Just like the beginning of the Submariner’s life, the Explorer’s life reveals that not one but multiple references were available simultaneously. 1953/1959 – Rolex Explorer 6150Īs often was the case with watches back in the 1950s, the beginning of the Explorer’s life was a bit more complex than the launch of a new model. Yet, Rolex registred the Explorer name that same year, with the clear intention to use this successful climb as a communication tool. This watch, however, had none of the Explorer features – no 3-6-9 dial, no Mercedes hand. In order to provide the men with reliable timekeepers, Rolex delivered an early Explorer, known to be an Oyster Perpetual reference 6098, worn by Norgay (as Hillary apparently wore the Smith watch). Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbing Mount Everest, 1953 The actual watch worn by Tenzing Norgay when climbing Mount Everest in 1953, now exhibited at the Beyer Museum in Zurich – Photo by Hodinkee It is now well-known that watches were involved in this expedition, from Smith and, of course, Rolex. The climax (a very adequate word, indeed) of exploration for Rolex came in 1953 when Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Up until the 1930s, Rolex had been involved in exploration adventures and had tested watches on Himalayan expeditions to ensure their resistance to extreme temperatures and low oxygen saturation. If the name Explorer dates back to 1953, when the first watch with this patronym was introduced, the history of the model requires us to look further back in the past to understand where it comes from… And yes, “Explorer” has to do with exploration (how surprising!). And one that is important for this article, the Rolex Explorer 14270, produced from 1989 to 2001 and possibly the most important update in the history of the Explorer model. By that we mean 1980s and 1990s models, for instance, early IWC Flieger Chronographs, 1990s TAG Heuer Carreras, the late Mark Speedmasters and, of course, a bunch of Rolex models – Zenith-powered Daytonas, Sea-Dwellers 16600, GMT-Masters 16700, Submariners 16610 (and in fact, most of the 5-digit watches and early-sapphire models). A car that perfectly defines the ‘youngtimer’ concept, the 205 GTI… Not old enough to be a classic but seen by many as a historically important car.īy analogy, we can apply an identical strategy to the watch market and admit that some watches, which are out of production, could potentially gain in collectability, without yet being worthy of vintage status. This usually refers to 1980s and 1990s cars and ranges from a Testarossa to a 205 GTI to an early BMW M3. ‘Youngtimer’…? This concept was first used in the vintage/classic car market, to define models that were not yet classic cars (for instance, in France, a car must be over 30 years old to be granted the collection licence plates and registration) but that were old and important enough to gain a collectable status – but which weren’t necessarily rare and expensive. And this will be the topic of today’s instalment of “The Vintage Corner”. And when it comes down to this kind of watch, the 1990s Rolex Explorer 14270 has quite a few arguments in its favour. However, there’s a new trend coming named ‘youngtimer’ (an identical name is used in the car industry)… Watches that, for some, merge the best of both worlds, the taste of vintage without the complications of vintage, the size of an old watch with the comfort of modernity. If you’re in the market for a vintage Rolex watch, there are countless options, from pre-WWII Bubble Back watches, early sports models from the 1950s, all-time 1960s classic steel watches or, if it’s your thing, elegant gold watches with complications.
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