Explorer and Explorer II
A real-world laboratory

The Oyster Perpetual Explorer and Explorer II both embody the spirit of adventure and the quest to push oneself further. Designed to flourish in even the most demanding environments, they stand out as watchmaking benchmarks thanks to their robustness, legibility and reliability. Their performance has been put to the test on the wrists of explorers and scientists who have made the world into a real-world laboratory.

First areas of exploration

Beginning in the 1930s, Rolex entrusted Oyster watches to pioneering explorers. From the polar regions to the highest mountains, these watches accompanied numerous expeditions in challenging weather conditions. The practical feedback provided by these adventurers proved essential in optimizing and enhancing the reliability of Rolex watches designed for exploration.

1930

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, part of a British expedition

Birth of the Explorer

On 29 May 1953, at 11:30 a.m., Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, members of a British expedition led by Sir John Hunt and accompanied by Oyster Perpetual chronometers, were the first people to reach Everest’s 8,848-metre summit (29,029 feet).

In the wake of this historic feat, Rolex unveiled the Explorer, one of Rolex’s first tool watches. Designed for optimal legibility, it stood out thanks to its distinctive hour markers: numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, baton markers and a triangle at 12 o’clock.

1953

Precision at the summit

An Italian expedition equipped with Oyster Perpetual Explorer watches scaled the second highest mountain in the world, K2 (8,611 metres/28,251 feet). Achille Compagnoni, one of the men who reached the top, wrote afterwards: “Your Rolex watch was with me during the whole expedition and worked perfectly, even above the 8,000-metre mark.”

1954

Kangchenjunga, the world's third tallest mountain peak

Performance at altitude

The world’s third highest peak, Kangchenjunga (8,586 metres/28,169 feet), was summitted for the first time. Several members of the British expedition were equipped with Rolex watches. Among them was geologist and mountaineer George C. Band, who recalled: “I wore my Rolex Explorer throughout this expedition [...] it kept very good time, it wound itself and nothing seemed to harm it.”

1955

The challenge of the Far North

Rolex equipped members of the British Trans-Arctic Expedition with Explorer watches. Their 16-month trek totalling nearly 6,000 kilometres (3,728 miles) led them from Point Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen in Norway, which was the first overland crossing of the Arctic Ocean. Led by Wally Herbert, alongside Allan Gill, Kenneth Hedges and Roy Koerner, this expedition to the North Pole concluded on 6 April 1969 after a winter spent camping on drift ice.

1969

Explorer II, a new benchmark

The Explorer II is recognizable for its additional orange 24‑hour hand and fixed, graduated bezel, which enables the wearer to distinguish daytime from nighttime. It was designed to guide explorers and scientists as much as possible when external elements could no longer do so. The Explorer II also displays the date, an essential feature for when one could no longer tell day from night.

1971

The power of the elements

The renowned volcanologist Haroun Tazieff carried out his research in conditions marked by extreme temperatures and corrosive gases. Worn over his thermal suit, his Explorer II accompanied him into the heart of the most hostile volcanic environments. In 1972, he told Rolex: “It has just passed, with flying colours, its first – and extremely demanding – volcanic test, in very aggressive gases on Mount Etna. It worked perfectly, which was not the case for the watches of my teammates.”

1972

New movement, new features

The Explorer II reached a significant milestone in its technical development. It now featured a more scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, as well as a new movement that allowed the hour hand to be adjusted independently of the minute hand and 24-hour hand. This innovation allowed a second time zone to be displayed simultaneously, thereby enhancing the functionality of this tool watch.

1982

Conquering the Three Poles

Norwegian Erling Kagge made history as the first person to reach the so-called ‘three extremes’, also known as the ‘three poles challenge’: the two Poles and the summit of Everest. In 1990, he skied to the North Pole without any external aid. In 1993, he reached the South Pole, having spent more than 50 days alone and totalling a distance of 1,300 kilometres (808 miles). Finally, in 1994, he reached the summit of Everest. All three feats were achieved with an Explorer II on his wrist.

1994

Beyond limits

Ed Viesturs, a leading figure in high-altitude mountaineering, completed his extraordinary ‘Endeavor 8000’ project equipped with an Explorer II. This long-term achievement made him the first American to climb the world’s 14 highest peaks – those over 8,000 metres in height (26,247 feet) – without supplemental oxygen.

During my expeditions, the Explorer II played a major part in my success – and even in my survival. Time was indeed a key factor in my decision-making.

Ed Viesturs

2005

Improved legibility

From 2010, the Chromalight display further enhanced the legibility of the Explorer and Explorer II models. Brilliant white in daylight, the luminescent material applied to the hour markers and hands emits a lasting blue glow in the dark, ensuring clear legibility in low-light conditions.

2010

A renewed pioneering spirit

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, the Explorer II underwent a significant modernization. The diameter of the case increased to 42 mm, improving legibility and making the watch stand out even more on the wrist. The orange 24-hour hand, a signature feature of the original 1971 model that had been previously discontinued, was reintroduced, reinforcing the watch’s ties to its heritage. Fitted with calibre 3187, the watch includes innovations such as the Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, improving its resistance to shocks and temperature fluctuations.

2011

A touch of refinement

With redesigned cases, optimized legibility and high-performance movements, Rolex unveiled a new generation of Explorer and Explorer II watches. The Explorer became available in a yellow Rolesor version, among other configurations, introducing a touch of refinement while remaining true to its heritage as a pioneering tool watch. The Explorer II, for its part, is now powered by calibre 3285, a movement integrating the manufacture’s latest technological advancements.

2021

Optimized legibility

The Explorer and Explorer II were the first Rolex watches to feature an optimized Chromalight display. Characterized by a brighter white colour in daylight and a longer-lasting blue glow in the dark, the new luminescent material was then gradually integrated into the brand’s other models.