Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer

Big news this year here at Basel from Rolex. Most people are impressed by the new Rolex Submariner watches in all steel, but Rolex has also updated its popular Explorer model. The classic adventure watch has been upped to 39mm wide in steel, and features a slightly new dial. The case now comes in a better steel, which is grade 904L steel (most chemical and corrosion resistant). The dial has been ever so slightly updated. Newer hour markers and larger hands are most apparent.

The Rolex in-house made calibre 3132 movement is rock-solid and is COSC Chronometer certified. The watch has a sapphire crystal of course and is water resistant to 100 meters. Character of the watch is similar to the Submariner - but it is thinner, opts for a polished bezel instead of a rotating diver's bezel, and has a different style dial. The bracelet is very similar between the two, but the Explorer does not have a glide-lock clasp. For many, the Explorer is a simple, and less expensive Rolex that feels like a fantastic fit on many wrists. Surely fans will be excited as it has been a long time since the Rolex Explorer watch has been updated.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

REFERENCE (CASE / BRACELET): 214270 / 77200

Case
Diameter: 39 mm
Material: 904L steel
Bezel: fixed, smooth
Winding crown: Twinlock
Crystal: sapphire
Waterproofness: 100 m (330 ft)

Movement
Calibre: 3132
Self-winding: Perpetual rotor
Oscillator: frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 beats/hour)
Parachrom hairspring with Breguet overcoil
Paraflex shock absorbers
Precision: COSC-certified chronometer
Power reserve: ~48 hours

Dial
Hour markers: luminescent Chromalight
Hands: luminescent Chromalight

Bracelet
Material: 904L steel
Type: Oyster
Clasp: Oysterlock with Easylink comfort extension link



TO EACH HIS EVEREST

So many attempts were necessary before Everest was finally conquered. It was 29 May 1953 and the heroes of the day, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay, were wearing Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches. So many expeditions all seeking to achieve a proverbially impossible dream, motivated by the simple desire to meet a challenge: “Because it’s there…”

In praise of perseverance
The direct descendent of this fascinating chapter of human adventure, the Explorer persists in expressing man’s irrepressible need for achievement. It continues to precisely embody perseverance, experience and creativity, and celebrate so strikingly the relationships between technical developments, experience in the field, thought and action.

The world as a test laboratory
The Explorer is the incarnation of the privileged relationship that has always existed between Rolex and the outside world. Since the late 1920s, Rolex has been using the world as a laboratory to test its watches under real conditions. In this pioneering spirit, it equipped numerous Himalayan expeditions whose observations have had a direct impact on product development.

A 39 mm case
Faithful to its heritage and unique identity, the new Oyster Perpetual Explorer exemplifies that strength in today’s world, imparting a new elan to the sober and elegant lines which have long established it as an icon. Crafted from a block of 904L steel with exceptional anti-corrosion properties, its slightly larger 39 mm case offers a bolder look and added comfort for the wearer.

New heights in precision
Equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement featuring a Perpetual rotor, a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, it reaches new heights of chronometric precision and resistance to extreme conditions. A reliable and robust timekeeping instrument.