviving Mark 3 examples; minor printing weight differences appear but none breaks the rail definition.
===Service dials===


===Mark 4===
Revolution’s dial survey describes two later service-dial types attributed to Beyeler. They form a replacement category alongside the five production Marks. Printing and service history help identify a service dial; age alone cannot establish the maker.


Mark 4 moves the crown to a taller, narrower shape than either Mark 1 / Mark 2 or Mark 3. The bottom-line printing updates to <code>T SWISS < 25 T</code> — the tritium-radiation notation arrived across the Rolex sport lines in the late 1970s and appears on the 1655 from Mark 4 onward. The printing is in a serif font, which distinguishes Mark 4 from the later Mark 5.
===Tropical dials===


===Mark 5===
Some 1655 dials show brown discoloration where the black finish has changed with age. Collectors call this appearance “tropical”; it is an aging description rather than a factory variant. Assessment also depends on the dial’s surface, lume, condition and provenance.


Mark 5 carries the same <code>T SWISS < 25 T</code> printing as Mark 4 but in a sans-serif font. The two dials are otherwise very similar; the font change is the primary Mark 5 identifier. Mark 5 is the last production-era dial before the 1655 was discontinued.
==Bezel variants==


===Service dials (Beyeler)===
Ross Povey’s Revolution guide separates four production bezel types and one service type. Its labels describe collector-observed engraving differences, not a Rolex parts catalogue.


Two Beyeler-made service dials are known on the 1655. They are still Rolex parts, but they are not production-era dials, so they matter to value and originality. Collectors usually treat them as service-dial branches rather than as normal production marks.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! type in the guide
! described features
! dial combinations reported
|-
| Mark 1
| Heavy numerals sit close to the bezel’s inner edge
| Mark 1 and Mark 2 dials
|-
| Mark 2
| Heavy numerals are centered
| Some Mark 1 examples; mainly Mark 3 and Mark 4
|-
| Mark 3
| Thin, centered numerals
| Some Mark 3 examples; mainly Mark 4
|-
| Mark 4
| Thin numerals with a distinctive long hook on the <code>1</code>
| Mark 5 dials
|-
| Service
| Later replacement bezel
| Service fitment; identification depends on the individual part
|}


===Tropical examples===
Dial and bezel labels describe separate components. Antiquorum catalogued a Mark 5 dial with a Mark 3 bezel, an example of why a dial Mark alone cannot identify the bezel.


A small share of Mark 1 through Mark 3 1655 dials show even-brown discoloration across the black dial, driven by photochemical and environmental aging of the early dial lacquer. Even-brown, warm examples with intact lume plots are the target definition of a tropical 1655. Patchy brown spotting, damaged lacquer, or mismatched lume plots are aging damage rather than tropical patina, and dealers distinguish the two categories explicitly. A genuine tropical Mark 1 or Mark 2 1655 is one of the strongest collector targets in the reference and commands a premium over black-dial examples of the same generation.
==Case, crystal and crown==


==Bezels==
Revolution, Fratello and the Vintage Rolex Field Manual give a case diameter of 39mm. Auction catalogues differ: Sotheby’s lists 38mm for a circa-1971 example, while Antiquorum gives 40mm for a circa-1980 example. The measurement is best treated as approximate; catalogue dimensions may use different measuring points.


Four production-era bezel variants and one service bezel cover the run. The bezel itself is part of the steel case top, machined and engraved with the 24-hour hour markers. Unlike a GMT-Master bezel, there is no insert — the numerals and indices are cut into the steel directly and filled with black paint. That construction gives the 1655 bezel a durability advantage over the aluminum-insert GMT-Master references, at the cost of the fade-and-patina aging that makes vintage GMT bezels collector objects on their own.
The 1655 has an acrylic crystal, followed by sapphire on the 16550. Its screw-down Oyster crown sits between crown guards. The cited material does not establish a consistent crown-tube measurement.


