Design Deepdive: Explorer "Geophysic" (ref. 6610) and Explorer 39 (ref. 214270)

firebolt

2 days ago

Rolex's decision to place the "Explorer" name at the six o'clock position on the Explorer 39 (ref. 214270) might appear arbitrary, but it's far from it. This design choice blends historical significance with functional clarity. To understand why, let's go back to when Rolex trademarked the name "Explorer" in Geneva on January 26, 1953, prior to Sir Edmund Hillary's successful ascent of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.

Produced in 1952-1953, the ref. 6150 featured the iconic 3-6-9 dial layout and maintained a consistent 36mm size throughout much of the Explorer's history. Most ref. 6150s displayed "Precision" above the six o'clock position on the dial.

Starting with the Reference 6350, Rolex replaced the word "Precision" with "Explorer" at the 6 o'clock position.

The 6610, released in 1955, was the next Explorer model and was provided to the British International Geophysical Year expedition team. The watch featured the name "Explorer" printed in gold at the six o'clock position, above the chronometer certification.

The British expedition was in charge of establishing a scientific base – the Halley Research Station – in Antarctica and carrying out meteorological observations of the earth, the atmosphere and space.

The second edition of 6610 saw the model name move upwards to sit between depth rating and the Rolex logo. It was at this point that all sports editions began to upgrade to the Mercedes hands. By the third edition the depth rating was removed from the dial entirely and the seconds hand was painted white.

In the late ‘50s, Reference 5500 and 5504 were introduced to the Explorer market, followed by the 1016 in the late 60's. This configuration remained until the introduction of the 39mm Reference 214270 in 2010, which was in production until 2021. With the introduction of the 124270, Rolex decided to relocate the word "Explorer" back to the 12 o'clock position.

We may never know the exact reason for this change, but it's pretty cool how Rolex has quietly tweaked the Explorer's design over the years without losing its core.

What's International Geophysical Year?

During 1957 and 1958, amidst the Cold War tensions, there was an unprecedented period of global scientific collaboration known as the International Geophysical Year (IGY). This initiative aimed to deepen our understanding of various geophysical phenomena. Advances in rocket technology during this time also sparked hopes that artificial Earth satellites could significantly enhance scientific observations. Both the United States and the Soviet Union publicly declared intentions to launch satellites during the IGY. Over seven years of planning, scientists from 67 nations coordinated activities across 11 scientific disciplines. The launches of Sputnik in 1957 and Explorer 1 (the first U.S. satellite and the first satellite to carry science instruments) in 1958 began the Space Age and led to new scientific discoveries. The wealth of data gathered during the IGY necessitated the establishment of World Data Centers to ensure widespread accessibility of the findings.