2006/07 Rolex Explorer II Black Dial 16570 on Bracelet
Ref: 16570
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold “Watch Only” and therefore comes without its Rolex box or Rolex paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original Rolex 13-link full bracelet, brushed solid end-link 20mm Rolex Oyster bracelet with a signed Rolex clasp and flip lock, all links are provided. The watch is from Circa. 2006/07 and is sold in worn condition, but overall very fair condition with a strong well-defined case with crisp leading edges, as you can see from the photographs. A full case and bracelet refurbishment can be provided at an additional cost on request. The watch comes with our 12-Months Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Lnq4fM9goZjxOgWFIJWqRXLOsc2E1qdA?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 7:08 - https://youtu.be/Y8FRsGBEwzs
The Watch
Here we have a 2006/07 Rolex Explorer II Black Dial 16570 on a Bracelet. The Explorer II was specifically made for Spelunkers who are cave explorers, this meant it was built with a particular specification and ultra-durability. The reference 16570 was introduced in 1989, it has a 40mm stainless steel case with well-defined crisp polished flanks and brushed top surfaces that are exquisitely executed, and a lug-to-lug length of 47mm and a case thickness of 11.5mm giving the watch a impressive wrist presence. The TwinLock screw-down crown has been crafted at Rolex and consists of a two-gasket seal system; a stepped fixed bezel has 24-hour black markings. Sapphire crystal protects the black dial, and an outer minute track surrounds the applied disc, batons, and triangle at 12 o’clock with contrasting White Gold outlines marking the hours, all lumed in SuperLumiNova. At 3 o’clock a date window with cyclops magnification on the crystal, the Mercedes’s hands are complimented with the lollipop sweeping second hand and an arrow hand for the 24-hour function made more visible with its red hand and white arrowhead. On the reverse, we have the screw-down case back, inside the Automatic Rolex Cal. 3185 features 31 jewels and beats at 28,800 beats per hour, the movement is fitted with a Nivarox hairspring and was in production from 1989 until 2007 when it was replaced by the Cal. 3186. The watch comes paired with its original Rolex 13-link full bracelet, brushed solid end-link 20mm Rolex Oyster bracelet with a signed Rolex clasp and flip lock, all links are provided.
Personal Note
Now we are back into normal times and out of the crazy COVID market certain models, like this Rolex Explorer II 16570, can be picked up for reasonable prices again! This black dial was produced towards the end of the reference production and features the "no-holes case" referring to the solid end links and, er, no holes in the case for the spring bar... This specific example is in strong condition, featuring thick lugs and appears to have been polished once in its life, I would not hesitate to add this to your collection.
The Brand
In 1905, German-born Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis set up a company in London that imported Swiss movements which were installed in British cases and sold to jewellers who put their names on the dials. Recognising the potential for their brand, Wilsdorf created the brand name Rolex in 1908. In 1910, a Rolex became the first wristwatch to carry the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision, awarded by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland. Demand for Rolex watches rose swiftly, and British taxes on the Swiss movements Rolex used prompted Wilsdorf to move the business to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1919. With production costs lowered, Wilsdorf quickly set out to solve the age-old problem of moisture and dust entering a watch case and damaging the movement. The Rolex watchmakers came up with a fully sealed watch case, which Wilsdorf named the Oyster, and released to an appreciative audience in 1926. In 1931, Rolex introduced the first automatic winding wristwatch, giving it the legendary name Oyster Perpetual. In 1945, they released Datejust. The Datejust was the first watch to have the date jump instantaneously at midnight. The 1950s saw a whole lot of releases such as the Air-King (1958), the Explorer (1953), the Submariner (1953), the GMT Master (1955), the Day-Date (1956), the electromagnetic field resistant Milgauss (1956), the Lady-Datejust (1957) and the first Deep Sea model (1960). Wilsdorf’s death in 1960, saw ownership of Rolex S.A. (a collection of sub-companies) passed to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation which was founded by Wilsdorf in 1945, the mission of which is simply to sustain Rolex S.A. indefinitely.