Affordable Alternatives for the Rolex Explorer I

The Rolex Explorer I is a great watch. It’s got that all-metal build, bold Arabic numerals at three cardinal points and often a simple, sleek black dial. It’s clean, sophisticated and just effortlessly cool. But it’s not exactly a watch that’s easy to get your hands on, or afford, so what if you want the same vibe but something with a healthier price tag? Here are my picks for affordable alternatives to the Rolex Explorer…

The Oris Big Crown ProPilot is such a beautiful watch that offers much of the same cool and classic personality as the Rolex Explorer I. For starters, it can be found in full stainless steel, showcasing an intricately knurled fixed bezel, clean lines and a mix of brushed and polished finishing. The dial is what I love most though. The smooth backdrop is decorated with raised Arabic numerals and three sleek polished hands, all decorated in Super-LumiNova for exceptional readability. You’re also guaranteed a reliable Swiss automatic movement and a 100 metre water resistance, all for less than £2,000.

Price: £1,900

Swiss watchmaker Longines has an incredible selection of sports watches that offer much of the same aesthetic and technology as the Rolex Explorer I. Their Conquest collection in particular is a personal favourite of mine, and if was to pick one from the lot, it’d be the 38mm-wide L3.720.4.52.6. It’s a stunning, affordable and clean sports watch that you could effortlessly throw on for any occasion. It has a stainless steel case and bracelet, a beautifully detailed and stepped black sunray dial and the automatic winding Calibre L888 displayed in full force through the case back.

Price: £2,000

For me, one of the most defining features of the Rolex Explorer I is the large Arabic numerals placed at the three out of four cardinal points. Equally, the first thing I think of when I think of the BALL Engineer III Pioneer is the oversized numerals. This is another compact, 36mm wide sports watch with a full 904L stainless steel architecture and super legible dial. Its standout feature though is its use of tritium gas tubes on the dial. A total of 28 micro gas tubes are used across the hands and numerals to allow for insane night reading – and unlike Super-LumiNova there’s no need to recharge in sunlight.

Price: £1,767

British microbrand Christopher Ward has their own fair share of sports watches to rival the look of the Rolex Explorer, but the one that comes to mind immediately is the Sealander C63. The brand even calls is a classic “sports-explorer” watch, with a compact 36mm wide marine-grade stainless steel case, three-row link bracelet and a Swiss movement. Like the Rolex Explorer I, it’s the dial that gains the most attention, remaining super legible with large baton indexes and a strong arrow-shaped hour hand, all generously coated in glow in the dark lume.

Price: £840

My final affordable alternative to the Rolex Explorer I is the Farer Discovery Black Velvet. I’m a huge fan of Farer; they just have so many insanely affordable and beautiful timepieces that it’s hard to choose a favourite. But the Discovery collection is definitely up there, especially if you want the cool, classic and sporty look of the Explorer. Yet again, it’s another 36mm wide stainless steel watch with Swiss movement, jet black dial with raised Arabic numerals and lovely pipette-shaped hands. It’s a simple but high-contrast design that comes as standard with a relaxed leather strap or you can pay an extra £160 for an additional steel bracelet (a must-have addition in my opinion).

Price: £895