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The Explorer II, perhaps the most specialized sports Rolex available, was designed for speleologists and cave explorers who spend extended periods underground without natural light. The fixed 24-hour bezel combined with the distinctive 24-hour hand allowed adventurers to unambiguously differentiate day from night—a functional tool that served a tangible purpose in extreme environments.
The reference 16570 represents the quintessential five-digit era of Rolex sports models: classical 40mm proportions, an Oyster case that wears comfortably across all wrist sizes, and bulletproof mechanical reliability. Within the early production of the reference, examples from the early 1990s with original tritium dials have developed an extraordinary visual character.
Italian collectors aptly coined the term "Chicchi di Mais" (corn kernels) for dials where the original tritium hour markers have naturally patinated into a deep, warm yellow/amber hue. Against the stark, crisp white "Polar" dial and the black-outlined indices, this distinctive aging creates a graphic and visually arresting contrast that modern luminous compounds cannot replicate.
Ticking inside is the robust Rolex Caliber 3185, featuring an independently adjustable local hour hand for tracking a second time zone. On the timegrapher, the movement demonstrates extraordinary health, running at an optimal ±0 seconds per day with a strong amplitude of 280°.
Preserved on its correct Rolex Oyster bracelet Ref. 78360 and offered as a complete Full Set with its original box and German papers (LC 100), this 1993 Explorer II represents a rare alignment of honest collector patina and complete provenance.
