2022 Rolex Explorer II Black Dial 42mm New Reference 226570
Ref: 226570
Specification
Lugs : 21mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : Manufacturer's Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Rolex box, swing tags and paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original brushed 21mm Rolex OysterSteel three-piece Oyster bracelet, OysterLock clasp has 5mm Easylink micro-adjustments and is a full-sized bracelet. The watch is from March 2022 and is sold in worn, but overall, it is in fair condition with light wear visible, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with its Manufacturer's Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19bE23r-TG9oHANNsILT10FFGEcXJyHKf?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 5:05 - https://youtu.be/DIsq7XtOahY
The Watch
Here we have a 2022 Rolex Explorer II Black Dial New Reference 226570. The Explorer II was specifically made for Spelunkers who are cave explorers; this meant it was built with a particular specification and ultra-durability. A curvaceous 42mm Rolex OysterSteel Oyster case, the tapered lugs gently curve over your wrist with a lug-to-lug length of 49.5mm and a thickness of 12mm, giving the watch an impressive wrist presence. Polished and brushed surfaces transition with crisp flowing lines showcasing the understated profile. On the right side is a Twinlock screw-down signed crown protected by crown guards. The brushed steel fixed bezel has 24-hour engraved and painted black numerals. A sapphire crystal with a cyclops magnification at 3 o’clock sits above the black dial; an outer minute track surrounds the disc and baton indexes filled with Chromalight marking the hours, and at 3 o’clock, a large date window. A Rolex crown at 12 o'clock with “Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date” and “Explorer II” in orange, at 6 o’clock “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. The White Gold Mercedes's hands are filled with Chromalight complemented by an arrow-tipped orange GMT hand and lollipop sweeping second-hand; the GMT hand circles the dial once every 24 hours, and the hour hand can be adjusted forwards or backwards independently of the minute and second hands. On the reverse, a coin-edged screw-down case back, inside an automatic Rolex Cal. 3285, 31 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour, Superlative Chronometer is their in-house version of testing that goes beyond COSC specifications. The watch comes paired with its brushed Rolex 21mm three-piece OysterSteel Oyster bracelet; the folding OysterLock clasp has 5mm Easylink micro-adjustments that simplify adjusting the bracelet; all links are provided and also comes with its Rolex presentation box, swing tag and papers.
Personal Note
Whilst I do personally prefer the older 40mm Explorer II on my wrist, I cannot deny the surprising comfort of this new reference 226570 in 42mm! This is definitely a watch to try on before ruling it out for you if you feel it may be too large for your wrist, with under 50mm lug to lug it is rather compact. The black dial works beautifully, as you would expect, especially with the super bold hands and indices throughout contrasting perfectly with the iconic pop of orange. Do not hesitate to add this watch to your collection today!
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 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.