My First Rolex, The Explorer II 216570 Black Dial

[olorin]

For the longest time, I always thought I would save up and buy a nice vintage Rolex. Perhaps a submariner or a GMT.

So if you read the title of this thread, you'd probably wonder what went wrong (or right) along the way. Read on to find out what happened between then and now.

I think there are mainly 3 reasons that made me hesitant about purchasing a vintage Rolex.
First, the price is just ridiculous. I mean everything is nowadays, but I'm not ready to spend the same amount of money on a vintage piece if I can get a new one with roughly the same price or even way less.

Second, I don't really know whether I can trust the store about the intactness of the piece. Have the hands been changed? Was the dial repainted? I had a very unpleasant experience when my aunt gave me her Rolex, she had it restored and to my horror, it was completely repainted (so yes, technically this Rolex is my second one, but it's the first one that I personally bought). Sometimes it doesn't even come with paper or box. Buying from reputable vintage sellers (e.g. Analog Shift) is not an option since I'm based in Indonesia. To me, there's just too many hassles in buying a vintage piece

And last but not least, It just feels flimsy in my hand. I mean, when I try holding a submariner (ref 5513 I think) in my hands, I feel like the bracelet is about to fall apart. Obviously that was just a hyperbole, but you get what I mean. It doesn't feel as solid as a modern bracelet with the double lock clasp that is a standard issue for all Rolex nowadays.

And so with these considerations in mind, I began to search for a modern Rolex timepiece.

Personally, Rolex was never a favorite of mine. I feel that the design is just too simple, but at the same time it's too loud as everyone would recognize it from a mile away, and that it's very ubiquitous.

But a year ago, I was in a watch store and one piece immediately caught my attention. It was The Dark Knight, aka The GMT Master II Batman. I played with it, put it on my wrist, examined it from different angles. And just like that, I was hooked on a modern Rolex.

From that point, I started researching about which piece to acquire. First and foremost, I want a complication that is useful. This of course is a personal reason. I feel that a chronograph or a diving tool watch won't be off any use for me. For this reason alone, the Submariner, Datejust, Milgauss, Air King fell off my radar. Price point is also important, so off goes Sky Dweller and the Day Date (I love the Day Date and I personally feel that day display is an uber cool feature!). And of course it needs to be a sport watch, so Cellini was not considered.

So I was left with the GMT and the Explorer. Going back to my point about Rolex's ubiquity, it's easy to see why I finally succumbed to the charming spell of the Explorer. Also the price is very attractive compared to the GMT (yes, I still want that Batman, it's up next in my acquisition list lol).

The black dial with its mysterious aura quickly won my heart over its more clean looking white dial sibling. And so without much thought, I pulled the trigger when I saw one sold by a reseller (no AD in this damn country or anywhere else has sport Rolex watch, sigh).

And so I thought that was it, I got my first Rolex. Time to move on from Rolex and get another brand. But oh boy, I could not be more mistaken.

The more I play with it, the more I'm amazed at the product that I have in my hands.

Let's start with the bracelet. I always thought the jubilee bracelet was more beautiful, but I couldn't deny the charm of the oyster bracelet that the Explorer has. It just feels solid around the wrist, it commands respect and awe. It just looks clean. At the same time, it is super comfortable.

The clasp is just very well thought out. The spring loaded lock (I don't know what it's called) makes opening and closing the clasp buttery smooth. And if you're keen on keeping your watch as pristine as possible, you just need to pull the clasp lock a bit every time you open or close the clasp. And the cherry on top is the double locking clasp mechanism which to me is a life saver. I can't count how many times my Speedy's bracelet accidentally popped open when the other end of the clasp was stuck to something. The inside part of the clasp that touches my wrist is nicely curved, which contributes to its insane comfort when put on.

And of course the bracelet extension feature is very much appreciated. I'm not sure how common this feature is among other brands or even who first made it, but Rolex's extension feature just simply works and is one of the small features that is unseen and its usefulness can only be appreciated when you put it on and use it daily. To me, this level of attention to the features of a watch speaks louder than a beautiful finish or rare complication (call me practical I guess).

I tested the lume both by intentionally pointing a flashlight to the watch and just seeing how it works normally (e.g. when I step into my car after work). It simply does not disappoint. It's bright and green and coupled with the black dial just looks magnificent.

Setting up the time is a bit complicated to me, but that's what instruction manuals are made for. I especially love the fact that when I pulled the crown all the way, the second hand just stops. And the click feedback I get when I move the local time hour hand is just oh so satisfying! The sweeping second hand just screams quality.

the bezel is what I think separates this Rolex from its peers. It's a smooth brushed steel bezel with the 24 hours marking printed around it. I just simply love its simplicity. To add more on this point, this watch is just super legible. Everything is properly spaced, big but not too big, and is just very clearly printed. The trademark cyclops date window lives up to its legacy too. I suspect I won't be having any problem reading the time of this watch even when I hit my 60s or 70s haha!

But the star, or rather stars, of the show have to be the orange reference time hour hand and the black dial. The black dial gives the illusion of floating hands while the orange hand (along with the orange Explorer II font) just separates this watch from everything else. It makes it bold, distinctive, befitting its name.

I've been wearing it close to 2 weeks now and it keeps the time perfectly. I never really bothered to check for its accuracy though. Perhaps some other time. For now, this watch is as flawless as it can get for me and I'm just happy I pulled the trigger on this one.

TLDR: Bought Explorer II, DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

PS: pics coming soon :)