Up for sale is this super cool 1972 ref. 1655 Explorer II with early non-luminous straight baton sweep seconds hand and original Mark II thick font bezel. The Ex II "Freccione" Orange Hand is one of the all-time cult classic Vintage Rolex with its distinctive dial markings and big orange 24-hour hand and the early non-lume dot seconds hand version is extra special. This one features a gorgeous Near Mint Tritium dial with café au lait patina and matching hands. Overall this watch is in Excellent vintage condition and it comes on a 13-link folded 7316 Oyster bracelet with correct 380 ends. It will also come with some older Rolex Canada service papers from the 1990s and it is keeping very good time with a strong power reserve and correct shutter-like date change.

The asking price for this classic Explorer II is $14,450 USD, including fully insured FedEx worldwide shipping. Trades for interesting Vintage Heuer such as Autavia GMT, Siffert, Derek Bell, Raggazioni, etc will be considered. Otherwise, Bank Wire only on this watch please. Payment must be made in US DOLLARS. Watch will ship upon full clearance of the funds, as well as any necessary bank vetting. Please email me at tomvox1@hotmail.com for all inquiries.

CASE & BACK: Very nice case with typical half-rounded, half-pointed early 1655 crown guards has definitely been polished in the past but lugs are still quite thick. Sides have some scratches from use and have acquired a bit of a matte appearance on the crown side, as well. Overall the case is in Excellent vintage condition. Model number & complete 3.0 million serial number are quite clear between their respective lugs, making this a fairly early example of Explorer II. The outer caseback has a few more scratches and nicks and so is more like Very Good cosmetically--no personalized engraving. Inner caseback is free of corrosion and is correctly stamped with the model number, as well as the date/quarter of II.72, which perfectly matches the serial number and straight hand period. All the other correct Rolex nomenclature for this era is also present

DIAL & HANDS: Lovely matte black/white writing dial with very subtle and even "marled" quality to the matte surface but no true flaws to speak of--Near Mint condition and correct fonts for the earliest 1655s. Original and unique "disco ball" Tritium luminous plots have aged to a handsome khaki patina but no spotting or discoloration. When this watch came to me, it had a Rolex relume job but I was able to source the correct dial & hands to make it the stunner that you see here today. Tritium-filled hands are likewise Near Mint with some faint residual luminous activity after intense light exposure. The big orange 24-hour hand is perfectly synched with the 12-hour time. This Ex II still retains its original silver date disc, as well. Simply put, this is a fantastic dial and hands combo and one that is 100% correct for the serial number range of the watch.

CROWN: Correct 6mm Twinlock crown is Excellent with cosmetic signs of wear but screws down tightly onto the tube, winds properly & hack-sets the time and date smoothly.

CRYSTAL: Low sided acrylic Cyclope 116 crystal is in Excellent to Near Mint condition with just a couple of small scratches. There are no cracks or chips and the date magnification is still strong.

BEZEL: Correct Mark 2 centered thick font fixed 24-hour bezel with some loss of paint to the numerals but what I believe to be the original reddish-toned enamel paint still present. The bezel shows some nicks and wear to the edges but is in Excellent overall original condition.

MOVEMENT: Movement is Rolex's workhorse Chronometer automatic cal. 1575 GMT with 26-jewels, date and added 24-hour hand. I last serviced the movement about 5 years ago and this Rolex is running strong and keeping very good time with a strong power reserve. I guarantee it to be doing just that at the time of shipment.

BRACELET: This great 1655 comes on a very long & period correct 7316 folded Oyster bracelet with 13 total links. The clasp is coded "010", which I believe to be a service replacement (there is some mention of bracelet repair in the Canadian paperwork). It shows some stretch and signs of long-term use, including scratches and a smoothing out of the brushed finish. It has its model-correct 380 ends and is in Very Good condition and fits a 7 1/4" wrist loosely at its smallest and probably a maximum of around 8" at the last micro adjustment.

EXTRAS: This classic Explorer II will come with older 1997 Rolex Canada service papers that, while not particularly valuable, still lend some provenance to the watch.

I make NO guarantees for water resistance after having opened the watch to take photographs and screwed it back down with only my hand wrench.

This great 100% genuine Vintage Rolex 1655 Explorer II is offered with a 3-day inspection period from the date of receipt and may be returned for a full refund (less any shipping costs incurred by the buyer). This refund is unconditional and once I get the watch back in exactly the same condition as it was sent to you, your money will be refunded. Of course, once the 3 days are over the sale will be considered FINAL.

Thanks for looking,
T.
tomvox1@hotmail.com