Best of both worlds (look away, purists) - ORANGE HAND 16570

[matt.wu]

Thought I'd post about this here, since I've seen similar questions about "is this possible" in the past.

The Explorer II family is my absolute favorite in the Rolex lineup, vintage or modern. The idea of the watch really appeals to me - purpose built by Rolex, truly a tool watch having never been made in gold, relatively unrecognizable as a Rolex...

I have had pretty much every iteration available (1655, 16550 black, 16570 cream dial, 16570 black and white, 216570 black and white) and still have the 1655 and 16570 white. Were I a "collecting" type, I'd definitely collect every watch in the Explorer II family.

However, I'm more of a "find the perfect daily wearer" type of guy. I love my 1655, but found myself a little bugged by the rattling in the end links, even after 2+ years of trying to get accustomed to it. The 216570 is too gaudy for my taste, personally, but I really wanted an orange hand. So what's a guy to do? Send it off for mods! All original Rolex - just a little paint added.

I found a 16570 in beautiful condition and here's the end result. I'm VERY happy with it: