Rolex Explorer 214270

If British explorer, Sir Edmund Hillary - who along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made history on March 29, 1953 by becoming the first men to ever summit and descend Mount Everest - was alive today and kitting out his next conquest this Rolex Explorer, ref. 214270 would undoubtedly be his watch of choice. At 39mm with the superb, automatic in-house Rolex caliber 3132, Twinlock screw-down crown, the defining 3, 6, 9 Explorer dial and Mercedes hands it leaves no room for complication or the superfluous. Like the man himself it's tough, deliberate and focused on a single objective. Originally released in 2010 this reference benefits from two 2016 updates that in the eyes of many enthusiasts make it the perfect iteration of the modern Explorer series. First, the Mercedes hands are now proportionally beefier and the minute hand has been extended to actually touch the minute track; and second, the solid white gold numerals 3, 6 and 9 have been filled in with Chromalight luminous material, which matches the rest of the hour markers and glows a brilliant blue in the dark. In the nuanced world of Rolex these were big changes and gave many collectors exactly what they wanted - a thoroughly and technologically modern Explorer that pays homage to the important features of the beloved 1963 Rolex Explorer ref. 1016. Aesthetically the watch that accompanied Hillary and Norgay to the summit in no way resembles the modern 214270 but in spirit it's a twin - it was developed with an extra strong steel case and special Arctic oil lubricant that remained liquid at - 40F, it was purpose built for a difficult life. This 214270 is a bonafide tool watch if there ever was one and the latest in the series that Rolex wants you to buy for professional explorer use. If you were on a mountain somewhere this is what you'd want - along with a way down.