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Old 18 May 2015, 02:54 AM   #1
joroz001
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Info on this Polar Explorer II

I recently saw this watch posted in one of the WRUW threads. Is this original from Rolex or modified?



Any info is appreciated. What a great looking piece.


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Old 18 May 2015, 02:59 AM   #2
omitohud
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Info on this Polar Explorer II

Its original. There's a batch of dials with defect paint that turned cream over time. It happened to both ref 16550 n 16570.


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Old 18 May 2015, 03:02 AM   #3
joroz001
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The difference I meant was the silver hands and the silver border around the lume. Both of these are black in the current explorer II.


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Old 18 May 2015, 03:07 AM   #4
AF_Rob
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They came that way in the early 80s from what I've seen and quite collectable.
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Old 18 May 2015, 03:26 AM   #5
jernigan78
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Thats actually really nice! All except for the lug damage on lower left.
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Old 18 May 2015, 03:36 AM   #6
Hollywoodvillain
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yep , i was looking into this recently myself , the early dial options for this watch when it was re introduced as a transitional (16550) were cream,white , or black and the cream and black came with the regular white gold hands and marker surrounds and the white dial had black surrounds and hands .

these are sought after for their unique look !
good eye !
and good luck in your search for one !! they are pulling hefty premiums and might be the next big collector pieces ! there are several white dial EXP II that have turned a creamy tone as stated earlier in this thread but they will have black hands and surrounds . i will try to find the article i read with this info and post it here !

EDIT : i cant seem to find the specific article but it stated that the cream dials were actually cream at the factory due to a mix up with paint . they were sent new to the dealers already cream (not faded over time ) and if you bought one and were unhappy rolex would replace the dial for you , but if you left it , those are the ones that are highly collectible (kind of like the magnification thing going on now) it mentioned the white gold surrounds and hands but i can't remember why they were on the cream dials and not the whites ?? i'll look around for the particular article i remember reading because it seemed very well researched and written !

here is a neat youtube link with a bit of info too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esWrUy0hx1Q
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Old 18 May 2015, 04:39 AM   #7
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Info on this Polar Explorer II

The information you are seeking on the Cream Dial Explorer II 16550 is here... http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=396346

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Old 18 May 2015, 04:45 AM   #8
omitohud
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Info on this Polar Explorer II

Quote:
Originally Posted by joroz001 View Post
The difference I meant was the silver hands and the silver border around the lume. Both of these are black in the current explorer II.


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16550 has WG n 16570 has black, border n hands.


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