Rolex Explorer II Ref. 1655 - MK4
When is a Rolex GMT not a GMT-Master?
The Rolex Explorer’s core has always been in rugged expedition. While it was originally born out of the Everest celebratory Explorer I - the Explorer II was designed for cave diving. Officially known as spelunking!
The 1655 Explorers were known as ‘Steve McQueen’s' for an alleged relationship with the actor and racer (spoiler: there is no evidence of a connection or that he ever wore one, but the nickname stuck!) and enjoyed a relatively short production run of roughly 13 years. As with nearly all Rolex models during this time, there were numerous changes throughout the production run.
The example that we have here has what we call a 'Mk4' dial, and dated to circa 1978. The main difference between a Mk1 and Mk4 is the addition of a lollipop seconds hand, which we feel makes this a little more like ‘Rolex-like’ than the bare straight seconds hands of the Mk1. The matte black dial shows a light, even patina across the Tritium elements, with a matching handset and vibrant orange 24-hr hand. The very-likely unpolished case remains thick with honest signs of wear and comes fitted to a solid-link Oyster bracelet with a signed clasp.
A strong, well-rounded example of the Reference!
*Some marks or spots on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal and are due to high intensity strobe lighting used while photographing. They are not actually on the watch or visible in natural lighting.
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Shipping & Returns
At Oliver & Clarke, domestic shipping is on us! If you are international and require a quote – please feel free to reach out to us at info@oliverandclarke.com so we can get you squared away.
Returns (accepted within 3 days of initial delivery of your purchase) must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. For payments via Credit Card, a 5% restocking fee will be in place for any returns or cancellations in order to cover our processing fee. Of course, watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.
If you happen to trade a watch with us, which we welcome, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
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