2004 Rolex Explorer II "Polar" White 16570 SEL Full Set
Ref: 16570
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Rolex box, swing tag, bezel protector and Rolex paperwork, including a 2015 RSC. The watch comes paired with its original brushed solid end-link 20mm Rolex Oyster bracelet with a signed Rolex clasp and flip lock, all links are provided. The watch is from August 2004 and is sold in worn condition, but overall very fair condition as you can see. The watch comes with our 12-Months Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h5q7s-Xz2bFMSkcPr4ZeyxYaXhsu0JGi?usp=sharing
4K YouTube video, skip to 3:48 - https://youtu.be/VTHvDGc-w64
The Watch
Here we have a 2004 Rolex Explorer II "Polar" White 16570 SEL Full Set. 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 polished flanks and brushed top surfaces that are exquisitely executed, and a lug-to-lug length of 47mm and a case thickness of 12mm giving the watch an 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 striking Polar White dial, an outer minute track and applied disc, batons, and triangle at 12 o’clock with contrasting black 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 movement is protected from vibration and knocks by the ParaFlex shock absorber. The Automatic Rolex Cal. 3186 features 31 jewels and beats at 28,800 beats per hour, the movement is fitted with a Parachrom hairspring, which offers greater resistance to shocks and to variations in temperature. The watch comes paired with its original brushed solid end-link 20mm Rolex Oyster stainless steel bracelet with a signed Rolex clasp and flip lock, all links are provided and comes with its Rolex presentation box, swing tag, bezel protector and Rolex paperwork, including a 2015 RSC.
Personal Note
The Rolex Explorer II has always been the more affordable sports Rolex when you consider complication and design, usually less than a GMT and around the price of a Submariner, to me that is insane! One of the few white dials that Rolex offers in the sports range, perfect 40mm case, solid end links and this example comes as a complete set down to the bezel protector! I wouldn't hesitate on this one if you are interested.
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.