Rolex attracts buyers from all walks of life. The brand’s superpower is that its reputation as a maker of luxury commodities and status symbols is, perhaps, more important than the watches it makes. But despite the fact many ardent fans of horology (especially those who like nothing more than seeking out the next bit thing or obsessing over the minutiae of movement advancements) might look down their noses at the products Rolex rolls out around the world, they are, somewhat frustratingly, truly excellent.
It would be oh-so-easy to criticise Rolex more keenly if only its watches weren’t so superbly built and finished. Yes, they are not the most exciting in terms of their mechanics or aesthetics, but they are iconic. Almost every family (with the exception of the occasionally wayward Cellini line) is stuffed full of archetypes. If you think a Rolex Submariner is boring and commonplace, that might have something to do with the fact that Rolex made that style as popular as it has become. If you find the Rolex GMT Master II about as humdrum as a GMT watch can be, remember that Rolex wrote the book on what a GMT watch should look like and has constantly refined its invention to ensure it is still a market leader in readability and usability.
And they are perhaps as iconic as they are because they are, first and foremost, tools built to last. They are tough, tireless companions that keep ticking no matter what you throw at them. For that reason, they are ideal watches for explorers, adventurers, and those who love the great outdoors.
The Rolex Explorer II 40 mm
Rolex Explorer II - Credit WatchGecko
It may low-hanging fruit (as are the next two picks), but let’s get the obvious ones out of the way quickly (because the top two picks on this list will definitely surprise you).
The 40 mm Explorer II is a much-missed classic. Prices are coming down every day at the moment and you can now pick up an excellent example from the last twenty years for around £7,000. Not so long ago, you would have struggled to find one in good condition with its box and papers for less than 10k. While we might not have reached the absolute bottom of the pricing slide, it seems unlikely these will ever dip below 5k again and the price you have to pay right now seems more than fair for the product.
The Rolex Explorer
Rolex Explorer - Credit WatchGecko
Although often associated with Hilary and Tensing’s successful 1953 summiting of Everest, this was not the watch the famous Kiwi and Nepali wore on their journey to the top of the world. However, it was developed with such endeavours in mind and has come to be associated with the boundary-breaking men and women who risk life and limb to expand our knowledge of planet Earth. Its credentials, true versatility, and wearability are the stuff of legend and it is an obvious choice for this list.
The Rolex Explorer II Black Dial
Rolex Explorer II on ZULUDIVER Mayday Regatta Sailcloth Divers Watch Strap - Credit WatchGecko
The Polar white dial often steals the limelight, but it’s the black dial I would choose to accompany me up a mountain or, perhaps more appropriately, down a cave.
While it isn’t often shouted about, the Rolex Explorer II is the watch world’s preeminent “spelunking” watch and was actually built with speleologists (cavers and potholers) in mind when it was released in 1971 (to little fanfare at the time, I might add), with the 24-hour hand particularly useful for people spending a lot longer underground than most of us (trolls, internet and otherwise, excluded) could imagine.
Despite its lukewarm reception upon release, the Explorer II has evolved into a modern classic and is an absolute slam-dunk choice for anyone who fancies themselves a wild-weather warrior.
The Rolex Milgauss (any of them)
2019 Rolex Milgauss Black Dial 116400GV - Credit Kibble Watches
Of all the things Rolex has done in the last few years, the one I understood the least was the discontinuation of the Milgauss. It was a beautiful, unusual, extremely charming model line with just a handful of modern references ever released within it. The green sapphire crystal (which was actually only available on a couple of references) was fabled and the clear-sapphire models with the white dial and black dial were oozing with personality in their own right.
The electricity bolt seconds hand was the most gloriously “un-Rolex” thing Rolex has ever done (until, perhaps, the release of the jigsaw-dial Day Date last year), but it was incredible. It promoted what would otherwise have been a very staid design to the front of the queue. It was the perfect Rolex for someone who wanted a Rolex watch but didn’t want to be like everybody else. It, above all other models in the catalogue, had heart.
And let’s not forget that this model was designed for scientists working around magnetic fields to withstand those disruptive influences. That’s why it makes it onto this list. The Milgauss may well have been conceived for the lab, but it thrived in the field. It is the perfect watch for anyone who flies, visits the poles, or interacts with haunted/cursed/spiritually powerful objects a la Indiana Jones.
