It is the all-steel version of the ref. 124273, and it’s an absolute stunner. If two-tone is your only problem with the 124273, go for this version and wash all your woes away. It’s the closest thing we’ve had on the market to an old-school ref. One thousand sixteen in years, which might be the best overall value in replica Rolex‘s collection today at $6,450. It’s an Explorer. It’s 36 mm. It’s fantastic.
If you want to go even more affordable but with a similar overall vibe, look to Oris and the steel-and-bronze Divers Sixty-Five models. I think this version with the “sunset brown” dial is the most handsome, but there are a few variations. The only bummer here is that Oris doesn’t make these in the 36mm size – at that case size, you can only get the bronze bezel (no bronze bracelet links). It is a two-tone look at a very reasonable price, making it a fun summer watch if you want to shake things up.
You’ll notice no accurate one-to-one comparisons for the new two-tone Explorer. Nothing at a similar price point offers a similar look, construction, or quality. Considering Rolex’s influence in the broader watch industry, I don’t expect it to stay that way for very long. Be on the lookout for two-tone sport watches under 40 mm in the $8,000-12,000 price range over the next year or two. I feel this section will need to be updated sooner rather than later. …
Despite coming to the watch with a healthy dose of skepticism, I fell in love with the ref. 124273 – and it didn’t even take all week. Within a day or two, I was smitten. I’d find myself staring at it in the sunshine or hiking my sleeve up at brunch, hoping a friend would ask me about it. It’s a flat-out fun watch that inspires even the most jaded of watch reviewers to get excited and to want to share that excitement with others.
I have worn a vintage Explorer more than any other replica watch over the last four or five years. It’s a watch I know forward and backward, inside and out. But the 124273 made me think about it in a new way. It got me thinking about what makes the Explorer so unique and what has allowed its relatively simple design to endure for two-thirds of a century, primarily unchanged. It even got me thinking about what it means to “Explore” today.
After a year locked mostly indoors, not seeing friends, not meeting new people, not experiencing new things, the idea of exploration and adventure has taken on new meaning. Simple things like a drive up the coast for lunch or grabbing a cup of tea with someone I haven’t seen in 18 months are invigorating. Likewise, it’s so exciting to experience a watch I thought I knew like an old friend in a new way.