Explorer II 16570

[Tessabreton]

Hello, I present to you this Explorer II of mine ref 16570, ser U686XXX, with the so-called “Tritinova” dial (with luminova but with the writing t<25). What do
you think, is it a variant of some interest?

[Dan S]

Looks like a standard U-series 16570. Perfectly nice watch, but not of particular interest, IMO. There were various changes that happened during the tritium to SL transition (tritinova, Swiss only, etc.), but these are incidental things that are of no interest to collectors. Some sellers try to fool buyers into thinking otherwise, of course, by advertising "rare Swiss-only dial," etc.

More broadly, I don't consider the 16570 to be a vintage reference, and as a classic or "Neo-vintage" reference, the 16570 examples that are of interest to collectors are the Chicchi di Mais watches where the lume plots have dramatically yellowed.

[swish77]

From a neo-classic/vintage viewpoint, this reference needs to have a tritium dial AND heavy patina to be more interesting to a collector.

I’ve seen some amazing-looking 16550s, which are similar to the 16570 but usually with cooler patina and a thicker-font bezel that adds to the appeal. Problem with those is that the dial surface often ages poorly for some reason. Clean ones are rare.

[Tessabreton]

Originally Posted by Dan S

Looks like a standard U-series 16570. Perfectly nice watch, but not of particular interest, IMO. There were various changes that happened during the tritium to SL transition (tritinova, Swiss only, etc.), but these are incidental things that are of no interest to collectors. Some sellers try to fool buyers into thinking otherwise, of course, by advertising "rare Swiss-only dial," etc.

More broadly, I don't consider the 16570 to be a vintage reference, and as a classic or "Neo-vintage" reference, the 16570 examples that are of interest to collectors are the Chicchi di Mais watches where the lume plots have dramatically yellowed.

I agree with your considerations, however this combination is really rare as it was produced for only a few months.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Tessabreton

I agree with your considerations, however this combination is really rare as it was produced for only a few months.

Rarity and value are not connected as much as you think. We see this misconception very frequently on the forum. Desirability is also a critical consideration, and there is nothing particularly desirable about a tritinova dial. I understand that you are hoping to hear that you have something special and valuable, but it's just not the case. If you enjoy the fact that your particular dial was made for a short period of time, that's great. But most of us would MUCH rather have a tritium dial, and hopefully a tritium dial that shows some color.

You can break down the history of any Rolex reference in a more and more granular analysis and identify extremely "rare" variations. This can be a fun exercise, and a useful way for pedantic collectors to identify watches. But nobody cares about most of these variations from a valuation perspective.

[Tessabreton]

Originally Posted by Dan S

Rarity and value are not connected as much as you think. We see this misconception very frequently on the forum. Desirability is also a critical consideration, and there is nothing particularly desirable about a tritinova dial. I understand that you are hoping to hear that you have something special and valuable, but it's just not the case. If you enjoy the fact that your particular dial was made for a short period of time, that's great. But most of us would MUCH rather have a tritium dial, and hopefully a tritium dial that shows some color.

You can break down the history of any Rolex reference in a more and more granular analysis and identify extremely "rare" variations. This can be a fun exercise, and a useful way for pedantic collectors to identify watches. But nobody cares about most of these variations from a valuation perspective.

I know very well that rare does not mean greater value and there is no hope on my part of having in my hands an object of greater value.
I know well the dynamics of Rolex collecting.

Mine was just curiosity for a term, “Tritinova”, which was unknown to me. Greetings

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by swish77

From a neo-classic/vintage viewpoint, this reference needs to have a tritium dial AND heavy patina to be more interesting to a collector.

I’ve seen some amazing-looking 16550s, which are similar to the 16570 but usually with cooler patina and a thicker-font bezel that adds to the appeal. Problem with those is that the dial surface often ages poorly for some reason. Clean ones are rare.

That is very true of the first 2-3 years of 570's. A good one is a bargain though and a cheapish future classic imho.

[Tools]

Good looking watch. The Exp II is one of my favorites.

Most models used the last of the tritium font dials but Luminove lume at the changeover. Rolex doesn't like to waste stuff and it gives us more conversation/controversy material on the Forum.