8059
Rolex
Ref. 16570
Explorer II
A sporty stainless steel dual-time wristwatch with date, bracelet, 24-hour indication, guarantee and presentation box
- Estimate
- HK$40,000 - 80,000€4,400 - 8,800$5,100 - 10,300
HK$76,200
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 2000, Switzerland
- Reference No
- 16570
- Movement No
- 8’489’912
- Case No
- A761025, caseback stamps “2180”
- Model Name
- Explorer II
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3185, 31 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, endlinks stamp “78790” and “501B” max length 195mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp, stamps “78790” and “AB1”
- Dimensions
- 39mm diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
- Accessories
- Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped Europe Watch & Optical Co., Ltd, Hong Kong dated 16 April 2000, guarantee booklet, 2000-2001 calendar card, green cardholder, hang tag, cloth and fitted presentation box.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
• Launched in 1971, the Rolex Explorer II was conceived as a companion to the original Explorer I, not a replacement. Designed specifically for spelunkers and cave explorers, it introduced a fixed 24-hour bezel and an additional 24-hour hand to distinguish day from night in environments where natural light is absent.
• Reference 16570, produced from 1989 to 2010, represents the third generation of the Explorer II. It preserved the core design elements of its predecessor, Ref. 16550, including the 39mm case, elongated GMT hand, 100-meter water resistance, and fixed 24-hour bezel. While the aesthetics remained largely unchanged, the movement was upgraded to the slimmer Calibre 3185.
• Early examples of the 16570 featured tritium lume, identifiable by the “SWISS-T<25” marking at the base of the dial. By 1998, Rolex transitioned to non-radioactive Luminova, with dials marked “SWISS” for models produced between 1998 and 1999. From 1999 onward, Super-LumiNova was introduced, accompanied by the “SWISS MADE” inscription.
• The present example, dating to around 2000, is fitted with a glossy black dial and illuminated with Super-LumiNova. The dial is marked “SWISS MADE” at the bottom and features lug holes that allow for easier bracelet removal.
• Offered in excellent condition and paired with its original accessories, the present example is perfect for collectors who appreciate both its practicality and vintage charm.
• Reference 16570, produced from 1989 to 2010, represents the third generation of the Explorer II. It preserved the core design elements of its predecessor, Ref. 16550, including the 39mm case, elongated GMT hand, 100-meter water resistance, and fixed 24-hour bezel. While the aesthetics remained largely unchanged, the movement was upgraded to the slimmer Calibre 3185.
• Early examples of the 16570 featured tritium lume, identifiable by the “SWISS-T<25” marking at the base of the dial. By 1998, Rolex transitioned to non-radioactive Luminova, with dials marked “SWISS” for models produced between 1998 and 1999. From 1999 onward, Super-LumiNova was introduced, accompanied by the “SWISS MADE” inscription.
• The present example, dating to around 2000, is fitted with a glossy black dial and illuminated with Super-LumiNova. The dial is marked “SWISS MADE” at the bottom and features lug holes that allow for easier bracelet removal.
• Offered in excellent condition and paired with its original accessories, the present example is perfect for collectors who appreciate both its practicality and vintage charm.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
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