White Polar Dial · Polar Dial, Tritium
Explorer II Polar 16570 — White Polar Dial · Polar Dial, Tritium
1989–c. 1997
Early white dial with tritium, marked “SWISS - T < 25”; the plots age to a custard tone against the white. Valued above the later lume types.
No verified image of this watch yet
Identifying details
- Black surrounds
Applied hour markers framed in black instead of polished white gold; used on white dials.
- Independent hour hand
Local hour hand jumps in one-hour steps independently of the 24-hour hand.
- 24-hour hand
Fourth, 24-hour hand read against a 24-hour bezel for a second time zone.
- Date
Date display.
- Cyclops
Magnifying lens over the date.
Variants of 16570
Reference overview →| Variant | Production |
|---|---|
| Black Dial | Undated |
| Black Dial · Black Dial, Tritium | 1989–c. 1997 |
| Black Dial · Black Dial, Luminova (Swiss Only) | c. 1998–c. 1999 |
| Black Dial · Black Dial, Super-LumiNova (Swiss Made) | c. 1999–2011 |
Case & movement
- Reference
- 16570
- Production
- 1989–c. 1997
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case diameter
- 40 mm
- Water resistance
- 100 m
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Chronometer
- Yes
More specifications (2)
- Date
Movement
Rolex 3185
Independent-hour GMT caliber of the slimmer 16710 generation. Replaced by the 3186 at the end of production.
Automatic · 28,800 vph · 31 jewels
Read more
- Rolex Polar Explorer II Ultimate Buying GuideRead more at Bob's Watches (opens in a new tab)
- The Rolex Explorer II Polar 16570, One of the Greatest Youngtimer Watches AroundRead more at Monochrome Watches (opens in a new tab)
- Pre-Owned Picks: A Rolex “Polar” Explorer II With Patina, A Patek Philippe Aquanaut, And A TAG Heuer MonacoRead more at HODINKEE (opens in a new tab)
- Rolex Explorer II 16570