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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.


Five references make up the line: the 1655 with linked-hand day-night logic, the 16550 with the first true GMT function, the 16570 across the long middle run, the 42mm 216570 from 2011, and the 226570 in current production.
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.


== Start here ==
== Common entry points ==


If you only read three articles in the line, read these.
<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>
{| style="width:100%; border-collapse:separate; border-spacing:8px 0; margin:1em 0 1.5em 0;"
<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>
| style="width:33%; padding:14px; background:#f8f8f6; border-left:3px solid #555; vertical-align:top;" | '''[[Reference:1655|1655]]''' — the Freccione. Original orange straight-and-lollipop 24-hour hand, five Mark dials plus two service dials, caliber 1575 GMT shared with the GMT-Master 1675 — the reference McQueen wore and the reference that anchors the line's vintage collecting.
</div>
| style="width:33%; padding:14px; background:#f8f8f6; border-left:3px solid #555; vertical-align:top;" | '''[[Reference:16550|16550]]''' — the transitional Explorer II. First sapphire crystal, first true independent-hour GMT function, black or Polar white dial, and the cream / rail dial paint-defect sub-variant that the catalog tracks as a separate branch.
| style="width:33%; padding:14px; background:#f8f8f6; border-left:3px solid #555; vertical-align:top;" | '''[[Reference:16570|16570]]''' — the long-run modern reference. Twenty-one years of production across four internal versions (V1 tritium through V4 cal 3186), black or Polar white, plus the 2007 SRR military limited edition.
|}


== 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.


* [[Reference:216570|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 ==


Variant taxonomy across the line, in brief:
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''' — about 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 calibers and case architecture with the [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] line. The caliber 1575 in the 1655 is the same caliber 1575 used in the GMT-Master 1675, configured differently: linked-hand on the Explorer II, independent-hour on the GMT-Master. The caliber 3085 in the 16550 is the same caliber 3085 that powered 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 ==
== Related families ==


* [[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] — the original line. Same case lineage, same Mercedes hands, no 24-hour function.
* [[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. Caliber 1575 GMT in the 1655 and caliber 3085 in the 16550 carry over from the GMT-Master family.
* [[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]] — the parallel tool line. Same case-era cadence, same generation-by-generation movement progression.
* [[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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