The caver's Rolex — a fixed 24-hour bezel and bright orange hand, in Polar white or black, since 1971.
Introduced
1971
Family
Explorer
Current ref.
226570
Calibre
3285
Where the Explorer is pure legibility, the Explorer II answers a specific problem: in caves or polar regions, with no daylight cue, is it 8 a.m. or 8 p.m.? Its fixed 24-hour bezel and a separate 24-hour hand resolve that. The original's bright orange hand became the model's signature.
The white-dial version is universally called the “Polar.” The current 226570 runs calibre 3285 with the independently set local-hour hand the line gained in 1985.
History
The first Explorer II, reference 1655 (1971–1985), had a fixed bezel and a large orange 24-hour arrow — the “Freccione” (Italian for big arrow). Its 24-hour hand was linked to the main hands.
The 16550 (1985) introduced the white “Polar” dial and an independently adjustable hour hand. The 16570 ran for 22 years; the 216570 (2011) grew to 42 mm and revived an orange hand; the 226570 (2021) refined it with calibre 3285.
Reference table
A selective map of the references collectors ask about most — not every variant, but the ones that anchor the line.
| Reference | Years | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1655 | 1971–1985 | Fixed bezel, orange arrow | The “Freccione” |
| 16550 | 1985–1989 | First Polar dial | Independent 24-hour hand; cream-dial examples prized |
| 16570 | 1989–2011 | Polar/black | The long-running modern Explorer II |
| 216570 | 2011–2021 | 42 mm | Larger case, orange hand returns |
| 226570 | 2021–present | 42 mm | Current Explorer II, calibre 3285 |
Years are approximate production windows. Verify the reference and serial against the watch in hand before relying on any figure.
Nicknames
Each nickname maps to a reference and a story. Tap through for the Naples reference guide on each.
Polar
226570
The white-dial Explorer II - high-contrast and unmistakable since 1985.
Reference guide →Freccione
1655
The first Explorer II - reference 1655, with its big orange 24-hour arrow.
Reference guide →Steve McQueen
1655
The disputed nickname for the 1655 Explorer II - a story worth getting right.
Reference guide →In Naples
Naples is a settled, well-travelled collector town, and the Explorer II fits a Gulf-coast life of flights, boats, and Fifth Avenue South dinners. We are a reference, not a dealer — this is context for buyers, not a storefront.
Explorer II FAQ
Its fixed 24-hour bezel and 24-hour hand let you distinguish a.m. from p.m. when there is no daylight cue — underground caving or polar expeditions. On later models the local-hour hand is also independently adjustable, adding a GMT function.
The Polar is the white-dial Explorer II, a nickname for its bright, high-contrast face. It has been offered alongside the black dial since the 16550 of 1985.
The 1655 is widely nicknamed the “Steve McQueen,” but the attribution is disputed — McQueen is more reliably documented wearing a Submariner. We flag the nickname's history rather than treat it as fact.