Time for wanderlust - Rolex Explorer II
Precision meets adventure, technology meets dream: the Rolex Explorer II is not just a watch, but a promise.
Naturally – as if there were any need to mention it specifically – this watch displays the time. With almost unbelievable accuracy, in fact. Rolex has also bestowed it with the title of “Superlative Chronometer” – a title that goes far beyond the usual certification for precision watches. And promises a daily deviation from atomic time in the mechanical models of ± 0.0023 percent at the very outside. That is an infinitesimal figure: applied to a distance of one kilometre, it would correspond to 23 millimetres. But that’s not what this is really all about. It’s actually about longing. About a yearning for far-off places. About dreams. Even though we’re looking at a watch that packs extremely useful practical functions. The name alone: Explorer. Fantastic. A manifesto. A promise. It evokes memories of a bygone era when there were still unexplored, blank areas in hand-coloured atlases. And unconquerable summits. Like Mount Everest, for example.
THE NAME ALONE
EXPLORER. A MANIFESTO.
Can be admired in the Beyer Clock and Watch Museum: the Rolex Oyster Perpetual worn by
Sir Hillary on the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953
Sir Hillary on the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953
Mount Everest is a good example: on his first ascent in 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary actually wore a Rolex Oyster Perpetual on his wrist, which reliably accompanied him through heat, cold and the thin air. Together with Tenzing Norgay, he reached the summit on 29 May – a triumph of willpower. And for Rolex, proof that its new developments guarantee maximum chronometric precision even under extreme conditions.
INSTRUMENT FOR DAYDREAMING
In the euphoric mood after the expedition, the robust, easy-to-read Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer was presented to the public. And Sir Hillary’s watch found its way into the collection of the Beyer Clock and Watch Museum. There it lies, almost modestly, in its display case. And yet it is of inestimable value, as it tells of a moment when history was made by a man and his watch.
But back to the Explorer II. Its magic lies in the orange-coloured hand – and in the bezel with the 24-hour graduation. Its original purpose was to help the wearer to distinguish between day and night, for example during weeks-long cave expeditions deep underground, where there’s no way of knowing when the sun rises or sets. That was the kind of adventure it was originally designed for.
Because the hand can be adjusted independently, it also turns the watch into a GMT instrument. This handy feature lets you keep an eye on a second time zone – for example, your home time in Switzerland while you are in Bali. Thanks to the 24-hour graduation, you can also see at a glance whether it is nine o’clock in the morning or nine o’clock in the evening back home. Or the other way round: you can check if it’s okay to call your business partner in Los Angeles from Geneva – or if they might still be fast asleep.
On the other hand, anyone who finds themselves stuck at home can use the Explorer II as an exquisite instrument for daydreaming. Have you always wanted to travel to Timbuktu, Bora-Bora or Zanzibar? All you have to do is set the orange-coloured hand to the local time there. Then look at your watch occasionally. Close your eyes. And immerse yourself in your mind’s eye in the local time zone.
Pierre-André Schmitt is considered one of the foremost watch journalists in Switzerland. For beyond, he takes a closer look at Rolex models.
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