Rolex Explorer II · Reference 216570
Rolex Explorer II 216570
Known as Orange Hand Explorer II
The 216570 is the Explorer II that finally grew into the tool watch it always claimed to be. Rolex introduced it at Baselworld 2011 for the model line's 40th anniversary, pushing the case to 42mm and bringing back the bright orange 24-hour hand that had gone missing on the previous 16570 generation. It is a stainless steel GMT built for people who need to read a second time zone and, more to the point, tell day from night when the sun does not cooperate. Cave explorers, polar researchers, and anyone underground: that is the brief this watch was written for, and it wears that history honestly. Two dials over its ten-year run, black and the white 'Polar,' both with a fixed engraved steel bezel and the fat orange arrow hand sweeping a 24-hour scale. We have handled a lot of these across the counter on 47th Street, and it remains one of the most under-discussed modern sports Rolexes: a real in-house GMT movement, a 42mm case that wears smaller than the number suggests, and a price that still sits below the current 226570.
Produced: 2011 to 2021
In stock at Ultimate Diamond
3 pieces on the counter right now.
Specifications
- Reference
- 216570
- Dial Variants
- Black dial or white 'Polar' dial
- Case
- Oystersteel (904L stainless steel), Oyster case
- Case Diameter
- 42mm
- Case Thickness
- Approximately 12mm
- Bezel
- Fixed 24-hour engraved steel bezel
- Crystal
- Scratch-resistant sapphire with no cyclops (flat, no date magnifier)
- Movement
- Rolex in-house automatic Caliber 3187
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, seconds, date, independent 24-hour hand (second time zone / day-night indicator)
- Power Reserve
- Approximately 48 hours
- Hairspring
- Blue Parachrom hairspring; Paraflex shock absorbers
- Luminous
- Chromalight blue-glow indices and hands ('Maxi' dial with enlarged indices)
- Water Resistance
- 100 meters (330 feet)
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock safety clasp and Easylink 5mm comfort extension
- Hand24 Hour
- Orange 24-hour hand across the entire production run
Market & Value
We buy and sell the 216570 every week, so here is the honest read as of mid-2026. Clean, complete examples with box and papers trade in the roughly $8,000 to $12,000 range depending on dial, condition, and how honest the case has been kept. The white 'Polar' dial consistently pulls a premium over the black, usually $500 to $1,500 more in equivalent condition, because the Polar is the dial most people picture when they think Explorer II and fewer of them come to market. When Rolex discontinued the 216570 in 2021 and replaced it with the 50th-anniversary 226570 and its 70-hour Caliber 3285, the older reference did not collapse in value; it settled into the smart-money slot. The 216570 typically trades $2,000 to $4,000 under a comparable 226570. If you want the full 42mm Explorer II look, the orange hand, and a genuine in-house Rolex GMT movement without paying current-production money, this is the reference collectors quietly point each other toward. Full sets and earlier 2011 examples with intact stickers command the top of the band; service-worn watches with polished lugs sit lower, and we price accordingly.
What to Know Before You Buy
Three things a buyer should know before writing a check. First, the movement: the Caliber 3187 lives only in the 216570. It carries the blue Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, which is real, chronometer-grade Rolex engineering, but its 48-hour power reserve is shorter than the 70 hours you get in the current 226570's Caliber 3285. That gap is the single biggest reason the 216570 trades cheaper, and for most owners the 48 hours is a non-issue. Second, the case wears larger than the 40mm 16570 it replaced, but the lug-to-lug and the fixed slim bezel keep it more wearable than the 42mm spec on paper suggests; try it on the wrist before you decide it is too big. Third, check the dial and hand luminous: this generation uses Chromalight blue lume, and the orange 24-hour hand ran the entire 2011 to 2021 production, so a red hand means you are looking at an older reference, not a 216570. On any example, confirm the case has not been over-polished, that the serial and reference between the lugs are crisp, and that the papers match the watch. We authenticate all of that in person.
Rolex Rolex Explorer II Encyclopedia
Read the full guide →Buying or selling a Rolex Explorer II 216570?
Ultimate Watch buys and sells the Rolex Explorer II 216570 on 47th Street. We are Ultimate Diamond, family-owned at 19 W 47th Street in New York since 1959, and we write checks for these watches, we do not just quote charts. If you own a 216570 in either the black or Polar dial and want a real cash offer, bring it in or send us the reference, serial, and a few photos and we will price it the same day. If you are looking to buy a clean, authenticated example, tell us black or Polar and your budget and we will show you what we have in the case. Call us or request an offer to get started.