The Rolex Explorer was released in 1953, the same year Edmund Hillary conquered Mount Everest
1960 Vintage Rolex Explorer 1016 / Credit: HQ Milton
“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” – Edmund Hillary
On May 29th, 1953, at 11:30 a.m., Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first men to stand on the summit of Mt. Everest.
It is widely accepted that they were equipped with a Rolex Datejust and an Oyster Perpetual during their expedition, although there is also suspicion that an Enicar may have been the watch of choice. Rolex had, in fact, sponsored the event and it is almost certain that Norgay wore his Rolex Datejust on the summit, while Hillary’s Oyster Perpetual, the model that predated the Rolex Explorer and contributed to the Explorer's popularity, is debated as there is much evidence that he instead wore a Smith’s.
Since the 1930s, Rolex had been equipping expeditions with their famous ‘Oyster’ case watches. Through an iterative process of improvement on the Oyster design, Rolex released a line of watches that served as tool watches, with the Explorer being an example, when it was released in 1953.
A vintage Rolex Explorer advertisement
From the initial release of the Explorer in 1953, Rolex continued to innovate within the series by introducing a variety of models. In 1959, the Rolex Explorer ref. 1016 was released. The ref. 1016 was the longest continually manufactured Rolex model until its discontinuation in 1989.
The Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 was released in 1971. This included a metal bezel with a 24-hour clock and an addition of the second hour hand or GMT hand. The introduction of the second hour hand helped tremendously inside cave systems, as it would help wearers know the remaining daylight hours left.
A 1971 vintage Rolex Explorer ref. 1655 / Credit: HQ Milton
The Rolex Explorer II ref. 16550 was then released in 1985, which included a white dial and white hands, earning it the nickname ‘Polar’.
The newest release in the series, the Rolex Explorer II ref. 216570, is now encased in a larger 42 mm case and re-introduced the famous orange arrow second hand, as seen on the 1971 Rolex Explorer model.
Rolex has successfully tested these watches over a variety of different circumstances. They equipped polar expeditions, mountaineering campaigns, and dangerous caving missions. The Rolex Explorer I and Explorer II have been notable companions to some of the world’s best scientists and explorers, and the model continues to carry on the exploratory spirit of Sir Edmund Hillary.
By: Eric Mulder
The Rolex Explorer II ref. 216570 ‘Designed for Exploration’ / Credit: Gear Patrol
Read more:
“Explorer.” Rolex, https://www.rolex.com/watches/explorer.html?ef_id=CjwKCAiAtouOBhA6EiwA2nLKHwOrN5OFUO6dd_gwP_YoPNxOtcx_qI_Yz-_y_xyRu4vfVUE_qzgxzRoC5loQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!141!3!519384190955!e!!g!!rolex%20explorer.
Blowers, Mark. “History of the Rolex Explorer: The Ultimate Tool Watch” Blowers Jewellers, February 13th, 2018, https://www.blowers-jewellers.co.uk/rolex-explorer-history-tool-watch/.
Editor’s note: To dispel confusion about whether or not Hillary really wore a Rolex Explorer, we added that “there is much evidence that he instead wore a Smith’s”.