If Rolex makes a steel sports watch, said watch will be highly sought after, if not downright iconic. The Explorer II is both.
Designed for cave explorers in 1971, the sequel to the mountaineering Explorer had unique features that set it apart — most notably, a fixed 24-hour bezel and a luminous 24-hour hand that allowed its wearers to keep tabs on daytime and nighttime hours while exploring areas devoid of sunlight.
That original version, now colloquially called the “Steve McQueen” despite a lack of evidence that the late actor ever wore one, was retired in 1985 and gave way to the general design language that’s still present in the Explorer II of today in both its original black and popular white “Polar” dial guises.
As an iconic Rolex steel sports watch, the Explorer II is understandably pricey at $9,650. Also, as an iconic Rolex steel sports watch, you’re very unlikely to get one at retail price without spending time on a lengthy waiting list, as the current market rate for the watch is about $1,500 above SRP.
But all is not lost if you’re looking to get a watch with Explorer II vibes without spending a fortune. Below, we’ve selected five alternative watches to the Rolex Explorer II that offer similar styling and functionality. Let’s go exploring.
Credit: Source link