Rolex Explorer Ref. 114270, circa 2006

Identity

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer Ref. 114270, circa 2006. Automatic Calibre 3130. Stainless steel Oyster case, 36 mm diameter, screw-down crown. Smooth stainless steel bezel. Lacquered black dial, luminescent Arabic numerals 3, 6, and 9 and a triangle at 12 o'clock, baton indexes at other positions, stainless steel Mercedes hands. Sapphire crystal. Rolex stainless steel Oyster bracelet and signed deployant clasp.

Watchmaking Context

The Explorer was introduced by Rolex in 1953, following the ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in May of the same year. The first references — 6298, 6150, 6350, and 6610 — established the visual signature of this legendary model: stainless steel Oyster case, smooth bezel, 100-meter water resistance, black dial with luminescent Arabic numerals 3, 6, and 9 and a triangle at 12 o'clock, Mercedes hands. The Ref. 1016 anchored the lineage from 1963 to 1989. It was succeeded by the Ref. 14270, produced from 1989 to 2001, the first to feature sapphire crystal and a modern lacquered dial, equipped with the Calibre 3000. The Ref. 114270 took over from 2001 to 2010 with the Calibre 3130. The Explorer II, a parallel line opened in 1971 with the Ref. 1655, integrated a fixed 24-hour hand and a 24-hour engraved bezel, originally intended for speleologists; the Ref. 16570 adopted these codes from 1989 to 2011.

Personality

Perfectly preserved lacquered black dial, Mercedes hands and applied indexes finished with Super-LumiNova.

Watch serviced. Very good condition. Delivered with the brand's box and the 24-month Contre-Temps warranty certificate.