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A Pictorial Review - Rolex Explorer 214270


justlounging

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Following my earlier review on the Yachtmaster 16622, I decided to make yet another review on one of my other favorite series, the Explorer.

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I started out originally with the Explorer 14270 as it has been reported to be one of the most accurate reps out of box..true enough it was and still is..However being at a dress size of 36mm, and especially after being bitten by the PAM bug, it seemed a tad small.. :rolleyes:

Luckily enough, Rolex went thru a modernization of most of their models (Submariner, Milgauss, Explorer & Explorer II, DateJust, you get the pic :cowboy: )

One thing that stood out for me was the fact that the dial on the 214270 was matte..at least I still get to see the dial on a sunny day rather than a double whammy of sapphire crystal and gloss dial reflecting light back at me..

This write-up will be a simple comparison of gen and rep thru pictures..Gen pics will not have any white borders and will always be below rep pics..

This was purchased with one of our Trusted Dealers, Angus, or PureTime (link will be provided at the bottom of the review)..

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Height of crystal is slightly lower on the rep as compared with the gen..maybe about 0.5mm or lesser..

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Dial..Font looks crisp and in similar size to the gen..'Swiss Made' is also correctly placed at the 6 o'clock marker..

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Close up of Markers and hands..the hands, especially the hour hand is not accurate but with the amount of 'personalization' being done on Gen Rolex watches, you can get away with this tell with the 'I prefer larger hands" excuse, if you are ever called out.. :cool:

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Rehaut engraving font is different and not completely aligned..Engraving is not as deep as the gen..

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The Explorer utilizes the TwinLock system..looks pretty good on the rep..

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Bezel is fixed so no worries on whether it is uni or bi-directional..no crown guards either.. :D

SEL bracelet fit nicely onto the case..Clasp works well and engravings are quite deep..screws are also quite decent..

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Movement runs very smoothly and has been giving me accurate time (I sync it with my Mac Clock)..Power Reserve has exceeded more than 36 hours for this..I usually do not test any further once it passes this timeframe..

Lume shot taken after 10secs exposure to UV light:

Semi-dark

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Dark

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Shutter speed for the lume shots are between 0.5 and 2secs..

Mods did to the watch so far:

1. Light polishing of the rehaut so that it has a much deeper shine, as per gen (done by Taka)

2. Matte Spray Mod on the dial, as per gen (done by Taka)

3. Rebrushing and polishing of the bracelet to show a more satin finish

4. Filling in the engraving on the clasp with a black sharpie

5. Relube all seals and tighten up caseback

Mod(s) to do:

1. Superluminova Lume Mod

Some additional facts about the Gen Explorer 214270:

RRP: USD$6000
 (check with your local AD)

Movement: Rolex Caliber 3132, automatic, Perpetual rotor, 28,800 vph, Parachrom hairspring with Breguet overcoil,
Paraflex shock absorbers, COSC-certified chronometer


Functions: Hour, minutes


Power reserve: 48 hours


Case material: 904L Stainless steel


Bezel material: 904L Stainless steel


Bezel shape: Round


Case size: 39.0 mm


Case height: N/A


Dial: Black


Numerals: Arabic


Hands: Steel


Water resistance: 100 meters


Strap: Oysterlock stainless steel bracelet


Crystal: Sapphire

Here's the obligatory wristie:

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There are currently 2 versions available at PT:

1. Asia ETA: http://www.puretimew...-v3-11-edition/

2. 'Swiss' ETA: same link as above but add US$20 for this option.

Hope you enjoyed reading this! :)

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btw which would you say is a easier build out of the two? 1016 or 1675? I managed to source a 1675 gen dial but none of the TD have any good 1675 reps that I can use..

A 1016 build is a doddle! Putting a 1675 together means finding a suitable GMT movement, fiddling with the extra hand, finding the right bezel assembly and insert...

Yeah, I want one, too.

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A 1016 build is a doddle! Putting a 1675 together means finding a suitable GMT movement, fiddling with the extra hand, finding the right bezel assembly and insert...

Yeah, I want one, too.

Cool..would a Yuki dial be sufficient for the build? I'll most probably go for a Narikaa 1016, get a nicer dial, get a higher Clark crystal, age the entire watch (other than the movement) and call it a day! :D

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Cool..would a Yuki dial be sufficient for the build? I'll most probably go for a Narikaa 1016, get a nicer dial, get a higher Clark crystal, age the entire watch (other than the movement) and call it a day! :D

I'm really not a fan of the current batch of Yuki 1016 dials, but your options are limited. I would recommend an MBW dial (if you can find one), an InGod Space-Dweller dial (if you don't mind the name), or an NDT dial (if you're flush with cash). Like many watches based on the old Datejust rep, the crystal/bezel dimensions on Narikaa's 1016 are narrower than the gen's. A Tropic 19 can be made to fit, but you'll need to trim its height significantly.

Finally, don't forget the lugholes!

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  • 2 weeks later...

The "Swiss" is supposed to get you a gen ETA movement. It seldom does, but at least hand sizes/dial feet positions will match if or when you upgrade to gen ETA.

As far as the "best out of the box" goes, every single watch in the rep world has a tell. The best way to find the "best out of box" is to research all the tells, and then pick the one with the tells that bother you the least!

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I've always been a big Exp.II fan.

And the newer, larger Explorer looks great.

QUESTION: regarding the lume....would it be possible (and would it look natural) to have the dial numbers 3, 6 and 9 SL'd too.

I think that would really "torch up" that beautiful dial a bit...if it could be done in a way whereas the lumed numbers would match the color of the markers in the daytime.

Perhaps a custom job by pbdad...leaving the same width of metal surrounds around the lumed numbers as is around the markers..........??....just a thought.

But then again I've always been tempted to have the engraved numbers and markers on an Exp.II bezel SL'd too...if it could be done to look black and natural in the daytime.

Edited by correctime
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I bought one of these - my first true rep - based on the review. thats How I found RWG by Googling Explorer rep 39mm.

Been on my wrist for two weeks now and I am really pleased with it (the Swiis ETA), which is 5 secs fast per day.

Finding out it has the easylink extension was a bonus. I just got a new camera and will do an easylink how to this weekend.

I must admit comparing it with the phone in the ADs window there didn't seem to be a difference in the level of matt on the dial?

The only issue is the lume which looks like it was applied with a cement mixer, particularly on the triangle, and are grayish rather than white. You can see this in the pictures above and it is slightly worse on mine.

Also the current threads on customer service at Puretime. I had no problems as I accepted the dial, but I must admit the cuurent discussions make me wonder if I would use them again.

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  • 2 years later...

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