Everyone knows the history of the Rolex Explorer. First used by Hillary and Tensing on Everest and launched to the public the following year, it’s the purest of the ‘tool’ watches—retaining its pitch black dial with prominent cardinal numbers, no date window, no precious metal or two-tone versions and always powered by the latest Rolex perpetual movement.
But everything in the above paragraph is wrong. The first Explorer sold by Rolex was almost 20 years before the conquest of Everest, didn’t have the 3/6/9 dial, or even a black dial, was a manual-wind watch and didn’t even have the Rolex name on the dial.
Oyster Explorer ref. 3136 (1936)
As you can see from the image above, the watch was simply signed “Oyster Explorer,” but not “Rolex.” Because, at this time, Rolex was still stumbling around in the market place trying to develop a successful entry-level companion brand to Rolex. This Oyster Explorer followed the blueprint of all the previous attempts—the same case as the mainstream brand—but a less expensive generic movement.
Unicorn, Rolco, Marconi, Genex, and even Omigra were all names previously used on watches, but to little success. However, Oyster was different. Its name related directly to the more expensive Rolex Oyster and watches with this name were produced for over a decade, until the launch of the Tudor range finally laid them to rest.
Rolex Explorer Date ref. 5700 (1965)
As far as I can tell, the Oyster Explorer was sold only in Canada. This was because, up until the 1960s, Rolex Canada was not wholly owned by Rolex Geneva. This allowed Rolex Canada much more freedom in dial design and naming. And it is from Rolex Canada that the so-called “Dress Explorers” all originated.
There were white dial, steel cased Explorers, two tone versions, and even the bizarre “Explorer Date” watches, which were exactly what they said on the dial. But it wasn’t just the Explorer name which was first used in Canada before joining the mainstream Rolex range years later with models like the 1958 Rolex Deepsea.
Rolex Explorer ref. 5500 (1963) and 5504 (1966)
But it wasn’t just Rolex Canada who produced unusual variations on the Explorer. Rolex UK produced two of the stranger versions: the 5500 and the 5504 models. Model number nerds will immediately recognise those two numbers as belonging to the 34 and 36mm versions of the Air King. However, initially for the military retail NAAFI shops, Rolex UK produced Explorer versions of these two watches, capable of being sold at a lower price because the movements were not chronometer certified.
After their successful launch in the NAAFI stores, the watches became available in UK authorised dealers up until the early 1970s, by which point they were the last of the unusual Explorers on the market. I hope that you have enjoyed this little excursion into some of the lesser known variations of the Rolex Explorer.
More details at Rolex.
