lug2lug
BrowseCompareNewsCommunityMy Watches
BrowseCompareNewsCommunityMy Watches
Theme
Popular microbrands:Christopher Ward·Baltic·anOrdain·Atelier Wen·Boldr·Bremont·Dan Henry·DOXABrowse all →
Best, by the specs:Diver under $2,000·Dress under $5,000·Chronograph under $5,000·Best sport watches·GMT under $5,000·Field under $500·Pilot under $2,000·Casual under $1,000All rankings →
Glossary:Lug-to-Lug·Water Resistance·Chronograph·GMT·Automatic·LumeBrowse all →
Tools:Collection tracker·Wrist-fit calculator·Selling calculator·What should I buy?·Market index·iPhone app
Lug2Letter
Watches worth knowing about, weekly.
Curated discoveries, founder spotlights, and the occasional deep-dive.
Get the app
Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
TermsPrivacyDelete accountCopyrightDisclosuresContactContribute

Independent reference site · not affiliated with any brand · contains affiliate links

© 2026 Lug2Lug LLC · Prices are estimates and not offers

Loading watch
Home/Browse/Rolex/Explorer II
SpecStudio
Rolex Explorer II
Click to inspect
Rolex · Explorer II

Rolex Explorer II

Ref. 226570 · GMT

$10,600Stock unknown

260 matched eBay listings

Case

Diameter
42mm
Material
Oystersteel
Water resistance
100m
Caseback
Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown

Crystal & dial

Crystal
Sapphire
Shape
Flat
Dial colour
Black
Indices
Index
Lume
Chromalight

Movement

Caliber
3285
Type
Automatic
Beat rate
28,800 vph
Power reserve
70h
Jewels
34
Hacking
Yes
Hand-winding
Yes
Complications
GMT, Date

Design language

Case shape
round
Dial style
matte
Bezel
gmt
Bracelet
lug-attached
Hands
baton

AI-detected from the product image

2 colorways

Alternatives

01The market

Market prices.

Retail$10,600

The forum market

See what sellers are asking.

Active listings18Across watch forums
Closed · 90d4Asking-price history

Browse forum listings and their asking prices. Market+ adds medians with their sample sizes and the weekly trend.

Retail stock & market context

Rolex on the secondhand market

Somewhere in -3.2% to +11.7%

34 matched watches

GMT watches as a group: +7.4% · 86 matched watches

Year-by-year readings →

02The connection engine

More like this.

Rolex GMT-Master II

Rolex

GMT-Master II

40mm · Automatic$11,800

Rolex GMT-Master II

Rolex

GMT-Master II

40mm · Automatic$20,050

Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT

Christopher Ward

C63 Sealander Extreme GMT

41mm · Automatic$2,075

HELM Togiak Expedition UTC

HELM

Togiak Expedition UTC

42mm · Automatic$380

Vaer G2 Pacific GMT

Vaer

G2 Pacific GMT

39mm · Quartz$399

Nodus Contrail GMT

Nodus

Contrail GMT

40.5mm · Automatic$900

View all alternatives

03The community take

Owners talk.

“

Owners widely praise the Rolex Explorer II for its high-contrast, legible polar dial and understated, classic toolish aesthetic, with some noting excellent accuracy around +/- 1 second per day. The bracelet is described as incredibly comfortable, and the lume is clean and stunning. However, the 42mm case size is a point of contention, with some finding it too large or flashy, while others appreciate its practical, tool-y nature or consider it a comfortable everyday wear. The bezel is noted as easily scratched, and some dislike the magnified date window for its readability at angles and aesthetic clutter. Availability at authorized dealers varies, with some experiencing long wait times and others finding immediate availability. Overall, owners rate the Rolex Explorer II highly for its legibility and understated tool watch aesthetic, despite some reservations about its size.

Synthesized from 9 sources
Reddit·9↗
Open the discussion

On video

On real wrists · 2

04The paper trail

In collections

Grails

Collection · 4 watches

Above Budget

Collection · 7 watches

Travel Watch

Collection · 10 watches

Sick watches

Collection · 125 watches

Ask the communityStart a discussion about the Explorer II: get takes from other collectors.Ask →

05The discussion

Talk about the Rolex Explorer II.