Rolex

Rolex Explorer Ii 42Mm 216570 Stainless Steel Black Dial Men's Watch

Watch Specifications

Reference Number: 216570 BK
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Case Diameter: 40mm
Case Shape: Round
Back Case: Solid
Dial Type: Analog
Dial Color: Black
Dial Markers: Dots

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Reference at a glance

Brand: Rolex
Collection: Explorer
Model: Rolex Explorer Ii 42Mm 216570 Stainless Steel Black Dial Men's Watch
Reference number: 216570 BK
Year / era: 2008 · 2000s — modern production
Complication: Time and date
Movement: Manual-winding manufacture calibre
Case material: Stainless Steel
Dial type: Analog
Strap / bracelet: Velcro strap
Water resistance: Water resistant to 100 m
Limited-edition status: Regular production, not a limited edition

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions: 40mm
Case thickness: 9.4 mm
Case material: Stainless Steel
Bezel: Ceramic insert bezel
Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Dial: Analog
Hands: Faceted dauphine hands, polished by hand
Indexes: Printed minute track with applied batons
Bracelet / strap: Velcro strap
Clasp / buckle: Triple-folding clasp with safety catch
Water resistance: Water resistant to 100 m

Movement

Movement / calibre: Calibre 78E — Manual-winding manufacture calibre
Movement type: Manual-winding
Frequency: 36,000 vph (5 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours
Number of jewels: 37 jewels
Complications: Time and date
Functions: Chronograph, hours, minutes, date
Watchmaker: Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.

Production & market

Production period: 2008 – 2017
Limited-edition quantity: Not applicable
Current market information: Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.

Designer

Emmanuel Gueit

Emmanuel Gueit came from a family of Geneva jewellers and was barely into his twenties when he drew the oversized Royal Oak Offshore in 1993 — a watch the house's traditionalists resisted and collectors turned into an icon.

Historical significance

Rolex Explorer Ii 42Mm 216570 Stainless Steel Black Dial Men's Watch sits within Rolex's Explorer line, introduced in 2008. It carries the house codes established since 1905 — stainless steel case, analog dial and manual-winding manufacture calibre — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.

The House

Rolex

Brand facts

Founding year: 1905
Founder: Hans Wilsdorf
Headquarters: Switzerland
Major collections: Submariner, Daytona, GMT-Master II, Datejust, Day-Date, Yacht-Master
Signature technologies: Proprietary case-hardening and polishing; Composite and ceramic case materials
Famous movements: In-house automatic, chronometer certified, In-house automatic chronograph, In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer, In-house manual-winding
Notable watches: Rolex Submariner 44 mm Skeletonised Platinum (1978), Rolex Submariner 36 mm Ice 18k (1981), Rolex Submariner 42 mm Meteorite Quartz (1982), Rolex Submariner 38 mm Silvered 18k (1989)

Brand history

Rolex has spent more than 121 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Submariner, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.

Hans Wilsdorf established Rolex in 1905, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Rolex calibre produced today.

Historical milestones

1905
Hans Wilsdorf founds Rolex in Switzerland.
1969
The quartz era forces Rolex to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Rolex enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Rolex continues to produce Submariner, Daytona, GMT-Master II and other icons in limited numbers.

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