White Explorer II questions

[scott22]

Hello,

Some questions about the white Explorer II, which I think is a great-looking watch (and might be the next to join my collection)...

Are the hour markers identical in size to the (non-maxi dial) Submariner? In pictures it's a bit hard to tell -- they look a little bigger but I think it's just an optical illusion caused by the different border colors (black vs. silver).

For owners: If you're in your "home" time zone, do you typically leave the 24-hour and 12-hour hands set to the same time? This is probably a silly question. I'm just wondering if anyone uses one of the hour hands in any creative way when they're not traveling. (For example, can you use it as a poor man's chronograph -- setting it to noon when you want to start timing something? Obviously you wouldn't get much granularity but it seems you could see how many hours you are into a flight, etc. And yes, I see some irony in calling a $5,000 watch a "poor man's chronograph!")

If the bracelet is adjusted identically to a Submariner (e.g., same number of links with same micro-pin), will the fit be identical or is there some difference? I understand the Explorer II might be a bit thinner, but I'm not sure how that would affect sizing.

How are the hour markers around the bezel applied? Is it just black paint on top of the stainless steel? How likely are they to scratch or wear off?

What is the water resistance rating on the Explorer II? I seem to recall it's around 100 meters, although they don't put it on the face like they do the Submariner!

And finally, a more general question about Rolex watches. If I buy an Explorer II it will be the third in my collection (I have a black Submariner and the LV Submariner), and there will be little hope of keeping all three wound unless I buy a watcher winder (and I'm not sure I want to). By alternating days on the two Subs I'm able to keep them wound most the time. But I don't mind winding and setting watches -- it's kind of fun. Is there anything bad about frequently winding a Rolex manually and setting the time? (E.g., two or three times a week?) Does this cause more wear and tear than keeping the watch wound by wearing it? I know you're supposed to manually wind them now and then to keep things lubricated -- just not sure if there's a limit on how often you should.

Thanks!

- Scott