Nicknamed “Polar” for its snowy good looks, this Explorer II belongs to a family born in 1971 for cave explorers who could not tell day from night underground. Fifty years later, a fresh generation arrived in 2021 to celebrate that anniversary, and it still feels like the coolest jacket in the ski lodge. Picture it on the wrist of someone who would rather chase a sunrise in Patagonia than sit through another board meeting, but still wants to look sharp at dinner.

Presents itself in brand new condition with no signs of wear. Set against a crisp lacquered white dial, black-framed hour markers glow blue in the dark with Chromalight, popping like footprints in fresh snow. Carved from Oystersteel, the 42mm case pairs satin-brushed lug tops with mirror-polished sides that flash every time you turn your wrist. Wrapped in a solid Oyster bracelet with brushed links, it closes with an Oysterlock safety clasp and a hidden Easylink extension that adds about 5mm of comfort on a warm day.

Functions include hours, minutes, seconds, date, and a 24-hour hand for a second time zone. Unscrew the Twinlock crown at 3 o’clock into position 1, and a few turns wind the Calibre 3285 movement and its roughly 70 hours of power reserve. Pull to position 2 and the hour hand jumps forward or backward one hour at a time without stopping the watch, with the date following along, so a new time zone takes seconds. Pull all the way to position 3 to stop the seconds hand and set the minutes, while the orange 24-hour hand moves along to track home time on the fixed 24-hour bezel. Push the crown back in and screw it down to keep its 100m water resistance, while the Chronergy escapement and Parachrom hairspring hold it to Rolex’s Superlative Chronometer standard of plus or minus 2 seconds a day.

Comes as a full set, double-boxed with Rolex presentation box, outer box, 2026 International Guarantee card, card wallet, guarantee manual, and green Superlative Chronometer seal tag.

Few tool watches carry a backstory this fun, starting with the original 1655 “Freccione” that collectors nicknamed the “Steve McQueen” even though the King of Cool never actually wore one. Whether your next adventure is the Arctic Circle or a long weekend in Aspen, it might be time to bring a little Polar along.