This article was originally published in the January/February 2022 Issue of the WatchTime print magazine. Photos by Marcus Krüger.

To mark the model?s 50th anniversary, Rolex has updated the Explorer II with a new movement and subtle design modifications. We look at what the most recent version can offer collectors, explorers and adventurers.

Before last year?s Watches and Wonders in April, speculation about the anniversary Explorer already ranged far and wide. Would it be given a ceramic bezel" Would it get a green hand, or other elements in the color Rolex has so often used for anniversary models" Would the case diameter be changed" Nothing of the sort. Changes to the new Explorer?s appearance are minimal. Even most watch enthusiasts can only identify the wider bracelet in a side-by-side comparison.
Was this disappointing" Actually not; design continuity is one factor that makes Rolex so successful and stable in value. While other brands replace their less popular models every two years with completely new versions, Rolex improves the technology of all of its watches ? even those that are less in demand. And until a few years ago, the Explorer II was one of the Rolex sport models that could even be bought from a jeweler at a discount. Those times have passed. The new, improved model has gained considerable popularity despite minimal changes to its look. And this is not only due to the new caliber, which has since become almost stan...