The 1655 Explorer II is Rolex at its most eccentric: a 40mm Oyster with a fixed 24-hour bezel and a straight orange arrow hand designed for speleologists who couldn't tell day from night underground. Steve McQueen never wore one, despite decades of dealer folklore. The 1655 was produced for roughly 14 years and evolved through five 'Mk' dial variants, all in low numbers. The 1985 16550 introduced a white 'Polar' dial and an independently adjustable hour hand, turning the watch into a proper GMT; some early 16550s developed cream-toned dials and command significant premiums. The 16570 ran from 1989 to 2011 and remains the collector's sweet spot: modern reliability, vintage proportions, and both black and Polar dial options.
← The Rolex Directory
Model
Rolex Explorer II
A cave-diver's watch with a fixed 24-hour bezel and orange arrow.
- Introduced
- 1971
- Case sizes
- 40mm · 42mm (current)
- Notable references
- 16551655016570216570226570
What to watch for
1655 dial variants are heavily faked—study the Mk differences carefully; cream 16550 dials are frequently doctored.