Rolex Explorer II 24-Hour Hand Explained

If you’re curious about the 24-hour hand on the Rolex Explorer II, this guide will tell you all about it.

Compared to the original, the Rolex Explorer II as a sequel with a completely different cast. It’s an imperfect comparison since sequels like that aren’t typically great, while the Explorer II has certainly won people over. It’s a classic, after all.

The reason I say this is because you wouldn’t immediately see a family resemblance between the two. Their relationship is rooted in their story and background.

They’re counterparts of each other. One glaring difference between them is the Explorer II’s extra hand.

Some may argue that this 24-hour hand leads the pack, both functionally and visually, when it comes to which features truly distinguish the Explorer II.

It’s not the only distinction between it and the Explorer I, but its relationship to the rest of the features makes the Explorer II what it is — a true adventure watch.

Let’s learn a little more about this extra hand and why it’s so special.

Overview: AM vs PM

The 24-hour hand is on the Explorer II to indicate whether it’s day or night, or more technically, whether it’s 12:00 am versus 12:00 pm. 

So, it’s unlike the hour hand, which travels across the dial twice a day, from 12 am to 11:59 am, then again from 12:00 pm until 11:59 pm.

Instead, the 24-hour hand travels at 50% speed and goes around the dial just once a day. It points at the bezel, which is the watch’s 24-hour track.

The Rolex Explorer II came out in 1971 as the cave adventurer’s watch, the spelunking counterpart to the Explorer I, which was associated with the mountain adventurer. It was also bigger and remains the brawnier sibling to this day.

When you’re deep in a cavern, you don’t necessarily know when it’s day or night, and that’s why the Explorer II is built to help you distinguish between AM and PM.

And unlike the GMT-Master, this tool watch is equipped with a fixed bezel since it’s not meant to be used to access multiple time zones. 

Incidentally, however, today’s Explorer II, with a 24-hour hand independent of its hour, can be used as a GMT though it doesn’t have as many time zones as a GMT-Master II.

This unique combination has made the Explorer II a distinct part of Rolex’s range, and definitely a distinct part of the field watch and tool watch community.

The Large Arrow

This 24-hour hand is on all iterations of the Explorer II, starting from the very first one. Reference 1655 is famously known as the Steve McQueen. This is also famously apocryphal since McQueen never wore an Explorer II. 

Did you know that it’s also referred to as the Freccione, which is derived from the Italian word for arrow?

This may have happened in retrospect though. The 24-hour hand on the 1655 is either orange or red, with a much larger arrow tip than iterations after it. This, of course, made it a defining feature. 

It definitely gets points for boldness and legibility. Not only is the arrow big but the tip is topped off with an elongated point, almost in a syringe hand style.

This ensures that it points directly at the numbers on the bezel without the arrow itself blocking the indices on the dial, staying perfectly out of the way of the hour and minute hands.

Since the Reference 1655 Explorer II came out in 1971 and ran until 1985, it’s likely that any you find today will have faded orange or pinkish 24-hour hands. Some may even be completely white.

The GMT

In 1985, Rolex did to the Explorer II what they did with the GMT-Master series two years before it. That is, they gave it a 24-hour hand independent of its hour hand.

For the GMT-Master, now the Master II, this gave it a third time zone.

For the Explorer II, it effectively gave it GMT capabilities on top of its dominant AM vs PM utility.

The first reference to feature the GMT hand is the Explorer II, 16550. Visually, the arrow is much smaller than its predecessor’s and went all the way to the end of the dial. There was no longer a syringe tip.

Moreover, while the hand itself was red, the arrow was white with a black outline. It’s an overall cleaner-looking model.

I should mention that the Explorer II was never meant to be a travel watch. See, Rolex is good at designating their models with specific practical and cultural associations, down to very nuanced differences.

The GMT-Master II and the Air-King are both flight watches, but the former is the cosmopolitan traveler model while the latter is a traditional pilot model. The Submariner is for dives while the Yacht-Master is for boats.

Still, since they had the independent 24-hour hand technology, Rolex saw no reason why they shouldn’t apply it to the Explorer II as well as the GMT-Master II.

Since the 24-hour hand is no longer connected to the hour hand, you can set it on its own, to another time zone.

You’d be keeping time for that other zone in military time, using 24 hours instead of 12 hours for AM and 12 for PM, but you’d have another zone nonetheless.

And of course, you can always set it to synchronize with the hour and minute hand in case you are indeed spelunking and just need to know whether it’s day or night.

The Iconic Orange Hand

2011 marked the 40th anniversary of the Explorer II, as well as the return of the large orange hand — sort of. The reference at the time, 216570 for those keeping track, was larger than the original. To correspond with the 42-millimeter case of the new-at-the-time reference, the arrow was adjusted accordingly. 

