In its inaugural appearance at this week’s Watches & Wonders virtual exhibition, Rolex reached into its rich past to present a new version of its legendary Oyster Perpetual Explorer ? sized at the same modest-by-modern-standards dimensions as the original model from the 1950s and outfitted in the brand’s two-tone steel-and-gold Rolesor case and bracelet.

Launched in 1953, the Explorer was positioned as Rolex’s watch for mountaineers and other adventurers who challenged “the extreme frontiers of exploration” ? among them Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who wore the watch on their historic ascent to the summit of Mount Everest in May of that year. The most recent update of the Explorer (which preceded the GMT-equipped Explorer II model, launched in 1971 and also featuring a new look this year) was in 2016, for which Rolex added a more modern, enhanced movement and its proprietary Chromalight luminous substance for increased dial visibility in dark conditions. This year’s model not only features a slimmed-down 36-mm case (3 mm smaller than the most recent models, and faithful to the dimensions of the vintage classic) but yet another upgrade on the movement side, to the Caliber 3230 introduced in last year’s new-generation Submariner.
The most noticeable updates are, of course, found on the watch’s exterior. Its round Oyster case (waterproof to 100 meters, or 330 feet) combines an 18k yellow gold bezel wit...