At the Peak of Daily Life: The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer 2021
This article was originally published in the July/August 2022 Issue of the WatchTime print magazine. Photos by Olaf Köster and Rolex.
When you think about a watch for explorers, the first model from Rolex that comes to mind might be the Explorer II or the Submariner, rather than a 36-mm, almost noble-looking, two-tone watch like the Explorer. But if you spend a bit more time thinking about the notion of discovery, you begin to grasp the deeper meaning of an “explorer” — one who sees the world in a completely different way, who can conquer all the facets of everyday life. For this, the Explorer is the right companion.
When Rolex introduced the first Explorer in 1953, it already had a black dial designed for optimum readability in all lighting conditions. The indexes and numerals were luminous, but at that time, they were merely painted on. Preliminary models (Ref. 6098 and Ref. 6150) were also released with black dials, characteristic numerals for the 3, 6 and 9, and “Mercedes” hands. Caliber A296 kept time inside their cases. The Explorer lettering first appeared on the dials of their successors (Ref. 6298 and Ref. 6350) in 1953. Ref. 6610 followed in 1959 with Caliber 1030, which made it possible to build the case with a slimmer back. The hands and minute track were colored gold on these early Explorer models.
In 1963, Ref. 6610 was replaced by Ref. 1016, which encased Caliber 1560 and increased the water resistance from 50 to 100 meters. Pressure resistance to this depth has remained a characteristic of the Explorer to this day, and Ref. 1016 has been manufactured for more than a quarter of a century. Beginning in 1975, it was equipped with Caliber 1570, which provided a stop-seconds function for to-thesecond time setting, and the bracelet was given solid links. The Explorer underwent a complete makeover in 1989, when Ref. 14270 received a new case with Caliber 3000 and a sapphire crystal, as well as a dial bearing applied white-gold indexes filled with luminous material.
In 2001, Ref. 14270 was replaced by Ref. 114270, with solid lugs and Caliber 3130. Later, Rolex’s crown-shaped logo was lasered into this reference’s crystal and Rolex lettering was added to the flange, where it also can be found on the current model. In 2010, the Explorer’s diameter was enlarged from 36 to 39 mm, and this model was also given a wider bezel and a more massive bracelet. The numerals 3, 6 and 9 were now fully rhodium-plated rather than simply filled with white paint. Caliber 3132 was already equipped with a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock protection.
In 2021, Rolex reduced the size of the Explorer from 39 mm to the original 36 mm and equipped the watch with a latest-generation manufacture movement. Automatic Caliber 3230 now offers a 70-hour power reserve instead of the 48 hours of its predecessor. The 3230 also has the Chronergy escapement, which teams up with an optimized blue Parachrom hairspring to provide greater protection against magnetic fields. In addition to the stainless-steel version, Rolex also offers a new two-tone variation in Rolesor, a proprietary combination of Oystersteel stainless steel and 18k yellow gold. This is the version we tested.
At 36.31 mm in diameter and 11.64 mm in height, the two-tone case makes a sporty and elegant impression on the wrist. Rolesor is the name Rolex uses for the interplay of the two metals. The Oystersteel stainless steel embodies strength and reliability, while yellow gold adds preciousness due to its brilliance. Regarded as one of Rolex’s distinctive features, Rolesor has been used since the early 1930s and was registered as a brand name in 1933. It remains a cornerstone of the Oyster collection to this day. On our test watch, this 18k yellow-gold component is used not only for the beautifully gleaming bezel, which adds an elegant touch to this sporty and well-established model, but also for the screw-down Twinlock winding crown, parts of the Oyster bracelet and several details on the dial.
The high-gloss polished bezel is mounted atop the solid stainless-steel monobloc that comprises the middle section of the case. This component is polished to a high gloss on its sides and hermetically screwed to the characteristic mattebrushed, finely knurled, screw-in back, which can be opened only with a special tool. A slightly protruding but flat and anti-reflective sapphire crystal seals the case at the top. Fixed connective pieces between the lugs join the case to the Rolesor bracelet.