The four production bezel variants differ in numeral font weight and in the spacing of the indices around the bezel. No collector system labels them cleanly as Mark 1 through Mark 4 bezels. The service bezel is identified by different numeral proportions on one or two indices, reflecting the service-era tooling. Bezel and dial generations do not lock to each other — a Mark 3 dial can appear on a Mark 2 bezel and still be period-correct if the watch was delivered during the transition window.
==Bracelets, end links and clasps==


==Case, crystal, crown notes==
Auction records and reference tables document 7206, 7836 and 78360 Oyster bracelets on 1655 watches. The examples pair these with different end-link codes: the Field Manual lists 7206 with 58 ends; Phillips catalogued a circa-1973 7836 with 380 ends and a circa-1978 78360 with 580 ends. The 1973 lot’s clasp is stamped <code>4.72</code>. These records show configurations on individual watches, not factory fitment for every 1655. A later bracelet or clasp does not date the watch head.


===Case===
==Provenance and names==


40mm Oyster steel, brushed top surface, polished case-flank treatment. The case is thicker than later Explorer II generations and retains the slightly heavier lug shape of early 1970s Rolex sport references. Lug-to-lug runs approximately 47mm. Case diameter is cited as 39mm in some older editorial and 40mm in most dealer catalogs; caliper measurement on surviving examples places the number at 40mm, with the 39mm claim likely referring to the visible bezel-to-lug width rather than the full case.
Philipp Stahl documents Explorer II watches associated with mountaineers Reinhold Messner and Sir Edmund Hillary. These are individual provenance cases, not evidence of expedition-wide use.


Drilled lug holes are standard across the run. The 1655 never got the no-holes case treatment that arrived on the 16710 in 2003.
The nickname “Steve McQueen” appears in auction and dealer descriptions. Accounts differ on how it spread; Nick Gould’s account examines the disputed connection between McQueen and Loren Janes’s 5513. The documented McQueen watches in the sources cited here are Submariners; none is a 1655. “Freccione” describes the orange arrow hand without making an ownership claim.


===Crystal===
Rolex’s 1978 advertising included a 1655 photographed by Don McCullin. That is a documented advertising association, distinct from ownership or personal wear.


Plexiglass (acrylic), flat. The 1655 is the only Explorer II reference with acrylic. The 16550 moved to sapphire in 1984. Acrylic collects the small scratches and micro-mars that aging collectors read as character; a polished acrylic is standard service work and does not affect originality.
==Auction record==


===Crown===
Auction catalogues record different specifications for individual examples. Sotheby’s describes a circa-1971 watch with a calibre listed as 1570 and a 38mm case. Phillips’ 2017 Geneva catalogue gives 1570 and 38mm for its circa-1973 example, with a 7836 bracelet, 380 end links and a <code>4.72</code> clasp stamp. Antiquorum lists 1570 and 40mm for a circa-1980 example, with a Mark 5 dial and Mark 3 bezel. Sotheby’s lists 1575 and 39mm for a circa-1984 example. Ashton Tracy notes that a 1575 bridge may be stamped <code>1570</code>; calibre identification depends on the movement configuration, not the stamp alone. These catalogues describe individual watches, and their measurements vary.


Twinlock screw-down with guards, the standard early-1970s Rolex Oyster crown on a 6mm tube.
==Related references==


==Bracelets, end links, clasps==
* [[Reference:16550|Explorer II 16550]]
* [[Reference:16570|Explorer II 16570]]
* [[Reference:216570|Explorer II 216570]]


The 1655 bracelet arc is simple: 7206 first, then 7836, then 78360 late. That progression, plus the end-link and clasp date logic, is one of the fastest authenticity checks on the reference.
See also [[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II family]], [[Reference:Movements|Movements]] and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]].


