Timepieces

[NYCfixie]

Looks like the Explorer II update is coming. I hope they leave the regular one alone, i'd still like to get one from an AD.

I'm curious to see what they do to the Explorer II. My guess is that it'll follow a similar pattern as the Submariners with the recent case design changes, but who knows. Some blogs/forums are predicting an Explorer I change, but I think that's unlikely since they just redid it a few years back.

Since they upsized the OP to 41mm, i suppose it's possible they'll do the same to the Explorer I, although i hope they don't. Or maybe they're planning on using Tudor
as the younger, more vintage vibe sizes, given how well BB58 was received. They should bring the Ranger back. It's interesting how much clutter there is in the Tudor range,
and with all the holes in the Rolex line, they have the possibility to fitting the two lines together much more than they have been doing more recently.

-g

I owned my 16570 Polar for 25 years and now own the 216570 Polar but I still have no idea what they are going to do. If you look closely at the video you will notice the cyclops which means they are teasing the Explorer II and not the Explorer. The Explorer II having been introduced in 1971 is the most likely candidate for the anniversary update. I hope they do not add the ceramic bezel as that would take away from the DNA of the Explorer II and make it not that much different from the Submariner, GMT II, and most recent Daytona update to ceramic.

I think they will make the case smaller because while it is listed as 42mm, it wears much bigger due to the large 53mm span across the wrist and many people find it too big which is is not unlike the original DateJust II which did not initially do well because it was too big (and was then slimmed down and made smaller as the DateJust 41mm). As part of making the case smaller, they will update to the 3285 movement with to the 70 hour power reserve also used in the current GMT II. By doing this they can discontinue the 3187 movement which was only ever used in the 42mm 216570 Explorer II and go back to sharing a movement in the GMT II and Explorer II.

Interestingly, I personally like the larger 42mm Explorer II 216570 because I have a larger than average 7.25 wrist so the bigger case fits me and the bigger 3187 movement also means a bigger date wheel so with that and the cyclops I can still read the date on my watch without needing reading glasses (aka getting old sucks).

Again, I have no idea what they are going to do but I will be the one who bets against what all the internet rumors say about adding a ceramic bezel to the Explorer II.