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the past few months had me looking for a daily wear sports watch - something that i hope to keep for some time. it went down to either a COSC 14060M sub or a 16570 explorer 2.
since i deem it to be a keeper, it had to be something of a "calculated buy"...
byway of background:
many moons ago, i once owned an explorer 2. i sold it soon after to buy a blancpain.
earlier this year, my wife bought an explorer 2 for her work-related travel. she came back recently and refused to give up the watch to me.
as for the sub... ah, i love the rolex sub. (sub = no-date sub. sub date = sub with date)
i've owned the 14060/M sub more than once. i love it. it's slim, comfortable, goes with anything i wear, wherever i go.
since i planned to keep this watch, i was looking for something a little different... a modern rolex that was slightly "collectible" so i won't be tempted to sell it to buy something else.
the advice on the street is: get the COSC 14060M sub as it is (or rather, will probably be) produced for a very short period of time. many people have speculated, year after year, that the COSC sub would be replaced "next year".
COSC subs were introduced in late 2007. 3186-equipped explorer 2s were seen in some Zs, most (if not all) Ms and definitely all Vs.
so i decided that a 3186-equipped explorer 2 would fit my bill better - we've not heard any news of a ceramic sub yet. not that we SHOULD expect to hear it... rolex doesn't work like that!
but we've all seen and heard of the mystical "new" explorer 2 earlier this year when it was "pulled" from their basel 2010 line-up.
to me, it's also more practical than a sub. from recollection, it wears as comfortable as a sub. the new versions have the added improvements of the new parachrome spring and slightly updated 3186 movement.
so i took a calculated gamble and decided that my keeper would be an explorer 2. it helped that it was a very low-key and not commonly recognized watch; nevermind that the blue hairspring was known to make the watch run a little slow...
i found one from iswift (it was a V-serial) and after some delays, we transacted rather quickly (almost as quickly as he could count the money) and i was home in no time, no doubt breaking multiple speed limits on my 498cc scooter.
due to my past history with its siblings, it remains a very familiar watch, except that the SEL links makes the bracelet protrude out a little farther than what i was used to, before wrapping around the wrist.
therefore the bracelet doesn't sit as well on my 6.5" wrist as the type utilizing hollow-end links. people with bigger wrists should have no such problems.
since i don't wear bracelets on my watches, this was not an issue for me. however in my hurry to remove the bracelet, i couldn't find the correct spring bar tool and had to use a cheaper type - i ended up slightly scratching the lugs a tiny little bit. NO BOTHER! it's for wearing, not for whining!
with a new hirsch strap (pure) installed, i slipped it on my wrists and all was well.
today marks the first weekend i've had with the watch. it runs about 1-2 seconds slow a day, as expected for a rolex with a blue spring. this doesn't bother me, although i would prefer my watches to run fast. i simply set it a minute or two faster, and adjust it on months with 30 days.
the slack in the hands are minimal, and everything just works. the improvements made in the 3186 are well known, and i need not speak about it.
what i will say is... this is a very understated and unpopular watch simply because it doesn't sit comfortably (properly?) in the rolex line-up. there is nothing intrinsically wrong or inferior with the explorer 2.
it works great, and gives you everything rolex is known for in a well-priced package. the date and extra time zone hand are what i consider freebies.
i have gone scuba diving with my previous explorer 2, and i would probably do the same with this - triplock is not necessary since i'm not a commercial diver.
if the 16570 explorer 2 were to be indeed replaced next year: the price of the new explorer 2 would be higher than what it currently is/was. the case size would increase. the looks would be changed. again. purists would say, a change to something closer to its roots.
but do we all really want a "modern" 1655? because in the process, rolex would be taking something irreplaceable away from us: a well priced, no-nonsense watch that is extremely functional and versatile, yet discreet.
since i deem it to be a keeper, it had to be something of a "calculated buy"...
byway of background:
many moons ago, i once owned an explorer 2. i sold it soon after to buy a blancpain.
earlier this year, my wife bought an explorer 2 for her work-related travel. she came back recently and refused to give up the watch to me.
as for the sub... ah, i love the rolex sub. (sub = no-date sub. sub date = sub with date)
i've owned the 14060/M sub more than once. i love it. it's slim, comfortable, goes with anything i wear, wherever i go.
since i planned to keep this watch, i was looking for something a little different... a modern rolex that was slightly "collectible" so i won't be tempted to sell it to buy something else.
the advice on the street is: get the COSC 14060M sub as it is (or rather, will probably be) produced for a very short period of time. many people have speculated, year after year, that the COSC sub would be replaced "next year".
COSC subs were introduced in late 2007. 3186-equipped explorer 2s were seen in some Zs, most (if not all) Ms and definitely all Vs.
so i decided that a 3186-equipped explorer 2 would fit my bill better - we've not heard any news of a ceramic sub yet. not that we SHOULD expect to hear it... rolex doesn't work like that!
but we've all seen and heard of the mystical "new" explorer 2 earlier this year when it was "pulled" from their basel 2010 line-up.
to me, it's also more practical than a sub. from recollection, it wears as comfortable as a sub. the new versions have the added improvements of the new parachrome spring and slightly updated 3186 movement.
so i took a calculated gamble and decided that my keeper would be an explorer 2. it helped that it was a very low-key and not commonly recognized watch; nevermind that the blue hairspring was known to make the watch run a little slow...
i found one from iswift (it was a V-serial) and after some delays, we transacted rather quickly (almost as quickly as he could count the money) and i was home in no time, no doubt breaking multiple speed limits on my 498cc scooter.
due to my past history with its siblings, it remains a very familiar watch, except that the SEL links makes the bracelet protrude out a little farther than what i was used to, before wrapping around the wrist.
therefore the bracelet doesn't sit as well on my 6.5" wrist as the type utilizing hollow-end links. people with bigger wrists should have no such problems.
since i don't wear bracelets on my watches, this was not an issue for me. however in my hurry to remove the bracelet, i couldn't find the correct spring bar tool and had to use a cheaper type - i ended up slightly scratching the lugs a tiny little bit. NO BOTHER! it's for wearing, not for whining!
with a new hirsch strap (pure) installed, i slipped it on my wrists and all was well.
today marks the first weekend i've had with the watch. it runs about 1-2 seconds slow a day, as expected for a rolex with a blue spring. this doesn't bother me, although i would prefer my watches to run fast. i simply set it a minute or two faster, and adjust it on months with 30 days.
the slack in the hands are minimal, and everything just works. the improvements made in the 3186 are well known, and i need not speak about it.
what i will say is... this is a very understated and unpopular watch simply because it doesn't sit comfortably (properly?) in the rolex line-up. there is nothing intrinsically wrong or inferior with the explorer 2.
it works great, and gives you everything rolex is known for in a well-priced package. the date and extra time zone hand are what i consider freebies.
i have gone scuba diving with my previous explorer 2, and i would probably do the same with this - triplock is not necessary since i'm not a commercial diver.
if the 16570 explorer 2 were to be indeed replaced next year: the price of the new explorer 2 would be higher than what it currently is/was. the case size would increase. the looks would be changed. again. purists would say, a change to something closer to its roots.
but do we all really want a "modern" 1655? because in the process, rolex would be taking something irreplaceable away from us: a well priced, no-nonsense watch that is extremely functional and versatile, yet discreet.
. But how sure are we that the V series model and onwards ALL come with the 3186 movement? Why I asked? Because in an ad in 
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