Rolex Explorer II · Reference 226570
Rolex Explorer II 226570
Known as Explorer II (current generation), Polar in the white-dial version
The 226570 is the current Rolex Explorer II, launched in 2021 for the model's 50th anniversary. It is a 42mm Oystersteel watch with a fixed engraved 24-hour bezel and an independently adjustable orange 24-hour hand, which makes it a genuine dual-time tool watch and not just a date watch with a decorative bezel. It comes in two dials: black, and the white "Polar" dial that collectors on our counter ask for by name. The 2021 update carried the case size over from the previous 216570 but tightened the proportions, slimmed the lugs and the maxi-case flanks that people complained about on the prior reference, and dropped in Rolex's newer 3285 movement. It sits between the plainer Explorer and the GMT-Master II in the Rolex lineup: same 24-hour dual-time function as a GMT, but with a fixed bezel instead of a rotating one, so you track one second time zone, not two.
Produced: 2021 to present. It replaced the 216570, which ran from 2011 to 2021. Both share the 42mm case and the Explorer II line traces back to the original reference 1655 from 1971, the orange-arrow-hand "Freccione" that everyone incorrectly calls the Steve McQueen.
In stock at Ultimate Diamond
3 pieces on the counter right now.
Specifications
- Reference
- 226570
- Dial Variants
- Black or white ("Polar")
- Case
- Oystersteel (904L stainless steel), Oyster case, monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and Twinlock screw-down crown
- Case Diameter
- 42mm
- Thickness
- Approximately 12.5mm
- Lug Width
- 21mm
- Bezel
- Fixed 24-hour engraved bezel in steel
- Crystal
- Scratch-resistant sapphire with Cyclops lens over the date
- Movement
- Rolex Caliber 3285, self-winding mechanical
- Power Reserve
- Approximately 70 hours
- Escapement
- Chronergy escapement, nickel-phosphorus, paramagnetic
- Balance Spring
- Blue Parachrom hairspring, paramagnetic
- Shock Protection
- Paraflex shock absorbers
- Frequency
- 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
- Certification
- Superlative Chronometer, officially certified (COSC plus Rolex's in-house tolerance of -2/+2 seconds per day after casing)
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, seconds, date, and independently adjustable 24-hour hand for a second time zone
- Lume
- Chromalight display, long-lasting blue luminescence
- Water Resistance
- 100 meters (330 feet)
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet, flat three-piece links, folding Oysterlock safety clasp with Easylink 5mm comfort extension
- Year Introduced
- 2021
Market & Value
MSRP in the United States is $10,600. Unlike the hardest steel sports Rolex references, the Explorer II 226570 is not a watch that trades at a wild premium; it generally sits close to retail on the secondary market, sometimes a touch above, sometimes at or below depending on condition, dial, and whether the buyer wants a full set. As of mid 2026 clean pre-owned examples with box and papers have been trading in the roughly $11,000 to $13,000 range, with the white Polar dial usually commanding a small premium over the black because it is the more distinctive of the two and the harder one to source. That relative accessibility is exactly why we like it as a buy: it is a real professional Rolex with the same 3285 GMT movement found in the current GMT-Master II, at a price that has not run away from collectors. The tradeoff is that it is not the flip-for-profit reference some buyers expect from steel Rolex; value here is in owning a serious dual-time tool watch, not in speculation.
What to Know Before You Buy
A few things a buyer should understand before writing a check. First, the fixed bezel is the whole point: the 24-hour hand and bezel let you read a second time zone or use it as a plain AM/PM indicator, which matters if you can't tell day from night, the original 1971 use case for cavers and polar explorers. If you want to rotate the bezel to track a third zone, that is a GMT-Master II, not this. Second, the 2021 redesign is the one to have for most wrists; the case and lugs are more refined than the older 216570, and the 3285 movement bumps the power reserve to about 70 hours from the previous 48. Third, know your dial. The white Polar dial has black-surround markers and reads as the signature Explorer II look; the black dial reads closer to a stealthy GMT. Fourth, on the pre-owned market, box and papers and an unpolished case move the price meaningfully, so buy the best complete example you can rather than chasing the lowest number. When we buy one at the counter, we check the case for over-polishing, confirm the movement and bracelet stamps, verify the serial against the paperwork, and pressure-test water resistance before it goes back out.
Rolex Rolex Explorer II Encyclopedia
Read the full guide →Buying or selling a 226570?
We buy and sell the Rolex Explorer II 226570 at Ultimate Watch, 19 W 47th Street in New York. We handle both the black and the white Polar dial, complete sets and watch-only, and we write checks on the buy side every week, so if you are selling we can give you a real number today rather than a lowball placeholder. If you are buying, we source clean examples with the paperwork collectors want. Bring the watch in to 47th Street for a same-day offer, call us, or request an offer online and we will come back with a firm price.