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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Explorer II}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Explorer II — Complete Reference Guide — BezelBase
|title=Rolex Explorer II — Complete Reference Guide — Rolexopedia
|description=Every Rolex Explorer II reference from the 1971 Freccione 1655 through the 16550, 16570, 216570, and current 226570. Production histories, dial variants, Mark taxonomies, movement specs, and collector context.
|description=Every Rolex Explorer II reference from the 1971 Freccione 1655 through the 16550, 16570, 216570, and current 226570. Production histories, dial variants, Mark taxonomies, movement specs, and collector context.
|keywords=Rolex Explorer II, 1655, Freccione, 16550, cream dial, 16570, Polar, 216570, 226570, vintage Rolex, 24-hour GMT
|keywords=Rolex Explorer II, 1655, Freccione, 16550, cream dial, 16570, Polar, 216570, 226570, vintage Rolex, 24-hour GMT
|type=article
|image=Ref_1655_hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Explorer II reference 1655
|type=Article
}}
}}


== Rolex Explorer II ==
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref_1655_hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Explorer II 1655|Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655, the first Explorer II]]
</div>


The Explorer II is the fixed-bezel 24-hour sibling to the Explorer I. Rolex launched it in 1971 for cave and polar use, and every Explorer II since has kept the 24-hour hand and bezel.
The Explorer II is the fixed-bezel 24-hour sibling to the Explorer I. Rolex introduced it in 1971 for low-light and remote-field use, and every Explorer II has kept the 24-hour hand and engraved bezel.


The fast map is simple: 1655 first with linked-hand day-night logic, 16550 second with true GMT function, 16570 as the long middle run, 42mm 216570 from 2011, and 226570 current.
The line runs from the 1655, whose 24-hour hand is linked to local time, through the independently adjustable 16550, 16570, and 216570, to the current 226570.
 
== Common entry points ==
 
<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a vintage orange-hand Explorer II?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1655|1655]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The Freccione. Five Mark dials plus two service dials, caliber 1575 GMT shared with the GMT-Master 1675.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a Polar or cream dial?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16550|16550]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First sapphire-crystal Explorer II, first true independent-hour GMT function, the cream / rail dial paint-defect sub-branch.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a long-run modern?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16570|16570]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Twenty-one-year production run across four internal versions (V1 tritium through V4 caliber 3186), plus the 2007 SRR military limited edition.</div></div></div>
</div>


== The first Explorer II (1971–1984) ==
== The first Explorer II (1971–1984) ==
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! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:1655|1655]] || 1971–1984 || Cal. 1575 GMT || 40mm SS, acrylic || Freccione orange straight/lollipop hand; 5 Mark dials + 2 service dials; linked-hand 24-hour; fixed engraved steel bezel
| [[Reference:1655|1655]] || 1971–1984 || Cal. 1575 GMT || 40mm SS, acrylic || Orange 24-hour hand; documented Mark and service-dial groups; linked-hand 24-hour display; fixed engraved steel bezel
|}
|}


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! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16550|16550]] || 1985–1989 || Cal. 3085 || 40mm SS, sapphire || First sapphire; first independent-hour GMT; black or Polar white dial; cream/rail dial paint-defect variant
| [[Reference:16550|16550]] || 1985–1989 || Cal. 3085 || 40mm SS, sapphire || First sapphire and first independent-hour GMT; black or white dial; documented cream and rail-dial variants
|}
|}


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! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16570|16570]] || 1989–2010 || Cal. 3185, then 3186 late || 40mm SS, sapphire || Four internal versions: V1 tritium, V2 Swiss-only, V3 Super-LumiNova, V4 no-holes case plus cal 3186; black or Polar white; SRR military limited edition 2007
| [[Reference:16570|16570]] || 1989–2010 || Cal. 3185, then 3186 late || 40mm SS, sapphire || Tritium, Luminova, and Super-LumiNova dial eras; late 3186 examples; black or white dial; documented military issue
|}
|}


== Current-production successors ==
== Current-production successors ==


The 42mm ceramic-era successors continue the line beyond the vintage and neo-vintage generations.
The 42 mm successors continue the line beyond the vintage and neo-vintage generations. They retain the engraved solid-steel 24-hour bezel used since 1971; the Explorer II line continues with a steel bezel rather than Cerachrom.