If you don’t believe me, watch the last scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark and tell me that Indy wouldn’t have chosen a Milgauss to be on his wrist the moment the Ark was opened above all other Rolex watches. I don’t know if ghosts are magnetic, but I’d rather be on the safe side…
If you’re looking for an unexpected watch for exploring, pick up a pre-loved Milgauss (they can be had for around £8,000 these days). Take it off the bracelet and stick it on an almost comically cheap fabric strap. Then spend a few years bashing it into rocks or on the sides of planes as you jump out of them, or scratching it on a shark’s tooth as wrestle with it for dear life, and tell me it wasn’t the right watch for you. I think you’ll agree, it definitely was.
The Rolex GMT Master II “Coke”
Rolex GMT Master II “Coke” - Credit WatchGecko
The Rolex GMT Master II “Coke” with its black and red bezel no longer exists in the current catalogue. It was discontinued in 2007 and it STILL hasn’t returned despite the Pepsi (with its blue and red bezel) being given an update in 2018 (and breaking the internet and the hearts of everyone who wanted one at the time but couldn’t get one in the process).
The craziest thing about this is how much better the execution of the Coke’s iconic colourway would be than the modern Pepsi bezel. While it isn’t advertised by Rolex (for obvious reasons), the blue of the Pepsi bezel has a slightly purplish hue in some lights because of the way Rolex produces its bi-colour Cerachrom inserts. Cerachrom is Rolex’s special word for the material that replaced aluminium (which itself replaced the original Bakelite bezels) inserts. It comes from CERAmic and “Chrom” the Greek word for colour.
Amazingly, the entire bezel starts life as red (which is hard enough to produce as it is, but that’s a subject for another article). Before the sintering process, the nighttime hours of the bezel from 6 pm to 6 am are treated with a different chemical compound that reacts with the ceramic at high temperatures (around 1600 degrees Celsius), turning that part blue.
Or, should I say, a purply blue…
Rolex GMT Master II “Coke” - Credit WatchGecko
Anecdotally, at least, Rolex has improved the blueness of its blue in the six years since the original release of this reference (126710BLRO) in 2018, but it would never have been an issue to begin with had the black of the Coke been deployed instead…
Furthermore, the old-generation Cokes from the turn of the century were a lovely mixture of the old Rolex and the new. They were very well made but had a little more of the rugged charms of yesteryear about them. They were smaller, slimmer, and lighter. And, crucially, they had aluminium bezels which are liable to get scratched to hell when you subject them to knocks. That’s what you want from an adventure companion.
There’s something a little more devil-may-care about the Coke. It always seemed like the Pepsi’s bigger, tougher brother. Sure, he wasn’t the prettiest sibling, maybe, but he was edgy and cool and felt a lot more like the kind of guy who would forge his own path. That’s why the old Coke makes it onto the list in such a lofty position.
Rolex GMT Master II “Coke” - Credit WatchGecko
Rolex attracts buyers from all walks of life. The brand’s superpower is that its reputation as a maker of luxury commodities and status symbols is, perhaps, more important than the watches it makes. But despite the fact many ardent fans of horology (especially those who like nothing more than seeking out the next bit thing or obsessing over the minutiae of movement advancements) might look down their noses at the products Rolex rolls out around the world, they are, somewhat frustratingly, truly excellent.
It would be oh-so-easy to criticise Rolex more keenly if only its watches weren’t so superbly built and finished. Yes, they are not the most exciting in terms of their mechanics or aesthetics, but they are iconic. Almost every family (with the exception of the occasionally wayward Cellini line) is stuffed full of archetypes. If you think a Rolex Submariner is boring and commonplace, that might have something to do with the fact that Rolex made that style as popular as it has become. If you find the Rolex GMT Master II about as humdrum as a GMT watch can be, remember that Rolex wrote the book on what a GMT watch should look like and has constantly refined its invention to ensure it is still a market leader in readability and usability.
And they are perhaps as iconic as they are because they are, first and foremost, tools built to last. They are tough, tireless companions that keep ticking no matter what you throw at them. For that reason, they are ideal watches for explorers, adventurers, and those who love the great outdoors.
