1991 Rolex Explorer I 36mm Tritium 'Frozen Dial' 14270

Here we have a rare 1991 Rolex Explorer I 36mm Tritium 'Frozen Dial' 14270 featuring a 36mm stainless steel Oyster case that gently curves over your wrist towards the finely tapered lugs. Its curvaceous flanks lead to a lug-to-lug length of 43.5mm and a case thickness of 11mm, giving the watch an impressive wrist presence. On the right side, a screw-down TwinLock signed crown. A smooth bezel holds a flat sapphire crystal above a rare glossy black lacquer ‘Frozen’ dial, visible in certain lights. The lacquer begins to craze, creating the ‘Frozen’ effect. An outer minute track is precisely executed with the applied White Gold baton, triangle and 3, 6 and 9 indexes Tritium T< 25 infilled marking the hours, Mercedes’s hands are complemented by a lollipop counterweighted sweeping second hand, Tritium T< 25 infilled, at 12 o’clock we have the Rolex coronet and “Oyster Perpetual Explorer” printed underneath and at 6 o’clock “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” complete this rugged explorers timepiece. On the reverse, a coin-edged screw-down case back, inside an automatic Rolex Cal. 3000, 27 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour, this workhorse movement was launched in 1990. The watch comes fitted with its 20mm Rolex Oyster 13-link bracelet secured by a folding Oyster clasp.

This watch is sold Watch Only‚ and, therefore, without its Rolex box or paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original 20mm Rolex Oyster 13-link bracelet secured by a folding Oyster clasp. The watch is from Circa. 1991 and is sold in worn condition, but overall it's in very fair condition; the glossy lacquered dial has developed a ‘Frozen’ texture. Very few early 1990s examples developed this effect. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

It is hard to beat a Rolex Explorer I in 36mm as the perfect daily watch; it has won the title of 'GADA' for many years and rightfully so. This 14270 from 1991 takes it a step further and adds a unique twist with its 'Frozen Dial', which is visible in certain lights and is where the lacquer has begun to craze, creating the ‘Frozen’ effect. It won't be for everyone, but if you want something unique, this is one for you. I would not hesitate to book an appointment and see this gem in person for yourself!

Reference : 14270
Movement : Automatic Rolex Cal. 3000
Age : Circa. 1991
Year : 1991
Case Size : 36mm
Case Thickness : 11mm
Lug to Lug : 43.5mm
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box and Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch

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 it 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.