* '''216570''' (2011–2021) — 42mm case, cal. 3187, reintroduced orange 24-hour hand
* [[Reference:216570|216570]] (2011–2021) — 42mm case, cal. 3187, reintroduced orange 24-hour hand
* '''226570''' (2021–present) — cal. 3285, current production
* 226570 (2021–present) — cal. 3285, current production


== Movement progression ==
== Movement progression ==
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| 1575 GMT || 19,800 vph || ~48 hr || linked to hour hand || 1655 || Shared with GMT-Master 1675; 24-hour hand advances with hour hand, works as day-night indicator
| 1575 GMT || 19,800 vph || ~48 hr || linked to hour hand || 1655 || Shared with GMT-Master 1675; 24-hour hand advances with hour hand, works as day-night indicator
|-
|-
| 3085 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr (disputed: some sources say 42 hr) || independent-hour || 16550 || First Explorer II with true GMT; shared with GMT-Master II 16760 "Fat Lady"; 6.3mm thick
| 3085 || 28,800 vph || catalogues vary, about 42–48 hr || independent-hour || 16550 || First Explorer II with independent-hour GMT; also used in GMT-Master II 16760
|-
|-
| 3185 || 28,800 vph || ~50 hr || independent-hour || 16570 || Successor to 3085 with minor revisions; ran through most of the 16570
| 3185 || 28,800 vph || ~50 hr || independent-hour || 16570 || Successor to 3085 with minor revisions; ran through most of the 16570
|-
|-
| 3186 || 28,800 vph || ~50 hr || independent-hour || 16570 (late 2006+) || Added blue Parachrom hairspring; fixed the 3185 GMT-hand wobble
| 3186 || 28,800 vph || ~50 hr || independent-hour || 16570 (late run) || Revised gear train and blue Parachrom hairspring
|}
|}


== Dial variant highlights ==
== Dial variant highlights ==


The Explorer II has a dense per-reference variant taxonomy that is worth scanning in aggregate:
The main documented variants are:


* '''1655 Mark dials''' — Mk1 (large crown), Mk2 (Frog Foot), Mk3 (Rail Dial), Mk4 (taller crown, T SWISS <25 T serif), Mk5 (sans-serif). Two Beyeler service dials also exist.
* 1655 Mark dials: collector groups commonly called Mk1 through Mk5, plus documented Beyeler service dials. Names and boundaries vary between sources.
* '''16550 cream / rail dial''' — a subset of Polar white dials aged to cream through a factory paint defect Rolex later corrected. Rail-dial sub-variant has the C of CHRONOMETER aligned vertically over the C of CERTIFIED.
* 16550 cream / rail dial: some Polar dials aged to cream; the rail variant aligns the C of CHRONOMETER over the C of CERTIFIED.
* '''16570 Swiss-only''' — approximately 5 percent of production, covering the 1998–1999 window when the dial carried Luminova lume but kept the older SWISS (not SWISS MADE) printing.
* 16570 Swiss-only: a short Luminova period around 1998–1999 retained SWISS rather than SWISS MADE printing. Its share of total production is not established.


== Cross-references ==
== Cross-references ==


The Explorer II is the sibling of the [[Reference:explorer|Explorer I]] line and shares caliber and architectural DNA with the [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] line. The caliber 1575 on the 1655 is identical to the caliber 1575 on the GMT-Master 1675, configured differently (linked-hand vs independent-hour). The caliber 3085 on the 16550 is identical to the caliber 3085 on the GMT-Master II 16760.
The Explorer II is the sibling of the [[Reference:explorer|Explorer I]] line and shares calibers and case architecture with the [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] line. Caliber 1575 in the 1655 is the same movement fitted to the GMT-Master 1675, configured differently: linked-hand on the Explorer II, independent-hour on the GMT-Master. The 16550's caliber 3085 is the movement that also powered the GMT-Master II 16760.
 
== Related families ==
 
* [[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] — the original line, with related case design and Mercedes hands but no 24-hour function.
* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] — the shared-movement sibling; the 1655 uses a linked-hand 1575 GMT and the 16550 uses caliber 3085.
* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — a parallel tool line whose references moved through successive movement generations.
 
== Shared references ==
 
* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any Explorer II from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the calibers used across the Explorer II line
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://newsroom.rolex.com/watches/oyster-collection/explorer-ii The Rolex Explorer II Models] — Rolex Newsroom
* [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
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/tooled-rolex-explorer-ii-reference-1655/ Tooled Up: The Rolex Explorer II Reference 1655] — Ross Povey, Revolution
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/tooled-rolex-explorer-ii-reference-1655/ Tooled Up: The Rolex Explorer II Reference 1655] — Ross Povey, Revolution
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* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-3085/ Rolex Caliber 3085 Complete Guide] — Millenary Watches
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-3085/ Rolex Caliber 3085 Complete Guide] — Millenary Watches
* [https://www.beyondthedial.com/post/collector-guide-the-rolex-explorer-ii-all-references-in-detail/ Collector Guide: The Rolex Explorer II — All References in Detail] — Beyond The Dial
* [https://www.beyondthedial.com/post/collector-guide-the-rolex-explorer-ii-all-references-in-detail/ Collector Guide: The Rolex Explorer II — All References in Detail] — Beyond The Dial
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Morning Tundra
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra


[[Category:Explorer II]]
[[Category:Explorer II]]
[[Category:Family Index]]
[[Category:Family Index]]
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