Clasp codes across the run carry I-series stamps from Rolex's internal clasp-date system. A clasp stamped with a Q4 1972 code, for example, dates the bracelet to that quarter. Clasp dates date the bracelet, not the watch head. A 1973-case 1655 with a Q4 1975 clasp stamp is not inconsistent — it simply indicates a later bracelet on an earlier watch head, which happens regularly across the dealer population.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 1655 hero.webp|Explorer II 1655, whole-watch view.
File:Ref 1655 detail.webp|Close view of the orange 24-hour hand.
File:Ref 1655 caliber-1575.webp|Calibre 1575 GMT.
File:Ref 1655 dial-generations.webp|Dial-printing comparison.
</gallery>


==Special branches and provenance==
== Sources ==


===Reinhold Messner===
* [https://www.rolex.com/en-us/oyster-story/collection-shaped-by-innovation Rolex, "The Explorer II — Rolex Oyster Story", Rolex]
 
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-ii-adventure-watch-gmt-1655-16550-16570-216570-226570-in-depth/ Erik Slaven, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Explorer II, The Ultimate Adventure Watch", Monochrome, 2024-12-17]
The mountaineer Reinhold Messner wore a 1655 during the expedition-era years that overlap with the reference's production run. Philipp Stahl (Rolex Passion Report) has handled Messner's specific watch and published its identification. Messner's 1655 is the most-documented individual example of the reference being used for the conditions the watch was engineered to handle — light-deprived environments where the 24-hour complication was mechanically useful rather than decorative.
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-explorer-ii-reference-1655/ "The Ultimate Sports Rolex: The Explorer II Reference 1655", Fratello]
 
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/tooled-rolex-explorer-ii-reference-1655/ Ross Povey, "Tooled Up: The Rolex Explorer II Reference 1655", Revolution, 2018-08-07]
===Sir Edmund Hillary===
 
Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to summit Everest, also wore a 1655. Stahl has documented the watch. Hillary's Explorer II provenance sits alongside the earlier 6610 / 1016 Explorer lineage on the broader Rolex-expedition line.
 
===Don McCullin===
 
A 1978 Rolex advertisement photographed by Don McCullin features the 1655 prominently. The ad is widely reproduced in archival collections and period-correct editorial writeups. McCullin himself is a photographer rather than a watch celebrity; the ad is a piece of period marketing rather than a celebrity-association story.
 
===The Steve McQueen myth===
 
The 1655 is often called the Steve McQueen. It should not be. McQueen's documented Rolex was a 5513 Submariner (the Loren Janes watch covered by Quill & Pad in 2018), and no period photograph or auction record places a 1655 on his wrist. The nickname is dealer-era marketing that outlived its evidence. Serious collectors call the watch the Freccione.
 
==Market and collector context==
 
The 1655 sits in the middle tier of vintage Rolex sport-watch collecting, but the spread inside the reference is wide. Early Mark 1, tropical, and straight-hand examples anchor the top; later mixed-part watches do not.
 
Auction record through the 2020s places 1655 hammers in the £15,000–£25,000 range for regular-production examples, with exceptional Mark 1 or tropical lots reaching £30,000 or more. A UK record of £22,000 at Dreweatts on a non-retailer-signed 1655 is the commonly-cited upper market benchmark for standard production. Record-scale provenance examples — the Messner or Hillary watches — sit in a separate market entirely when they surface.
 
Secondary-market pricing has moved meaningfully with the broader vintage-Rolex cycle. The 2020–2022 peak carried 1655 pricing to levels that compressed somewhat by 2024, in line with the wider vintage correction. The reference holds its floor for two reasons. Production was modest compared to the contemporary Submariner and GMT-Master lines, and the documented expedition history (Messner, Hillary) is the kind of provenance that does not need the McQueen story to carry weight.
 
