2001 Rolex Explorer 1 36mm 114270 on Bracelet K Serial
Ref: 114270

Points of Mention

This watch is sold “Watch Only” and therefore without its original Rolex box or paperwork. The watch comes paired with its Rolex Oyster bracelet, 12 links total. The watch is from Circa. 2001 based on Serial and is sold in worn condition. The watch has been polished in the past but remains in all original and fair condition for its age. The watch comes with our 12-Months Warranty.

The Watch

The Rolex Explorer was first introduced in 1953, shortly after the first successful summit of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometers used by the expedition were the forerunner of the explorer, albeit without the name. In 1989 the reference 1016 was discontinued after 26 years of production. To replace it the reference 14270 brought with it modern upgrades such as acrylic crystal to sapphire crystal and a newer movement, the automatic Cal. 3000. During the 90s Rolex switched from tritium to Luminova and from 2001 Super LumiNova. Later in 2001, they introduced the reference 114270 which had the updated automatic cal. 3130 and a minor thickness increase from 11.5mm to 12.0mm. Here we have a  2001 Rolex Explorer 1 36mm 114270 on bracelet that has a 36mm stainless steel Oyster case that curves over your wrist with tapered lugs, a lug-to-lug length of 44mm and a thickness of 12mm gives the watch an excellent wrist presence. This is the last version to have a 36mm case due to Rolex introducing the reference 214270 at Baselworld increasing its size to 39mm in 2010, until recently Rolex has again brought back the iconic 36mm size. Its polished and brushed surfaces transition perfectly towards tapering lugs. On the right is a large screw-down crown, its polished smooth bezel holds a flat sapphire crystal. The glossy black dial has applied white gold framed Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9. with white gold framed baton indexes infilled in Super Luminova, elegant Mercedes’s hands are also Super LumiNova infilled. At 12 o’clock we have the Rolex motif “Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer” and at 6 o’clock “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. On the reverse, a coin-edged screw-in case back, inside an automatic Rolex Cal. 3130, 31 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour, COSC Chronometer Certified movement. The watch comes fitted on its Rolex stainless steel Oyster bracelet with a signed deployment clasp and solid end links, polished sides and brushed links give the watch a quality finish.

Personal Note

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 are 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 the 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.