New Rolex Explorer 124273 Rolesor 36mm And Steel Model Cheaper Than Old One.

 

Rolex announced a slew of exciting changes to their range, however the Explorer watches have seen the most interesting selection of new features.  While most attention has been drawn to the Explorer II which received its first update in more than three decades, we have focused on the Explorer model.  This is because Rolex has shaken up its Explorer wristwatch this year by making two moves which are simultaneously fresh and extremely regressive.  It has downsized the tool watch, and released it in a bi-metal version.

These changes are new, as the trend has been towards larger watches for the last decade, and Rolex rarely leads the pack on changes, so acknowledging that the big watch trend is stale moving towards smaller watches is a bold move, as contradictory as that may sound.  And as new as a bi-metal or "Rolesor" Explorer may seem, in fact it has been done before, the model 5170 to name but one example, however the Explorer has been very much defined as a "steel sports luxury watch" for so long, seeing it in yellow metal is unusual and feels new.

Under the hood sits a caliber 3230, with Chronergy escapment, blue Parachrom hairspring, self winding, 70 hour power reserve, and the Oyster Perpetual Explorer is covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification in force since 2015.  And all of this excellence will cost £8,150.

However, what is most surprising of all comes not from this bi-metal version, but rather from the all-steel model.  The new all steel 36mm Explorer will cost £5,150, which means the new model is 4% cheaper than the old model, something which we can't remember happening in the luxury watch market for some time.