==Sources==
 
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [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://revolutionwatch.com/tooled-rolex-explorer-ii-reference-1655/ Ross Povey, "Tooled Up: The Rolex Explorer II Reference 1655", Revolution, 2018-08-01]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/the-story-of-an-explorers-rolex-explorer-ii-ref-1655/ "The Story of an Explorer Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655", Revolution]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/the-story-of-an-explorers-rolex-explorer-ii-ref-1655/ "The Story of an Explorer Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655", Revolution]
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/2867/ Philipp Stahl, "Mr Rolex Orange Hand, Reinhold Messner and Sir Edmund Hillary Original Vintage Explorer II ref 1655", Rolex Passion Report]
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/2867/ Philipp Stahl, "Mr Rolex Orange Hand, Reinhold Messner and Sir Edmund Hillary Original Vintage Explorer II ref 1655", Rolex Passion Report]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-explorer-ii-reference-1655/ "The Ultimate Sports Rolex: The Explorer II Reference 1655", Fratello]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/rolex-ref-1655-a-complete-guide/?lang=en Andrea David, "The Rolex Explorer II Ref. 1655: A Complete Guide", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/rolex-ref-1655-a-complete-guide/?lang=en Andrea David, "The Rolex Explorer II Ref. 1655: A Complete Guide", Italian Watch Spotter, 2024-01-01]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/tropical-dials/?lang=en "Everything You Need To Know About Tropical Dials", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2018/06/15/exceptional-movements-in-history-rolex-caliber-1575-the-watchmakers-watch/ "Exceptional Movements In History: Rolex Caliber 1575, The Watchmaker Watch", Quill & Pad, 2018-06-15]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2018/06/15/exceptional-movements-in-history-rolex-caliber-1575-the-watchmakers-watch/ Ashton Tracy, "Exceptional Movements In History: Rolex Caliber 1575, The Watchmaker Watch", Quill & Pad, 2018-06-15]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2018/06/14/the-steve-mcqueen-loren-janes-rolex-submariner-5513-coming-to-auction-how-long-did-he-own-it-how-often-did-he-wear-it-and-how-much-if-any-survived-the-fire/ "Steve McQueen / Loren Janes Rolex Submariner 5513 Saga", Quill & Pad, 2018-06-14]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2018/06/14/the-steve-mcqueen-loren-janes-rolex-submariner-5513-coming-to-auction-how-long-did-he-own-it-how-often-did-he-wear-it-and-how-much-if-any-survived-the-fire/ Nick Gould, "Steve McQueen / Loren Janes Rolex Submariner 5513 Saga", Quill & Pad, 2018-06-14]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2021/04/the-orange-hand-explorer-ii.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Orange Hand Explorer II", Rolex Magazine, 2021-04-01]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2021/04/the-orange-hand-explorer-ii.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Orange Hand Explorer II", Rolex Magazine, 2021-04-07]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2021/08/rolex-explorer-ii-1655-and-226570.html Jake Ehrlich, "Rolex Explorer II 1655 and 226570", Rolex Magazine, 2021-08-01]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2021/08/rolex-explorer-ii-1655-and-226570.html Jake Ehrlich, "Rolex Explorer II 1655 and 226570", Rolex Magazine]
* [https://www.watchprosite.com/rolex/the-evolution-of-the-freccione/732.574096.3563066/ "The Evolution of the Freccione", Watchprosite]
* [https://www.watchprosite.com/rolex/the-evolution-of-the-freccione/732.574096.3563066/ "The Evolution of the Freccione", Watchprosite]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/tropical-dials/?lang=en "Everything You Need To Know About Tropical Dials", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/60db879c-cc93-4b34-8bee-830456483399/lots/1671b06e-9b02-4989-bece-07146b7af3e5 "Rolex 1655 Steve McQueen circa 1971 Watches Online", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/60db879c-cc93-4b34-8bee-830456483399/lots/1671b06e-9b02-4989-bece-07146b7af3e5 "Rolex 1655 Steve McQueen circa 1971 Watches Online", Sotheby's, 2020-01-01]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/11e901d0-412f-442a-ae43-8eca28cd9ef1/lots/c46af8fc-7250-480a-b986-552cc9cd3e0a "Rolex 1655 circa 1971 Driver Collection", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/11e901d0-412f-442a-ae43-8eca28cd9ef1/lots/c46af8fc-7250-480a-b986-552cc9cd3e0a "Rolex 1655 circa 1971 Driver Collection", Sotheby's, 2020-01-01]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/25e5416b-f436-484a-834e-1ba10a9dfc69/lots/9656a922-7866-4748-99c6-5770652110a6 "Rolex 1655 circa 1984 Driver Collection", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/25e5416b-f436-484a-834e-1ba10a9dfc69/lots/9656a922-7866-4748-99c6-5770652110a6 "Rolex 1655 circa 1984 Driver Collection", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/fine-watches/steve-mcqueen-explorer-ii-ref-1655-stainless-steel "Steve McQueen Explorer II 1655 circa 1981", Sotheby's, 2021-01-01]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/fine-watches/steve-mcqueen-explorer-ii-ref-1655-stainless-steel "Steve McQueen Explorer II 1655 circa 1981", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080217/131 "Rolex 1655 Geneva Watch Auction Six Lot 131", Phillips, 2017-11-01]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080217/131 "Rolex 1655 Geneva Watch Auction Six Lot 131", Phillips]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080116/179 "Rolex 1655 Geneva Watch Auction Three Lot 179", Phillips, 2016-05-01]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1655-explorer-lot-352-104 "Rolex Explorer II 1655 Mark 5 dial and Mark 3 bezel, Forte dei Marmi lot 104", Antiquorum]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1655-explorer-lot-352-104 "Rolex Explorer 1655 MK5 Dial MK3 Bezel Forte dei Marmi", Antiquorum]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25956/lot/1/ "Multiple Rolex 1655 auction lots 1972 to 1984", Bonhams]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/209581 "Rolex Explorer II reference 1655, circa 1978", Phillips]
* [https://www.dreweatts.com/news-videos/the-rolex-explorer-ii-ref-1655/ "The Rolex Explorer II Ref 1655 UK Hammer Record", Dreweatts]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-204-105 "Explorer II reference 1655, New York lot 105", Antiquorum, 2008-04-17]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-explorer-ii-mk-i-dial-reference-1655-full-set "Multiple Wind Vintage 1655 MK1 straight-hand unpolished listings", Wind Vintage]
* [https://bulangandsons.com/products/rolex-1655-straight-hand-explorer-ii-mk2-freccione "MK1 MK2 MK4 MK5 1655 listings", Bulang & Sons]
* [https://journal.craftandtailored.com/a-love-letter-to-the-rolex-explorer-ii-ref-1655/ "A Love Letter to the Rolex Explorer II ref 1655", Craft + Tailored]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/archive/index.php/t-166770.html "1655 Mark Dial Discussions Archive", RolexForums]
* [http://vintagerolexforum.info/vrf/index3.html "Vintage Rolex Forum Serial Number Project and Dial Project", Vintage Rolex Forum]
* [https://rubberb.com/blog/1655-rolex-explorer-ii-or-the-steve-mcqueen-rolexexploreriiwatchstrap/ "1655 Steve McQueen Generation Breakdown", RubberB]


