Given the status of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer today as a luxurious companion that demonstrates style and versatility in a luxurious urban setting, it helps to remember that this watch was born out of more rigorous testing.
In the 1930s, Rolex equipped climbers with watches on expeditions in the Himalayas, resulting from decades of field testing in which explorers were forged in the most extreme conditions. In fact, the who sells the best replica watches was launched in the wake of one of humanity’s most epochal expeditions – the conquest of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953.
Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
On his wrist, Sir Hilary wore a Rolex Oyster Perpetual in a 36 mm case, which faithfully ticked along with the two men on their adventure. Typically, Rolex decided to launch the Explorer after such an epic stress test.
So, how far has this groundbreaking tool watch evolved? Even as the Explorer has climbed to new heights of luxury with Rolex, the watch’s wearability and performance have been improved. Past upgrades have included innovations in case construction to improve water resistance and shock resistance, the introduction of a thinner in-house automatic movement for a more ergonomic design, and the reworking of the dial display for improved readability.
The latest addition to the Explorer collection is called the “New Generation” model, ostensibly because these watches have been redesigned from the inside out. The most obvious change is its size: the case of the new generation Explorer is 36mm – a nod to the size of the original replica luxury watches and smaller than the 39mm of its recent predecessors.
Given that sports watches average between 39mm and 42mm in size, the new Explorer’s return to 36mm seems an unusual development. However, even with its smaller size, the new watch will fit well on the wrist of men who average around 16 cm to 16.5 cm.
On the dial, the Explorer’s signature “3”, “6” and “9” numerals continue their familiar look. However, this time, the hands and indexes are coated with Rolex’s so-called “optimized” Chromalight display, which emits a stronger and more permanent blue glow than previous versions. In addition, the “Explorer” name has been moved from the bottom to the top half of the dial, dazzling the eye.
