Rolex Explorer 114270

After the two-tone Datejust and Submariner, the Explorer is possibly one of the most easily recognizable of all Rolex models. With its black dial, large luminous triangle marker at 12, and luminous arabic numerals for the other quarters, it is the perfect mixture of a sport and a dress watch. It seems to have been around as long as there have been Rolexes, but that is not exactly true.

The iconic Explorer is one of the simplest and classic pieces to fall out of the Rolex Professional range. The Oyster Perpetual Explorer Ref. 14270 was heavily criticized by Walt Odets, but since then Rolex has upgraded the Explorer movement with the new movement 3130, which is now shared among Rolex Professional range like Submariner and Sea-Dweller. The design largely remains the same, with some improvement on the Solid End Link.

Though Explorer had later become a classic watch, its origin was that of a "tool" type watch. It actually was developed for explorers, and was used by members of the successful 1953 Everest expedition as well as other expeditions before and after. However, as with most legends, finding the truth is never simple.

The generally accepted origin of the Explorer is that it was first designed and made in honor of Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay, who, on May 29, 1953, were the first to reach the summit of Everest and who did so wearing Rolex wristwatches. The only problem with this hypothesis is that it can not possibly be true. The climbers on Everest were, in fact, wearing Explorers, so the watch had to have been introduced before the climb and not after. One of the watches worn on that expedition was auctioned by Sotheby's London on July 19, 1988 was a classic early Explorer except for the absence of the word "Explorer" on the dial. The shape of the watch land the description by Sotheby's as a "Bubble Back" Explorer leads us to believe the watch is in fact a model 6350.

While it is true that many of the members of the successful Everest expedition were issued with Rolex watches, the embarrassing fact for Rolex was that only one of the two climbers at the top was wearing a Rolex. This watch, worn by Tenzing Norgay, is now in the Rolex Museum in Geneva. Although Rolex was an official supplier to the Everest expedition, so was the English watch company Smith's and Edmund Hilary chose to wear a Smith's watch. In the end it was the Rolex publicity machine that triumphed.

The 1016 Explorer was the longest running of all the Rolex models, being in production from 1963 right through to 1989, when, to the astonishment of the Rolex retailers, it was removed from the new catalog. It was only six months before a new very heavily revised Explorer arose from the ashes of the 1016. The new model, bearing the model designation 14270, sported a new case, dial, movement, and glass. This was the watch that Walt Odets criticized in his detailed analysis.

In 1999, a new movement called the 3130 replaces the caliber 3000 in the Air King and Explorer. The 3130 is distinguished from the 3000 by several features - while it still beats at 28,000bph it now uses a balance bridge rather than a balance cock and also has a Breguet overcoil hairspring, this means that now all Rolex movements will feature these two company signatures. The new Explorer will bear a new serial number 114270 and will not only have the new movement but also a new bracelet with solid end links.