Rolex Explorer II 216570

Buy Rolex Explorer II Black Dial 216570

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The Rolex 216570 – a distinctive sports watch with an elegant black dial

When Rolex debuted a new edition of the Explorer II 216570 at Baselworld 2011, it represented healthy new competition for the GMT Master II. The Explorer II also has a GMT function and an arrow-shaped 24-hour hand. The colour of the hand for the second time zone changed between certain models, before Ref. 216570 finally brought back the popular original orange hand. The Explorer II was originally designed as a further developed version of the Explorer series, so that cave and polar researchers could distinguish day and night time more easily when on their expeditions. On the Explorer II 216570 Black Dial, the luminescent Chromalight hour hands and markings stand out particularly well and provide excellent readability in all situations. With a diameter of 42 mm, the case of the Ref. 216570 is larger than that of its predecessors and also surpasses models in series such as the GMT Master and Submariner.

4 reasons to buy a Rolex 216570 Black Dial

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• Thanks to Dual Time, the 216570 Black Dial always keeps track of the time accurately


• Exquisite workmanship and a harmonious polish give the 216570 Black Dial a high-quality look


• You can buy a pre-owned Rolex 216570 Black Dial for as little as €7,500


• The hands and indices stand out vividly against the black dial

Features of the Rolex 216570 Black Dial

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In addition to the larger dial, the Rolex 216570 Black Dial also differs from the GMT-Master II in terms of its bezel. The 216570 is equipped with a fixed aluminium bezel, which is a feature that fans of the brand particularly adore. In general, the 216570 could be considered as a hybrid of previous models such as the Explorer II 1655 (1971 to 1981) and the Explorer II 16550 (1981 to 1989). It has a classic Twinlock crown, as used in Ref. 1655, but draws inspiration from the 16550 with features such as the round hour markers and the triangles decorating the bezel. However, the most important feature of the 216570 is the orange GMT hand, which provides a lovely contrast and especially on the Explorer II Black Dial. The orange hand used here is taken from the Ref. 1655. Another special feature of the 216570 Black Dial is the black-based hands, which blend in with the black dial background superbly, creating the impression that the hands of the watch are floating above the dial. Rolex itself describes this as a so-called “phantom effect”. The Explorer II 216570 is also available with a white dial, which gives these models the addition of “Polar” to their name.

The decorations of the Rolex 216570 are also carefully coordinated. The bracelet has classy high-polish sides which combine to great effect with the satin-finish of the top surface of the bracelet. While the majority of Oyster bracelets vary between brushed and high-polish surfaces, the Explorer II features a full satin-finish bracelet. This offers a stunning harmonious look with the radial brushed finish of the bezel.

Price comparison of the Ref. 216570 Black Dial

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If you want to buy a pre-owned 216570 Black Dial, it is worth doing a direct comparison between the Explorer 214270 and the Ref. 216570. With a very good price-performance ratio, the Explorer II 216570 is a bargain for all those who are looking for a functional watch with sporty esprit. To highlight the price trend of the 216570 Black Dial compared to other models, we have put together a summary of some pre-owned Explorer watches with prices and characteristics in the table below.

Explorer II Model Ref.	Production period	Visual features	Pre-owned price
1655	1971 – 1981	Calibre 1575, 40 mm diameter, line markings between numbers on bezel, orange GMT hand	€19,270 (1972), €12,500 (1980), €22,000 (1983)
16550 (black dial)	1981 – 1989	Calibre 3085, 39 mm diameter, red GMT hand for 24-hour bezel, indices with functioning luminous material	€7,640 (1985), €7,360 (1987), €8,210 (1988)
16570 (black dial)	1989 – 2011	Calibre 3185/3186, 40 mm diameter, black dial, red GMT hand for 24-hour bezel, indices with functioning luminous material	€6,840 (1998), €7,020 (2005), €7,800 (2009)
16570 (white dial)	1989 – 2011	Calibre 3185/ 3186, 40 mm diameter, white dial, red GMT hand for 24-hour bezel, indices with functioning luminous material	€6,880 (1992), €7,240 (2003)
216570 (black dial)	2011 – present	Calibre 3187, 42 mm diameter, orange GMT hand for 24-hour bezel	€8,100 (2012), €8,790 (2017), €9,300 (2020)