[[Category:Explorer II]]
[[Category:Explorer-Ii]]

Latest revision as of 07:53, 29 September 2026


Explorer II → 1655

Rolex Explorer II 1655 with orange 24-hour hand and fixed engraved bezel
Rolex Explorer II 1655.

Rolex introduced the Explorer II 1655 in 1971. Its fixed 24-hour bezel and orange arrow hand let the wearer distinguish day from night when there was no daylight. The hand is linked to the regular hour hand, so the 1655 cannot track a second time zone independently. Collectors call it the Freccione, Italian for “big arrow.”

Core facts

detail value
reference 1655
family Explorer II
production introduced in 1971; sources place the end around 1984–1985
movement automatic calibre 1575 GMT, date, 26 jewels, 19,800 vph
case approximately 39mm stainless steel Oyster case
crystal acrylic
water resistance 100m (Fratello)
bezel fixed steel bezel engraved with a 24-hour scale
dial black; five commonly catalogued production types and two later service types
bracelet Documented examples include Oyster references 7206, 7836 and 78360
successor Explorer II 16550

Where it sits in the line

The 1655 was added to the Explorer range while the Explorer 1016 remained in production. Rolex describes the Explorer II’s orange hand and fixed 24-hour bezel as aids to reading day and night. In the 1655, the orange hand follows the hour hand at half its rate and indicates AM or PM against the fixed scale.

The 16550 followed in 1984, according to Rolex and specialist histories. Its calibre 3085 introduced an independently adjustable hour hand, and the line moved to a sapphire crystal and a different dial design. Sources give the 1655’s final production year as either 1984 or 1985, so a delivery or catalogue date in 1985 does not by itself establish when the watch was made.

