You’ll notice I wrote “tool watch” in the headline and will undoubtedly be challenged on this on two counts, so I’ll address them before the temperature rises. Because the Rolex Professional range does indeed consist of archetypal tool watches, no matter their value and luxurious status. We all know the other two greats, but both the Submariner and Sea-Dweller’s impressive tool-stats are often forgotten due to the brand’s high-end standing. The fact that they also fit very well under a suit jacket doesn’t help, but they are still rugged tool watches at heart, believe me. The Explorer II on the other hand, is refreshingly simple and a tad more casual. With it’s brushed case and no nonsense steel bezel, it’s unashamed of its purpose, and that is one of Exploration. If you don’t know Rolex that well you might be a little surprised by its no-nonsense austere look, detailed instrument-like dial, and very un-premium white tool hand set. And, of course, my favourite detail, that massive orange arrow the size of a racket. What’s behind that gigantic GMT arrow? It’s there because the original Explorer II, released in 1971, was aimed specifically for speleologists or cave divers, so maybe it…
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