In 1953 Rolex introduced the Explorer, inspired by the historic conquest of Mount Everest by Sir

and their globe-trotting passengers up to the minute, no matter where they were.

An extra hour hand was added to the innovation that made this multizone capability possible: a rotating two-tone bezel. The watch expert and historian Gregory Gardinetti explained the advantage. “If you don't touch the rotating bezel, the GMT hand will simply indicate the local time on a 24-hour scale. And if you move the bezel, you can choose the time zone you want. This is very useful information for pilots flying through different time zones." Rolex’s goal for the airlines was accomplished and the GMT became the official watch for Pan American Airways. Because Rolex continually improves on its watches, the GMT-Master available today is able to keep track of the time in three different time zones.

Another iconic tool watch to come out of the 1950s is the Submariner. Introduced in 1953, the Submariner was the first dive watch waterproof to 100 meters (about 330 feet). It also sported the all-important rotating bezel, which enabled the watch to keep track of immersion times and to calculate the varying amounts of time to spend in decompression stops. The Submariner was so ground-breaking and respected that it soon cemented Rolex’s position as the watch brand for water exploration. Once again, Rolex continued to refine the watch, and the latest version of the Submariner can descend to a depth of 300 meters, or 1,000 feet.

Rolex has a history of supplying Oyster watches for expeditions climbing the various peaks of the Himalaya Mountains. In 1953

Rolex introduced the Explorer, inspired by the historic conquest of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Their expedition was the first to reach the 8,848-meter (29,028-foot) mountain’s summit. The Explorer inspired by their achievement was constructed of rugged stainless steel and featured a clear, very legible dial as well as a waterproof case that could withstand not just the moisture from melting snow and ice but also extremes in temperature as well. Despite the absence of any bells and whistles (like rotating bezels), the result of Rolex’s tool-making skill was just what the adventure-minded needed: “a very strong and accurate watch,” Gardinetti said.

This year Rolex introduced an all new Explorer .

Fast-forward nearly two decades, to 1971, when Rolex introduced the Explorer II. Rather than being designed to aid mountain climbers, the new watch was created with other types of expeditions in mind those exploring regions like caves or polar caps, where light is scarce or irregular. To meet the needs in those darkened or distanced environments, the Explorer II offered an extra 24-hour hand, a 24-hour marked bezel and an extremely luminous dial. The new design made it possible to know whether it was day or night, no matter where the wearer might be. “On the Explorer II, you have an indication of the 24 hours on the bezel,” Gardinetti said. “It helps to know, for example, if it's 5 a.m. or 5 p.m. This is useful if you're in a submarine or in space, as you don't know whether it's morning or afternoon. Or let’s say you are stuck in a tempest for days and losing any notion of time.” The Explorer II would come to the rescue. In its continuing quest to adapt, evolve and improve, Rolex revised the Explorer II. The version introduced in 2011 grew a bit in size, from 39mm to 42mm and enlarged its luminescent hour markers and 24-hour signature orange arrow-tipped hands.

Which brings us to today. To celebrate its 50th birthday in 2021, Rolex has revamped the Explorer II yet again. It now features a new luminescing process that increases the brightness of the watch’s hands for better readability. It also incorporates the multi-patentwinning caliber 3285, which provides better precision, shock resistance and power reserve.

The Explorer and the Explorer II have always been produced in stainless steel. Until now. For 2021, the Explorer took on a new look. First, it’s been downsized, from 39mm back to its original 36mm. And while it’s being offered in the traditional stainless steel, in an alloy that provides unrivaled strength that Rolex calls Oystersteel, this year the case and bracelet also come in handsome new twotone versions. The bracelet features center links of a new 18-karat gold material called yellow Rolesor. The new 41mm Explorer II in Oystersteel features a completely redesigned case and bracelet.

The new Explorer and Explorer II offer ruggedness and refinement, reliability and good looks, providing the best of all worlds in one watch. From Rolex, of course.