Explorer II 42mm 216570 1:1 Noob Revisited

[Martyd3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot has been written and said about this watch, both good and bad.  I had the white dialed version ordered and cancelled it due to a bad string of QC pics.  I was lucky enough to pick up this one here, still new and unworn  

 

What are my thoughts now?  It's a mix of very good and not so bad.  The watch itself oozes quality.  I find the AR on the cyclops to act a little strangely with some interior lighting, but in full sunlight, it's perfect.  The crystal is pressed level and the date mag looks spot on.  The finishing on the case is excellent and the bracelet, when all of the bits are QC'd properly, is a work of art.  The clasp on this example looks 100% perfect.  My understanding is that the watch took a trip back to China to get a clasp this nice, which in my opinion, is unacceptable, but the clasp is great nonetheless.  

 

The dial and more specifically, the lume, has been the Achilles heal of this watch.  Is the lume perfect?  No, but on the wrist it looks great.  The white gold markers are much more forgiving when it comes to the lume fill.  You can see every little flaw on the white dial (which has black markers).  You can still see some flaws in macro pics, but even in the shots I posted, it looks damn good.  It also glows evenly and like a torch.  Should the dial have a matte or semi-matte finish?  Yes, but under the highly reflective crystal, no one will know the difference.  Is the hand stack incorrect.  Of course it is, but with the hands being black on the ends, they float above the dial and you can't tell where the 24 hand is in relation to the other hands, unless it's under the hour hand.

 

My watch is supposed to have the Swiss movement, but I have not taken off the case back to inspect it.  What I can tell you is that it's keeping great time, has a good power reserve, winds smoothly and the 24 hour hand tracks dead on.  Will it blow up in a month?  Your guess is as good as mine.

 

Would I recommend this watch?  Definitely.  All reps have flaws, but if you get a good example of this watch, it will be a keeper.  Could you do some mods and make it slightly better?  Probably, but I will be enjoying mine the way it is.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read my review ...

 

Marty

[gmtlover]

Wow, your clasp is the best I have seen so far!

Thanks for the review!

[Archetypal]

Marty, great tone in your write up - thanks for sharing. I share your sentiments exactly. I'm also very fond of my copy. Finally, fantastic as is - If they do update this - it's going to be killer.

Cheers

Arch.

[Cats]

Great write Marty.

I favor the white one but after reading your comments I think I will have to pick

The black one.

Thanks again.

Cats

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[jpz5142]

Nice write up, everyone has been so negative about this version yet the naysayers did not even own the watch. I love mine, a white version. I couldn't live with the cyclops (was cooked more so in real life than I could tell in the QC pics) so I removed mine. That clasp is great on yours, I thought mine was good but yours is the best I've seen. I have a second bracelet and the clasp on that barely closes it is so crooked. Great watch wear it well!

 

[kevin300z]

Marty which seller did you use?  Have a link?

[Martyd3]

I bought it from a member on RG.