Toward the clasp, some parts of the stainless-steel and yellow-gold elements of the three-row Oyster bracelet, which was first developed in the 1930s, are screwed so that the bracelet’s length can be adjusted to fit the wearer’s wrist. The one-sided folding Oysterlock clasp has three attachment points for the bracelet. The Easylink extension mechanism is a fold-out element that can be used to add or subtract 5 mm from the bracelet’s length. A movable and very robust hinged component in the folding clasp and a safety bar assure that the Explorer remains comfortably and absolutely securely fastened to the wearer’s wrist.
A Rolex crown serves to open the safety bar, while another such logo with two dots adorns the screw-down Twinlock winding crown. The two dots symbolize the crown’s double sealing system, which contributes to the Explorer’s pressure resistance of 10 bar. Knurling on the yellow-gold winding crown offers a good grip so it can be easily unscrewed, and it jumps smoothly toward you for manual winding. When this task has been completed, a slight springy resistance makes it a pleasure to screw the crown shut again.
The modern manufacture Caliber 3230, introduced two years ago, is operated via the Twinlock crown. Several patents have been applied for or already granted to protect this automatic movement with a bidirectional winding Perpetual rotor. The patented components include Rolex’s Chronergy escapement, which boasts a new geometry that achieves excellent functional reliability and 15 percent greater energy efficiency than a classic Swiss lever escapement. The escapement is made of a nickel-phosphorus alloy so it is also insensitive to magnetic fields. Thanks to its high efficiency and the design of its barrel, self-winding Caliber 3230 offers a contemporary power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The movement also features an optimized version of the blue Parachrom hairspring. Rolex makes this component from a paramagnetic niobium-zirconium-oxygen alloy so the hairspring is insensitive to magnetic fields and temperature fluctuations, while simultaneously remaining up to 10 times more precise than a conventional hairspring when subjected to shocks.
Equipped with a special Rolex terminal curve, the hairspring helps ensure a regular rate in all positions. Rolex also adjusts the rate so it balances out among the several positions. Repeated measurements on our electronic timing machine discovered zero rate deviation. This balancing is just as clever as Rolex’s decision to regulate the movement so it gains slightly in the “dial up” position. Thus, in practice, it never strays into the minus column and always remains neatly within the ambitious standards set by the brand in 2015 for a Superlative Chronometer. This stipulates that the watch must neither gain nor lose more than 2 seconds per day according to COSC’s and Rolex’s certifications. Tests carried out in Rolex’s laboratories and according to the brand’s criteria certify that the accuracy of the Explorer’s rate far exceeds the precision required to earn a COSC certificate. Rolex’s tests also guarantee the specified water resistance, automatic winding and power reserve for everyday use. Rolex offers an international five-year warranty.
The seconds are shown by a slender golden needle that moves very precisely along a scale with 60 white strokes. These markings do double duty as indicators of the seconds and the minutes. Each stroke is neatly printed on the black lacquered dial. The characteristic numerals 3, 6 and 9, along with eight other applied indexes and the orientation triangle instead of the numeral 12, are rimmed by 18k yellow gold. Together with the Mercedes trio of hands, they appear snowy white in daylight and offer a bold contrast against the glossy black background of the dial.
Despite the gold and the shine, there are hardly any reflections and the time is always perfectly legible, even in the dark thanks to Rolex’s brightly luminous proprietary Chromalight paint. The numerals, indexes and hands are filled with a new and particularly powerful version of Chromalight that remains visible for a very long time and not only boasts a handsome shade of blue at night, but also continues to glow longer than its predecessor. In daylight, these elements of the display have a bright white hue, as does the various lettering that specifies the fine qualities of the timepiece. The word “Explorer” has been moved from the 6 to the 12 o’clock position, in other words, to the summit, which the Explorer can conquer just as reliably today as it did in the past.
To learn more about Rolex, click here, and to subscribe to the WatchTime print magazine, click here.