Rolex 2021 Explorer I, 36mm 124270

“The part that convinced me wasn’t the part I was paying attention to.”

Why I Got it

I did not think I liked the modern Explorer. I was saving toward the vintage Rolex Explorer 1016, and in photos and videos, the applied 3-6-9 numerals on the new reference felt too clean, almost clinical against the dial. I didn’t understand why it was so well regarded.

Despite that, a review of the newly released Rolex Explorer I 124270 piqued my interest, and so I took a trip to my AD – early in the pandemic, before scarcity fully set in. In hand, it felt noticeably different from on screen, but it wasn’t until I put the Explorer on my wrist that I was immediately impressed.

I didn’t buy it the same day, though, as it was the new gold-and-steel 124273. Going home to deliberate and research, my interest began to fade, and I wasn’t sure why.

A few weeks later, I tried the steel 124270, but this time I had my wife present. As an intuitive decision-maker, she immediately liked it and recommended I buy it and “overthink it later”.

It wasn’t until I wrote this article that I resolved what she instinctively knew.

How it Wears

​Next to my Oyster Perpetual 114300, this is my favourite watch to wear.

Predominantly black dials often read smaller, but the numerals, defined markers, and lacquer depth keep the Explorer visually at 36mm.

With a 43mm lug-to-lug, the case sits compact, with gently curved lugs drawing the watch inward. At 11.5mm thick, it stays unobtrusive in daily wear.

On smaller wrists, the Explorer carries more presence. On mid-sized wrists, it feels balanced and contained. On larger wrists, the prominent 3–6–9 numerals prevent it from feeling lost. It wears comfortably across roughly 5.5″ to 7.5″ wrists. On both Eric’s and my 6.2″ wrists, the Explorer’s dimensions feel ideal.

As a bracelet watch, the Explorer sits close to the wrist to the point I often forget I’m wearing it. Integrated into the case, the bracelet wraps the wrist rather than sitting on top of it. The Rolex Easylink adds on-the-fly adjustability with no added bulk. Combined with solid end links and a mix of brushed and polished finishings, the watch feels made for the wrist rather than placed on it.

“The EasyLink is one of those details you don’t appreciate until you’ve lived without it. Five millimetres, no tools, no fuss. Sounds minor until it’s the thing you miss on every other watch.” Eric

The Explorer is effectively a bracelet-first watch. Standard straps are affected by the recessed spring bar position and expose the case recesses. There are specialized options, though I’ve yet to find any compelling enough to replace the bracelet.

How it Wears – Continued

The sharper geometry of the applied numerals and bracelet taper also gives the watch a slightly more formal character than earlier Explorers. While still casual in spirit, it pairs particularly well with more tailored clothing – crisp shirts, knitwear, or structured jackets.

“The Explorer doesn’t try to announce itself. It just earns its place quietly. Tough enough to mean it, refined enough to go anywhere. Harder balance to strike than it looks.” Eric

While the 124270 carries the ethos of the vintage Explorer 1016, its sharper geometry and more defined finishings give it a more modern character. Over time, I noticed the vintage 1016 looked natural on almost everyone I saw wear it. The modern Explorer was different. My father immediately preferred the 1016 when he tried both, while the 124270 felt more at home on my own wrist. It is only one example, but it made me wonder if the softer vintage design is ultimately the more forgiving of the two.

Under the Loupe

Under magnification, the 124270 is the result of decades of small refinements.

The dial appears simple but is constructed through a multi-layer lacquer application, curing, and polishing process. The result is a deep, slightly reflective – and under moving light – an almost liquid finish.

“Every photo of this watch is a lie…and not in a bad way. On the wrist, under moving light, the numerals come alive in a way no camera has captured. One of the few watches I’d tell someone to just go try on before forming an opinion.” Eric

The applied numerals and hour markers are formed in 18k white gold, preventing tarnish while maintaining crisp contrast against the lacquer dial. Each numeral is sharply faceted, with polished vertical flanks and, as expected at its price point, filled with perfectly level lume.

Chromalight lume replaces the traditional green Super-LumiNova with a steady blue glow that remains legible for up to eight hours, favouring longevity over initial brightness.

“Underside AR on a black dial is an obvious choice, and it only took Rolex forever to get there. All the clarity, none of the tradeoffs.” Eric

Rolex applies anti-reflective coating only on the underside of the sapphire crystal, preserving clarity against the black lacquer dial while maintaining durability.

The bracelet reflects the incremental engineering of modern Rolex. Solid end links seat into recessed inner lugs, allowing the first link to sit closer to the case with minimal clearance and tighter articulation around the wrist. This reduces the effective lug-to-lug span and eliminates the gap typically seen with straight end links. At the clasp, Rolex uses a fully milled Oysterlock assembly with tight tolerances and a precise, secure closure.

Under the Loupe – Continued

Inside sits the calibre 3230, Rolex’s modern automatic movement with a 70-hour power reserve, enhanced magnetic resistance, and the brand’s Superlative Chronometer standard of −2/+2 seconds per day. Rolex’s Paraflex shock absorbers and Parachrom hairspring further improve resistance to shock and positional variation. Less discussed is how stable the movement remains across its power reserve. While older movements tend to drift as power drops, the 3230 remains less sensitive to how long it has been since it was last wound or worn.

“Rolex had one job with the 124270. Bring it back to 36mm and don’t mess it up. They didn’t. Most resolved Explorer ever, right size, right bracelet, right movement.” Eric

The case measures 36mm in diameter, 11.5mm thick, with a 43mm lug-to-lug. Subtle curvature in the lugs and finishing details reference the proportions of the original 1016, but with a more defined execution. This balance gives the case a distinct presence even within Rolex’s own catalogue.

Under magnification, the Explorer shows the precision and incremental refinement of modern Rolex finishing and construction.

Years Later

Eric sums it up well: “The Explorer is a watch you reach for not because it demands attention, but because it asks very little of the wearer”. The 124270 is an easy watch to wear, works across many wrist sizes and is modernized with its own identity, while building on the strengths of its immediate predecessors and the heritage of the 1016.

This is the modern watch I wear the most in my collection for everyday life.

I  can now see why the modern Explorer’s appeal is often overlooked; it is best described – comfortable, unobtrusive, balanced, engineered – rather than presented.

It also changed how I think about choosing watches. My instinct was to analyze – proportions, lineage, details under magnification – and the Explorer supports that scrutiny. But that was not how it first made sense. In the store, my wife responded at once, without that layer, judging it as a complete object rather than a collection of parts.

For collectors, “feeling” is often tied to sentiment – history, nostalgia, or significance. This was different. It was an instinctive fit: how the watch sits, how it reads in motion. Those qualities are harder to isolate, but no less important.

It took me years to recognize that distinction.

For me, it is a reminder to leave space for that perspective – to evaluate a watch not only by analysis, but by how it settles into use. In that sense, my wife understood the Explorer from the start.