Production outline

Collectors group the black dials into five production types, usually called Mark 1 through Mark 5. Collectors introduced these names and date ranges; Rolex did not use them as designations. The table summarizes published dial guides, while surviving watches and catalogues leave exact serial-number cutoffs unresolved.

dial type approximate period commonly cited features
Mark 1 early production, from 1971 broad coronet, round-foot R in ROLEX, T SWISS T at six o’clock
Mark 2 early to mid-1970s wider coronet feet; the L in PERPETUAL aligns with the lower-right stroke of the X in ROLEX
Mark 3 later 1970s “Rail Dial”: the C letters in CHRONOMETER and CERTIFIED align vertically
Mark 4 late 1970s to early 1980s taller, narrower coronet; T SWISS < 25 T in serif lettering
Mark 5 late production narrower coronet with a larger lower opening; tritium line in sans-serif lettering

Ross Povey’s Revolution survey describes five Stern production dials and two later Beyeler service dials. Dial boundaries are approximate. For example, auction catalogues identify individual watches by dial and bezel types, but those labels do not create a definitive year-by-year sequence. The lollipop seconds hand replaced the earlier straight seconds hand during production; published accounts place the change early in the run but do not agree on a precise serial boundary. The 24-hour hand is usually described as orange. Antiquorum’s 2008 catalogue describes the pictured hand as orange, then says a later version changed to red. Its own description leaves the color history unclear, and the sources reviewed here do not establish a distinct red-hand production variant.

Rolex’s successor arrived in 1984, while some references describe 1655 production as continuing into 1985. The available published record supports an approximate end date rather than a firm last-production serial.

Movement notes

The 1655 uses calibre 1575 GMT, also used in the period GMT-Master 1675. In both watches, the 24-hour hand is linked to the hour hand and makes one turn per day. The 1675’s rotating bezel lets the wearer track another time zone; the Explorer II’s fixed bezel leaves the orange hand to indicate day or night. Independent adjustment of the hour hand came with the later 16550 and calibre 3085.

Calibre 1575 GMT runs at 19,800 vibrations per hour and has 26 jewels. Some auction catalogues identify the movement as calibre 1570. Ashton Tracy notes that a 1575 bridge may carry that stamp, so identification depends on the movement configuration as well as its markings. Early examples did not all hack; hacking seconds appeared during the movement’s production, and the exact changeover for 1655 examples remains unresolved.

Calibre 1575 GMT movement used in the Rolex Explorer II 1655
Calibre 1575 GMT.

Dial map

The comparison image shows the dial-printing changes; the close-up shows the orange 24-hour hand and its scale.

  • Dial-printing variations in a specialist comparison.
    Dial-printing variations in a specialist comparison.
  • Orange 24-hour hand and dial detail.
    Orange 24-hour hand and dial detail.

Mark 1

The first production type has a broad coronet, a round-foot R in the ROLEX signature and T SWISS T at the bottom of the dial. Examples appear with both the early straight seconds hand and the later lollipop seconds hand, so the seconds hand alone does not identify a Mark 1 dial.

Mark 2

The coronet’s wider feet distinguish the Mark 2 in the collector taxonomy. “Frog Foot” is a nickname for that shape. The L in PERPETUAL also lines up with the lower-right stroke of the X in ROLEX; on Mark 1, the A in PERPETUAL sits below the X. Published date ranges overlap with those given for Mark 1 and Mark 3, so the visual features are more useful than a claimed year cutoff.

Mark 3

The “Rail Dial” name refers to the vertical alignment of the C letters in CHRONOMETER and CERTIFIED. The coronet also differs from the earlier two types. Specialist guides place this dial in the later 1970s. Auction catalogues provide identified examples, including a Phillips lot catalogued as an early Mark 1 and an Antiquorum example described as a Mark 5 dial on a differently classified bezel.

Marks 4 and 5

Both types carry the T SWISS < 25 T tritium marking. The collector distinction is chiefly the lettering style: serif on Mark 4 and sans serif on Mark 5. Mark 5 also has a narrower coronet with a larger opening in its lower oval. Their approximate dates overlap across sources.

