Rolex Explorer

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The Rolex Explorer History

The story of the Explorer, the first “professional” Rolex model, is tied to an incredible adventure that testifies to its technical and scientific features: John Hunt’s Everest expedition of 1953. New Zealand mountaineer and explorer Sir Edmund Hilary, accompanied by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay from Nepal, reached the summit of the highest mountain in the world wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. This model was a prototype of the Explorer, custom-made for the occasion with a leather strap instead of the usual steel bracelet. For Rolex, the Everest expedition was the perfect opportunity to test its watches in extreme conditions (sudden changes in temperature and high atmospheric pressure) as well as an important occasion to promote them: the name Explorer is forever bound to the legendary Everest ascent.
The very first prototypes of the model were produced in 1952 however, based on the so called ‘Ovettone’ watches. Although still only identified as Oyster Perpetual, the first two references (6098 and 6150) are characterised by a solid case and an easily readable dial with larger hour markers than normal at 3, 6 and 9 o’ clock. Reference 6098 has a light-coloured dial with appliqué indices and metal leaf hands whilst reference 6150, with a black dial and luminous tritium indices, was the first to carry the so-called explorer dial, with Arabic numerals and Mercedes hands.
In 1953 reference 6098 became 6298 and reference 6150 became 6350.
The standard black glossy dials with luminous Arabic numerals for 3, 6 and 9 o’ clock would become a dominant characteristic of these models. The chapter ring is bordered, thus connecting the minute notches, the inscriptions in gold and two different types of hand: Pencil or Mercedes. The first honeycomb and dress dials appeared around the same time.

The official registration of the Explorer name came about in January 1953 but the name of the model appeared for the first time with the reference 6350 at the 6 or 12 o’ clock position. The first models had Oyster bracelets riveted with tube tailpieces preceding flush fit ones.
At the end of the 1950s two more economical models appeared on the market with references 5500 and 5504, both with the inscription Precision or Super Precision at the 6 o’ clock position and calibre 1530.
Around the mid-1960s Rolex made the Space-Dweller, based on the Explorer 1016. This was a special series produced in celebration of the NASA astronauts’ visit to Japan. The model, distributed only on the Japanese market, bears the inscription Explorer instead of Space Dweller on the dial.
Starting from 1959 the reference 6610 was no longer produced as it was replaced by reference 1016.  In 1965 the model underwent certain modifications: a new dial, still polished black with gold inscriptions/writings but with an un-bordered chapter ring, the inscription SWISS at the 6 o’ clock position was changed to SWISS-T < 25, luminous appliqué tritium indices instead of engraved, new 1560 and 1570 calibres instead of 1530. Rolex Explorer 1016 production stopped in 1990 when the new reference 14270 appeared. This was replaced recently by the reference 114270 with an Oysterlock bracelet.