Buying guide: Explorer II Certified Pre-Owned
The Explorer II was made for cavers and explorers who need to tell day from night with no natural light, thanks to its orange 24-hour hand and a fixed graduated bezel — not a rotating GMT bezel like the GMT-Master II's, a common misconception among those less familiar with the model.
Main references
- 216570 — produced from 2011 to 2021, 42mm case, orange hand coloured only on its upper half, calibre 3187 movement.
- 226570 — the current version since 2021, calibre 3285 movement with 70 hours of power reserve, a fully orange hand, and anti-reflective coating on both the crystal and the Cyclops lens.
What to check before buying
Make sure the 24-hour GMT hand moves correctly: on these references (216570 and 226570) it can be set independently just like on the GMT-Master II, through the same local-hour hand that "jumps" one hour at a time without stopping the movement. The real difference from the GMT-Master II is the bezel, which is fixed rather than rotating: that limits the watch to two time zones (local plus one), never a third the way the GMT-Master II's rotating bezel allows. On white dials (nicknamed "Polar" and highly sought after), the yellowing people talk about concerns only the vintage reference 16550 (1985-1989), due to a lacquer defect Rolex later fixed: on a 216570 or a 226570, white turning cream is not normal and should be treated as a red flag (a refinished or non-original dial).
Why CPO makes sense for this model
Being a tool watch designed for extreme conditions, a certification that includes checking the GMT hand and the graduated bezel offers an added guarantee of function beyond a simple cosmetic check from an uncertified seller.