2021 Rolex Explorer I Two-Tone 36mm Steel & Gold 124273

Here we have a 2021 Rolex Explorer I Two-Tone Steel & Gold 124273 featuring a curvaceous 36mm 904L OysterSteel and 18ct Yellow Gold case, complete with tapered lugs. The polished and brushed surfaces transition with crisp edges. This combination of Steel and Gold is called Rolesor, derived from the brand's name and “Or,” which is French for gold. Rolex patented Rolesor as early as 1933. The Rolex Explorer was developed over 20 years, beginning in the 1930s, in extreme environments. The goal of the watch was to create the perfect mountaineer's tool, keeping the perfect time at -50°C (-58°F) with 70% less oxygen than at sea level. A lug-to-lug length of 43mm and a thickness of 11.5mm ensure a comfortable fit on your wrist. On the right side, a Twinlock double sealing system is featured for the screw-down crown. A smooth, highly polished 18ct yellow gold bezel holds a flat scratch-resistant sapphire crystal above a black dial, the applied highly legible 3, 6, and 9 have an infill of Chromalight, the applied baton indexes have the same infill and the text is precisely printed with the Rolex crown at ‘12’ ‘OysterPerpetual Explorer’’Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified’ printed at 6 o’clock completes this versatile sports watch. On the reverse, a coin-edged screw-down case back, inside we have the Rolex Cal. 3230, considered a very accurate automatic movement with Chronometer Certification of -2/+2 seconds a day, 31 jewels and beating at 28,800 BPH. The use of a Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring for its speed, it’s 10 times more accurate in case of shocks, resistant to extreme temperatures and unaffected by magnetic fields and gravity. It comes paired with its original 19mm Rolex Oystersteel and 18ct yellow gold bracelet, complete with all links. The watch comes with its Rolex presentation box, swing tags and papers.

This watch is sold with its original Rolex box, swing tags and paperwork. It comes paired with its original 19mm Rolex Oystersteel and 18ct yellow gold bracelet, complete with all links. The watch is from July 2021 and is sold in worn condition, but is overall in very fair condition, coming fresh from a light polish, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with our 12-Months Warranty.

This is the Rolex Explorer 1 steel & gold in 36mm, reference 124273, and when it was first announced, I was a little taken aback as a steel & gold Explorer feels counterintuitive, and it is, but in the modern world of watches most of us aren't climbing mount everest or exploring a cave, so having the option of something a little flashier whilst retaining its Explorer DNA I actually think is a smart move from Rolex as for those not into it, you can still get the core model. I would not hesitate to book an appointment and see this one for yourself, but be warned, it looks fantastic on the wrist!

Reference : 124273
Movement : Automatic Rolex Cal. 3230
Age : July 2021
Year : 2021
Case Size : 36mm
Case Thickness : 11.5mm
Lug to Lug : 43mm
Lugs : 19mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box and Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel & 18ct Gold
Warranty : 12-Months 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 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.