The dial looked more like the more recent Explorer IIs, with its circular and rectangular indices, and its Mercedes hands instead of the line-forward design of the original. With the return of the fat arrow though, this iteration was almost like a best-of-all-worlds model.

And naturally, while the 24-hour hand looked like the 1655 version’s, it maintained the independent GMT capabilities. And it does so to this day. This cinched the orange hand as an iconic aesthetic for the line.

How to Use the GMT Hand on a Rolex Explorer II

Really quick, a GMT watch is one in which the 24-hour hand allows you to display multiple time zones simultaneously. This means it’s necessary for that hand to be independent of the hour hand. 

The term GMT is often used for any watch with a 24-hour hand or any watch that can display multiple time zones.

However, the original Explorer II is technically not a GMT since the 24-hour hand is permanently synchronized with the hour hand. Meanwhile, a watch with multiple time zones without a 24-hour hand at all, say a Casio World Time, also isn’t a GMT.

Ok, let’s tinker with the Explorer II’s GMT hand.

The Crown Positions

First of all, the crown can be set to three positions. You can completely unscrew it, you can pull it out one level, or you can pull it out all the way.

You’ll be able to tell between the two levels because you’ll feel an initial point of resistance to indicate the first level before you’re able to pull the crown out all of the way.

Here’s what each position does: 

• Position 1, the crown is unscrewed: This allows you to wind the watch.
• Position 2, the crown is pulled out one level. This allows you to rotate the hour hand (the second hand will still be running).
• Position 3, the crown is pulled out all the way. This allows you to rotate the minute hand, which of course, when rotated all the way, will then move the hour hand from one hour to the next.

Step 1: Set All Hands to 12

Start by pulling your crown out to position three, that is all the way out, then rotate the hands until they’re all at 12. This ensures all of the hands are synchronized and calibrated.

Step 2: Set Up Your Second Time Zone

I know this sounds like you’re working backwards, but unless you want your local time zone in the 24-hour format, this is the way to go.

After you’ve set all hands to 12, rotate the hands until the 24-hour hand is where you want your second time zone to be.

Let’s say you’re in New York, but you want your second time zone to be in L.A. If it’s 5:00 pm in New York, and 2:00 pm in L.A., you want your 24-hour hand pointing to the two marker on the bezel.

Step 3: Set the Date

Don’t forget that the Explorer II has a date window.

Push your crown in, but not all the way in, to position 2. This means it’s now pulled out only one level, instead of all the way, and you now have control of the hour hand only.

What happens here is that every second time you move your hour hand past midnight, the date will change. Remember, the dial itself is a 12-hour timekeeper, meaning moving your hour hand over the 12 o’clock marker once only indicates half a day. You’ll need to do it twice every time you want to advance the date.

Do this as many times as you need until you have the right date.

Step 4: Set Your Local Time

Still on position 2, you’ll then set your local time. Again, remember that if you’re still on your first rotation around the dial, you’re in the AM realm.

So, if it’s 2:00 pm in LA, which is what your 24-hour hand is indicating, and you’re in New York, where it’s 5:00 pm, you’ll want to first rotate your hour hand to the five index on the dial.

Don’t stop just yet though. Keep rotating it a second time, back to five, before you leave it there so that you’re in the PM realm.

It’s a bit like using a locker lock.

Finally, once your local time is ready, press the crown all the way in, then screw it back down. Don’t forget that last part. If you don’t screw it back down, you’ll leave your watch susceptible to dirt and moisture.

FAQS

Have questions about the Explorer II’s iconic 24-hour hand but are short on time? Here are some at-a-glance answers:

How do you set a 24-hour hand on an Explorer II?

If you have a vintage one, in which the 24-hour hand is synchronized with the hour hand, you’ll just set your time like you usually do using the crown and the 24-hour hand will follow suit. For newer ones, you can use the 24-hour hand as a GMT by using different positions of the crown.

What is the red hand on an Explorer II?

It’s still the 24-hour hand. The Explorer II can have red, orange, or faded 24-hour hands.

Where is the 24-hour dial on an Explorer II?

The 24-hour “dial” on an Explorer II is actually its bezel. The dial itself is the 12-hour timekeeper, while the bezel is what the 24-hour hand points to.

Conclusion

Truly, the static bezel teamed up with the 24-hour hand was an unexpected combination when the Explorer II first came out. It is, however, what makes the watch so unique, and a big part of its visual identity.

And while it can still be used as a prominent AM and PM indicator, there’s something more engaging about being able to play with the 24-hour hand as a GMT. 

Sure, we can use our phones for second time zones. In fact, we can use our phones for time in general. But the 24-hour hand on the Explorer II is definitely a fun and high-end gadget, not to mention a neat party trick.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below!