Conquering new heights
An iconic dial with optimal legibility. Robustness designed to withstand every challenge.
Created in the wake of the historic ascent of Everest in 1953, the Oyster Perpetual Explorer was among the first of Rolex’s Professional watches. A faithful and precise companion, it is designed to face the elements, push boundaries and overcome the odds.
Essential qualities
With its Superlative Chronometer certification and numerous Rolex watchmaking innovations, the Explorer is a faithful, precise and legible companion in any circumstance.
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Catch and release
This is a high-performance barrel. This component stores then distributes the necessary energy to the calibre in optimal fashion.
Chromalight
This is our Chromalight display. Unveiled in 2008, it offers optimal and long-lasting legibility in the darkest of surroundings thanks to a luminescent substance developed by Rolex and patented.
Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
On 29 May 1953, at 11.30 a.m., Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, members of a British expedition equipped with Oyster Perpetual watches and led by Sir John Hunt, were the first climbers to reach the 8,848-metre (29,029 feet) summit of Mount Everest.
Traits of character
These are lugs. Carved into the same material as the middle case of which they are the natural extension, they form the crucial bridge linking the bracelet and the watch.