The "polar dial" white version is an Explorer II that many collectors prefer to current production at a secondary price still below new retail equivalent.
Originality matters on this reference. An original dial and hands command a significant premium. Service replacements typically trade at a 20-40% discount to original examples.
Pre-owned watches trade across a wide condition spectrum. These ranges are typical for the secondary market.
The Explorer II 16570 is the Pepsi-less Explorer II, 40mm, 24-hour fixed bezel, black or white (“Polar”) dial, produced 1989-2011 alongside the GMT-Master II 16710 (which shares the case and the caliber 3185). It's the explorer's tool watch from the Rolex catalog that didn't catch the rocket the way the GMT did; consequently it remains one of the best honest-value plays in modern-Rolex collecting.
The Explorer II 16570 replaced the 16550 in 1989, with the same case as the GMT-Master II and the caliber 3185 (later 3186, briefly). Two dial variants: black and white (the “Polar”); no bezel-color variants because the bezel is engraved-not-inserted. The Mark dial generations (I, II, III) carry small print and indices differences that collectors track; the most-traded is the Mark III which entered production around 1995.
Common things to check: dial (Mark I → Mark III have visible differences; Mark I Polar dials are the most-coveted and the most-imitated); hands (the orange 24-hour hand should be a specific shade, service-replacement hands often have a slightly different orange); case (over-polishing rounds the case profile noticeably on the Explorer II); luminous (tritium lume on early production ages cream; replacement Luminova hands are honestly different).
The 16570 has been undervalued vs. the 16710 for the entire production overlap. That's started to correct. Polar examples in full-set trade meaningfully higher than they did in 2018-2019.
The 16570 hits the wear-anywhere case size, the durable bezel, and the in-house Rolex movement at prices still well below the equivalent GMT-Master II.
Same caliber 3185 service profile as the GMT. Routine; cost is the same. The fixed engraved bezel means there's nothing to wear out on the bezel side, the most common service issue is crown-and-stem wear from regular date-setting use.
Community + OSINT signals haven’t landed for this reference yet. We don’t publish a rating against zero signal — the number would mean nothing. Editorial body + caliber + market value still surface above; ratings appear once the signal corpus does.
Cal. 3185 with orange GMT hand and fixed bezel distinguish the 16570 from Explorer I and other Rolex GMT references
| Area | What to check | What is correct | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| hands | Orange GMT hand | Orange lacquered GMT hand reaches 24-hour scale on bezel; sword shape with luminous fill; correct orange hue (not red, not dark orange); length proportional to case | Red or incorrect hue on GMT hand; GMT hand too short to reach bezel scale; non-luminous GMT hand; GMT hand painted over blue or green (other GMT references) |
| dial | Explorer II dial text and hour markers | "Explorer II" on dial; large Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6, 9 with applied luminous markers between; "Oyster Perpetual Date" text; date window at 3 with magnifier; "Swiss Made" at 6; coronet at 12 | Missing "Explorer II" text; Explorer I baton markers (no large Arabic numerals); date magnifier absent; dial text inconsistent with white or black dial variant documentation |
The 16570 Explorer II ran from 1989 to 2011. The black and white dial variants carry different secondary premiums; dial swaps between variants and movement caliber confirmation are the primary authentication concerns.
Up 3% over the past 90 days
Based on eBay sales, last 12 months
| case | Fixed 24-hour bezel | Bezel is fixed (non-rotating); 24-hour scale engraved and filled; "Oyster" case 40mm; screw-down pushers on crown; Triplock crown with "Rolex" crown logo; Oyster bracelet with solid links | Rotating bezel (wrong reference); 24-hour markings only 12-hour; crown without Triplock; hollow bracelet links |
| movement | Cal. 3185 automatic | Rotor visible through solid caseback removed by watchmaker; Cal. 3185 with date mechanism; "Rolex" signed; no service parts inconsistent with Cal. 3185 architecture | Cal. 3135 (Explorer I movement, missing GMT complication); non-Rolex movement; caseback opened with damage to threads |
| Description |
|---|
| Identifiers |
|---|
| 1989 to 2011 (black dial) | Black "police" dial variant. White dial was also produced and the two are not interchangeable in value. |
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| 1989 to 2011 (white dial) | White dial variant. Same case and movement as the black dial; different secondary market premium. |
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