Service dials

Revolution’s dial survey describes two later service-dial types attributed to Beyeler. They form a replacement category alongside the five production Marks. Printing and service history help identify a service dial; age alone cannot establish the maker.

Tropical dials

Some 1655 dials show brown discoloration where the black finish has changed with age. Collectors call this appearance “tropical”; it is an aging description rather than a factory variant. Assessment also depends on the dial’s surface, lume, condition and provenance.

Bezel variants

Ross Povey’s Revolution guide separates four production bezel types and one service type. Its labels describe collector-observed engraving differences, not a Rolex parts catalogue.

type in the guide described features dial combinations reported
Mark 1 Heavy numerals sit close to the bezel’s inner edge Mark 1 and Mark 2 dials
Mark 2 Heavy numerals are centered Some Mark 1 examples; mainly Mark 3 and Mark 4
Mark 3 Thin, centered numerals Some Mark 3 examples; mainly Mark 4
Mark 4 Thin numerals with a distinctive long hook on the 1 Mark 5 dials
Service Later replacement bezel Service fitment; identification depends on the individual part

Dial and bezel labels describe separate components. Antiquorum catalogued a Mark 5 dial with a Mark 3 bezel, an example of why a dial Mark alone cannot identify the bezel.

Case, crystal and crown

Revolution, Fratello and the Vintage Rolex Field Manual give a case diameter of 39mm. Auction catalogues differ: Sotheby’s lists 38mm for a circa-1971 example, while Antiquorum gives 40mm for a circa-1980 example. The measurement is best treated as approximate; catalogue dimensions may use different measuring points.

The 1655 has an acrylic crystal, followed by sapphire on the 16550. Its screw-down Oyster crown sits between crown guards. The cited material does not establish a consistent crown-tube measurement.

Bracelets, end links and clasps

Auction records and reference tables document 7206, 7836 and 78360 Oyster bracelets on 1655 watches. The examples pair these with different end-link codes: the Field Manual lists 7206 with 58 ends; Phillips catalogued a circa-1973 7836 with 380 ends and a circa-1978 78360 with 580 ends. The 1973 lot’s clasp is stamped 4.72. These records show configurations on individual watches, not factory fitment for every 1655. A later bracelet or clasp does not date the watch head.

Provenance and names

Philipp Stahl documents Explorer II watches associated with mountaineers Reinhold Messner and Sir Edmund Hillary. These are individual provenance cases, not evidence of expedition-wide use.

The nickname “Steve McQueen” appears in auction and dealer descriptions. Accounts differ on how it spread; Nick Gould’s account examines the disputed connection between McQueen and Loren Janes’s 5513. The documented McQueen watches in the sources cited here are Submariners; none is a 1655. “Freccione” describes the orange arrow hand without making an ownership claim.

Rolex’s 1978 advertising included a 1655 photographed by Don McCullin. That is a documented advertising association, distinct from ownership or personal wear.

Auction record

Auction catalogues record different specifications for individual examples. Sotheby’s describes a circa-1971 watch with a calibre listed as 1570 and a 38mm case. Phillips’ 2017 Geneva catalogue gives 1570 and 38mm for its circa-1973 example, with a 7836 bracelet, 380 end links and a 4.72 clasp stamp. Antiquorum lists 1570 and 40mm for a circa-1980 example, with a Mark 5 dial and Mark 3 bezel. Sotheby’s lists 1575 and 39mm for a circa-1984 example. Ashton Tracy notes that a 1575 bridge may be stamped 1570; calibre identification depends on the movement configuration, not the stamp alone. These catalogues describe individual watches, and their measurements vary.

Related references

See also Explorer II family, Movements and Serial numbers.

  • Explorer II 1655, whole-watch view.
    Explorer II 1655, whole-watch view.
  • Close view of the orange 24-hour hand.
    Close view of the orange 24-hour hand.
  • Calibre 1575 GMT.
    Calibre 1575 GMT.
  • Dial-printing comparison.
    Dial-printing comparison.

Sources

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