Rolex 124270 Explorer

A checked version of this page, approved on 6 October 2026, was based on this revision.

Explorer → 124270

Rolex Explorer ref. 124270 with a black 3-6-9 dial and Oystersteel bracelet — Rolex Explorer 36 ref. 124270, official product image.

Ref. 124270 is the 36mm Oystersteel Explorer introduced in 2021 alongside the two-tone ref. 124273. It replaced the 39mm ref. 214270; Rolex still lists the steel model in its current catalogue as of October 2026.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	124270
family	Explorer I
catalogue status	listed by Rolex in October 2026
introduced	2021, with ref. 124273
case	36mm Oystersteel
movement	Cal. 3230, self-winding
bezel	smooth Oystersteel
dial	black; 3, 6 and 9 numerals with Chromalight
crystal	scratch-resistant sapphire; coating descriptions differ by source and date
water resistance	100m
crown	screw-down Twinlock
bracelet	Oyster with Oysterlock clasp and Easylink 5mm extension
lug width	19mm in Worn & Wound's review specifications
predecessor	214270, 39mm, introduced in 2010
parallel reference	124273, Oystersteel and yellow-gold Rolesor

Where it sits in the line

The 124270 follows the 39mm 214270 and returns to the 36mm case used by earlier Explorer references. Monochrome dates the 40mm ref. 224270 to 2023. Rolex currently lists both sizes in its Explorer catalogue. See the Explorer family page for the longer sequence from the 6150 onward.

Production outline

Rolex introduced ref. 124270 in 2021 as the steel version of the new 36mm Explorer, beside the two-tone 124273. The pair replaced the 39mm 214270. Rolex's current product page still lists the 124270 in October 2026.

Movement notes

Rolex lists the self-winding Cal. 3230 with an approximate 70-hour power reserve and a -2/+2 seconds-per-day precision standard after casing. Monochrome's 2021 technical listing adds 31 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour and a Chronergy escapement. The 214270 used Cal. 3132; the launch of the 124270 brought the 3230 to the 36mm Explorer.

Dial map

Rolex's current listing specifies a black dial with the 3, 6 and 9 numerals and Chromalight luminescence. Monochrome's 2021 launch review describes the dial as lacquered and identifies the hands and applied markers as white gold. Worn & Wound notes that the Explorer wordmark sits above the hand stack, as it did on earlier 36mm references.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

Rolex specifies a 36mm Oystersteel case, smooth bezel, screw-down caseback and Twinlock crown, with water resistance to 100 metres. Monochrome's 2021 launch specification lists an anti-reflective coating on the sapphire crystal; Rolex's current product page lists scratch-resistant sapphire but does not mention a coating.

Worn & Wound measured its review example at 43mm lug-to-lug and 11.5mm thick. Those are reviewer measurements, not dimensions published by Rolex.

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

Rolex specifies a three-piece solid-link Oyster bracelet, folding Oysterlock safety clasp and Easylink extension of 5mm. Worn & Wound measured 19mm between the 124270's lugs, compared with 20mm on the 214270, and reports a taper from 19mm at the lugs to 14mm at the clasp.

The parallel Rolesor reference

Rolex introduced ref. 124273 beside the 124270 in 2021. Monochrome describes its steel-and-18k-yellow-gold construction, with gold on the bezel, crown and centre bracelet links. It is a separate reference; the 124270 itself is the Oystersteel model.