I finally got the call: after four months of waiting, an authorised dealer phoned to tell me there’s perfect CA replica Rolex Explorer 1 watches ready to pick up… once I parted with a fistful of cash.
Now I wasn’t expecting to get my first Rolex quite so quickly – I’d planned to wait until I got closer to 40 (I’m 38 at the time of writing) to toast a landmark birthday. However, cheap Rolex fake watches have become slightly easier to get, with the dreaded waitlist not as long as it used to be, though there are exceptions with super-desirable models like the Daytona.
Yet I’d opted for the simple high quality Rolex Explorer replica watches, which is basically an entry-level watch from Rolex’s ‘Professional’ range. Often described as a boring watch, with its three-handed, no-date black dial, I’d call it a classic watch that’ll look just as good 50 years from now as it does today.
While I’d not say no to a Rolex Submariner, I opted for the Explorer 1 due to a combination of its history – it was based on the Swiss made copy Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay apparently wore when ascending Mount Everest in 1953 – and its simple design that doesn’t scream ‘Rolex’ and can be worn just as comfortably in the office as it can hiking across hills.
The latest Explorer 1 range comprises a mere four models: the 36mm and 40mm versions in steel, and the same sizes but in two-tone steel and gold. These all share the same movement and only come with a black dial. I tried on both sizes, and while the 40mm model looks good, the smaller 36mm watch is more historically correct to the top wholesale replica Rolex watches Hillary and Norgay wore and I feel is more suitable for wearing in formal settings. I also tried on the 36mm two-tone Explorer, as during my first visit to the dealer it was the only model available; it looks good but gold on purpose-driven sports watches doesn’t work for me.
The steel 1:1 online super clone Rolex Explorer 1 watches is considered one of the best ‘go anywhere, do anything’ watches, in that it’s robust enough to swim with and survive the elements, yet can also be dressed up. Now I already have a ‘GADA’ watch in the form of the OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra, but I wanted something a little smaller with lumed Arabic numerals and indexes, and an alternative to my beloved Aqua Terra.
But let’s talk specs before I dig into my journey so far with the Rolex Explorer reference 124270.
Rolex Explorer: The specs
Despite its 36mm designation, I measured the dial and bezel of my Explorer to be closer to 35.5mm, with Rolex likely rounding up. Lug-to-lug, the AAA Rolex Explorer replica watches CA comes in at 43mm, has a lug width of 19mm, and a thickness of 11.5mm, making it a fairly compact watch.
The case uses Rolex’s proprietary Oystersteel, with polished bezels and sides that contrast the brushed finish of the lugs, giving the Explorer some wrist presence without being too showy. Leaning into the explorer-centric rugged ethos, there’s a lightly-domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on the inside that does a reasonable job of absorbing reflections in direct light, and a screw-down crown to give the copy Rolex watches for sale 100 metres of water-resistance. Completing the case is a solid case back that emphasises the tool-watch nature of every Rolex watch.
While I think this is fitting for the Swiss made fake Rolex Explorer watches it does mean the manufacturer calibre 3230 is hidden from sight, which is a pity as it’s an impressive bit of kit. It’s the automatic movement you’ll find in a handful of modern Rolexes, offering a chronometer-certified accuracy of -2/+2 seconds a day, and a very healthy 70 hours of power reserve when fully wound. It might not have the METAS certification of my co-axial escapement-equipped Aqua Terra with its deviation of 0/+5 seconds a day, but the 3230 is still fabulously robust and I’ve not seen it anything less than pinpoint accurate.
The movement powers the ‘Mercedes-style’ hands, which feature an hour hand with a three-pointed star motif that’s a lot like the iconic Mercedes-Benz emblem, a broadsword-esque minute hand that precisely pinpoints the flat white minute indices on the chapter ring, and a rather simple lollipop-style seconds hand.
These hands smoothly make their way around a glossy black lacquer dial made up of 3, 6, 9 Arabic numerals, an inverted triangle at 12 o’clock, and rectangular indices marking the rest of the hours. All the indexes, numerals and hands feature Rolex’s own Chromalight luminous paint.
This simple dial belies the Explorer’s field-watch DNA, presenting white lumed-filled indices on a black background for easy legibility. With no date or further complications, and only minimal text detailing the Rolex logo, brand, model and the watch’s “Superlative Chronomenter” chops, there’s little to clutter the dial.
If you were looking for straps from Rolex, you’re out of luck as the only option here is a brushed steel Oyster bracelet. It’s a classic Rolex bracelet, only on the 36mm Rolex Explorer fake watches for men it has a fairly dramatic taper, going from 19mm from the case to 14mm at the clasp; to some it could feel a tad dainty, but I enjoy the slimness. I also love the Oysterlock clasp, a feature of Rolex’s professional models, which secures the folding clasp with a locking mechanism that’s very satisfying to use thanks to a solid click. There’s also a simple micro-adjustment system to give a bit of on-the-fly flexibility for warm days when one’s wrist expands.
On the Oyster bracelet, I feel the 36mm perfect China Rolex Explorer replica watches wears a little larger than its size would suggest. On my 7-inch wrists – the average size for male wrists – there’s an argument that it could look a tad small, especially given the slim lugs of the latest Explorers, with the 40mm model potentially being a better fit. Yet that’s down to taste, with the trend for big and bold watches slowly moving to more classically smaller case sizes – as much as I adore my 42mm OMEGA Speedmaster, I’m all for smaller and subtler watches, especially those with no complications.
So for a simple watch there’s a fair bit going on with the Explorer 1. And what makes it a joy to wear is that combination of specs and design.