ROLEX EXPLORER 36MM
REF. 124270
Rolex’s decision in 2021 to bring the Explorer back to its original 36mm size felt, at the time, like a quiet revolution. The reference 124270 replaces the 39mm 214270 and restores the proportions that defi ned the Explorer as the archetypal go-anywhere watch for decades. In Oystersteel, with a black lacquer dial, Mercedes hands and applied white-gold indices fi lled with Chromalight, it looks exactly as an Explorer should: calm, legible, and utterly unshowy. The 36mm Oyster case wears slim and compact, with a smooth bezel and classic three-link Oyster bracelet, secured by an Oysterlock clasp and Easylink comfort extension. Rated to 100 metres, it is built to be bashed about, swum in and forgotten until you need it. Inside is the calibre 3230, Rolex’s latest-generation no-date automatic movement, launched in 2020 and adopted into the Explorer in a2021. It beats at 28,800 vph and offers around 70 hours of power reserve, thanks to the brand’s Chronergy escapement and a more efficient barrel design.
ON THE WRIST, THE 124270 IS TRANSFORMATIVE IF YOU’RE USED TO LARGER SPORTS WATCHES: IT FEELS LIGHTER, EASIER, MORE AT ONE WITH THE WEARER. IT IS AN EXEMPLARY EXPRESSION OF MINI, BUT NOT
MODEST… ALL THE CREDIBILITY, NONE OF THE BULK
A blue Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock absorbers and nickel-phosphorus components offer excellent resistance to shocks and magnetism. As a Superlative Chronometer, each watch is regulated to -2/+2 seconds per day after casing, which remains one of the most stringent standards in series production. On the wrist, the 124270 is transformative if you’re used to larger sports watches: it feels lighter, easier, more at one with the wearer. It is an exemplary expression of mini, but not modest… all the credibility, none of the bulk.
