Oyster Perpetual

Explorer II

Pierce the darkness

Day and night

Some places are still home to undiscovered secrets. With the launch of the Explorer II in 1971, Rolex reaffirmed its desire to support humanity in its perpetual quest for knowledge. Featuring a Chromalight display and recognizable for its orange hand and 24-hour graduated bezel, this watch enables the wearer to separate daytime from night-time, providing better guidance for explorers and scientists when external elements no longer suffice.

A decisive tool for explorers who push back the boundaries of knowledge.

At the edge of the world

The Explorer II allows the wearer to clearly distinguish daytime from night-time hours thanks to its 24-hour display comprising an additional orange hand and a fixed graduated bezel.

With this added function, the watch offers essential information for expeditions in territories where time markers disappear. For example, environments that are constantly dark, such as caves, or in polar regions, when the sun never rises or sets.

For the same reason, the Explorer II displays the date, which is also essential in situations of absolute solitude when there is no clear distinction between day and night.

The Explorer II has become the watch of choice for speleologists who delve into the bowels of the Earth and explorers traversing the poles. It accompanies those whose discoveries broaden the horizon of our knowledge to better preserve the planet.

The ideal ally when uncovering the mysteries of the Earth.

Optimum legibility in all conditions

Launched in 1971, the Explorer II is the worthy heir to the Explorer and shares its same qualities of resistance to extreme conditions. Perfectly waterproof and able to withstand icy polar conditions, it is distinguishable from its predecessor by its unique face.

The Explorer II presents a black or white dial, free from superfluous detail, and large hour markers in simple shapes: triangles, circles and rectangles. These geometric markers, characteristic of Rolex Professional watches, enable reliable and instant time reading.

This quality is particularly noticeable on the Explorer II version with a white dial, against which contrast its matt black hour markers and hands: an exception at Rolex.

The dial combines this refined and precise aesthetic with the performance of the Chromalight display, further improved in 2021 thanks to the use of a new luminescent material, to guarantee optimum legibility in all circumstances.

Accompanying exploration to the frontiers of the known world.

Discovering and protecting ecosystems

Numerous explorers and scientists have become Rolex Testimonees over the decades. The Explorer II accompanies them in their exceptional accomplishments at the frontiers of the known world.

Conscious of the human impact on climate and ecosystem stability, these men and women tirelessly continue to push the limits of our knowledge. Their research is now aimed at observing the planet, to better preserve it.

Since 2019, as part of its Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex has supported numerous projects and expeditions aimed at increasing knowledge, improving human well-being and protecting the environment in order to make our planet perpetual.

Explorer II

Oyster, 42 mm, Oystersteel

Discover this model

Discover more