Rolex Explorer II

For decades, Rolex prided itself on sending their watches to the farthest reaches of the earth.  Where the iconic Submariner ruled the ocean depths and the GMT Master owned the skies, the Explorer II was designed to delve deep into the earth itself.   Released in 1971 as a follow up to the original Explorer, the Explorer II was designed specifically for a new threshold of exploration: Speleology - the exploration of all things subterranean.  This hearty breed of adventurers spend days on end underneath the surface of the earth, and without sunlight it is easy to lose track of day and night.  To keep them on point, Rolex combined a 24-hour hand with a fixed 24-hour steel bezel which kept continuous track of whether it was AM or PM.  Unlike it's predecessor, the Explorer I, which made famous by mountaineers in the 1950s, the Explorer II utilized a larger Oyster Case design closer in proportion to the larger sports models already offered (the Submariner and GMT). Although the Explorer II