Rolex Rolex Explorer 16550

The Explorer II (reference 1655) was launched in 1971. This elegant and rugged model was only available in steel and quickly became the standard for cavers and volcanologists. It featured an orange arrow hand (hence the name Freccione) and a fixed bezel with 24-hour graduation, which allowed the user to easily tell the difference between day and night time. This model has also been identified as the Steve McQueen. The actor was very fond of this model in his private life. The Rolex Explorer II 16550 has been nicknamed the "Freccino" (the little arrow in Italian), because of its very long and narrow red hand. The Caliber has been changed to a 3085 Caliber and this reference is only available in steel. The bezel is fixed, compared to the reference 1655, the Arabic numerals are more modern and the dashes separating these numbers are now small triangles. This version is also available with a white and black dial.