The ramblings of a New Rolex Exp II owner

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I have been looking for a while at the Explorer II as a second alternative to my daily work wearer that comes in the form of an Omega AT and I have finally managed to pick one up practically in mint condition! It has been a long deliberation however each time I sized up what I wanted out the second purchase in terms of styling, price, availability in the wild, brand and etc; my choice always seemed to come back to the EXP II.

On numerous occasions I have tried the EXP II at AD dealers located at various locations around the world. I came close recently in Berlin to what some would say ‘pulling the trigger’ having been given been given a substantial discount. There is also an AD in Sydney that believes I may be back soon. I have been recently fortunate enough to have picked up the Mint D Serial 16570 (still had the all stickers) for 60% of the RRP from one of the better known and trusted sellers on the SC (He knows who he is…thankyou)

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Why Exp II?

My number 1 criteria was aesthetic styling followed by ‘availability in the wild'. This watch is not the most popular looking Rolex out there, however it does aesthetically represent all that is me in terms of my temperament, my view of the world and how I like to be read. It is described as the ‘Stealth Rolex’ due to it being relatively inconspicuous compared to the other better known models. I do not want a watch that ends up distracting people just because it is a Rolex. I don’t think the Exp II has this pulling power.

I also like that the watch is almost completely brushed (particularly the bracelet) as opposed to the centre polished links you see on some of the newer releases. Again it is all about being under the radar.

The other thing that is agreeable with me is the size of the watch. In my opinion it is unfortunate that watches are getting bigger and bigger. I am of the belief that most of the large designs we see today are a testament to the years of excess pre GFC. Most of the market research that went into these designs I am assuming have come from these gluttonous years. It would be interesting to know what marketing and design departments of these large watch departments are thinking now.

I am also not a fan of large watches from a practical perspective given it usually means more physical weight pulling down on your wrist, and the bulkiness symbolizes distortion of symmetry when one wrist seems to be free and the other has a chunk of metal hanging of if. For this reason I had discarded from consideration any of the Brietlings, and if I was making the decision today the new Omega Ploprof would also be the first off my shortlist.

The availability of this watch in the wild was another factor that won me over. I have only seen this watch once 'live' on someone else’s wrist. The Submariner and the Omega Bond Seamaster are fine watches however I have been on a number of occasions either in Café’s or work meetings where more than half of the people in the room were sporting either one of these watches on their wrist. It is an amusing sight because everyone plays dumb as if this is not the case. This should not be necessarily viewed as a bad thing as it is a testament to two well designed watches. Again it is just not me.

Dial: Black Vs White

The white I guess can be said to be the original marquee color of the Exp II and I do like the advertisements for the watch worn in cold artic climates usually with a couple of snow dogs thrown in. It looks superb in real life however I do not live in an Artic climate and I don’t have dogs let alone a snow dog. The white also is a little bit more relatively conspicuous and less stealthy. Do not get me wrong here if I could have/afford both I would! but for now let’s stick with the ‘stealth’ model.

Waterproofness

This I believe should be a standard feature in most high-end sport watches. If a sports watch wants to be the choice of a ‘global’ man or woman then it needs to be able to handle almost any medium or climate on this planet. The Omega Speedmaster is no doubt a classic and possibly one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs ever created for a watch. Unfortunately it is not a watch you can jump into a hotel swimming pool with or into the ocean. I find it a little strange that Omega have not come out with a swim proof Speedmaster given it markets it as the indestructible moon watch. Strange that it can handle the moon but not being dropped into water. What would they do if the Astronaut’s return craft missed land and fell into the ocean? If they discover water on the moon will they update the watch for the moon mission in 2020? I know some may argue well that’s what the Seamaster range is for however this is not the same watch design I am referring too. I may have gone for the Speedmaster over the EXP II but the waterproof issue was not negotiable.

Build

I can see why there is significant criticism pertaining to the bracelet. Yes it does feel ‘flaky’ compared to the bracelet on my Omega AT. No argument here however it is not made out of paper so it should hold together.

Crystal
When I first handled this watch I was disappointed that it did not come in a domed crystal. It would be fair to say that this too could have been a deal breaker. Having worn it now around a little I hardly notice this so it is no longer an issue.

Movement

Much has been said about the 16570 movement being reliable and much more has been said about the newer 16670 movement. Judging by some posts it seems that if you don’t get the new 16670 then you may have been severely robbed. It doesn’t bother me. I bought the watch for more pressing reasons stated above and I don’t appreciate the new hairspring or whatever the newer movement is meant to have.

What does all this mean?

The first thing I am taking away from my own review and experience is that the best watch is the one that symbolizes you and what you stand for. This is not a cheap purchase even at the severely reduced price I paid. However, I am at a point in my life where I can pay for it without being ruined. I cannot take anything that I have earned to now or what I will earn tomorrow with me to the grave so I decided to live for the experience of this watch today!

I don’t know where this watch or ‘I’ for matter in years will end up in years to come. I am not hung up about leaving it to children or grandchildren I currently do not have. I may even sell it one day if something else come along that meets my criteria. In the meantime I prefer to remain nice and low under the radar. Cheers!

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