This article was originally published in the July/August 2022 Issue of the WatchTime print magazine. Photos by Olaf Köster and Rolex.

When you think about a watch for explorers, the first model from Rolex that comes to mind might be the Explorer II or the Submariner, rather than a 36-mm, almost noble-looking, two-tone watch like the Explorer. But if you spend a bit more time thinking about the notion of discovery, you begin to grasp the deeper meaning of an ?explorer? ? one who sees the world in a completely different way, who can conquer all the facets of everyday life. For this, the Explorer is the right companion.

When Rolex introduced the first Explorer in 1953, it already had a black dial designed for optimum readability in all lighting conditions. The indexes and numerals were luminous, but at that time, they were merely painted on. Preliminary models (Ref. 6098 and Ref. 6150) were also released with black dials, characteristic numerals for the 3, 6 and 9, and ?Mercedes? hands. Caliber A296 kept time inside their cases. The Explorer lettering first appeared on the dials of their successors (Ref. 6298 and Ref. 6350) in 1953. Ref. 6610 followed in 1959 with Caliber 1030, which made it possible to build the case with a slimmer back. The hands and minute track were colored gold on these early Explorer models.
In 1963, Ref. 6610 was replaced by Ref. 1016, which encased Caliber 1560 and increased the water resistance from 50 to 100 meters. Pressure resis...