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Lot Essay
The present example is one of the earliest specimens of the iconic reference 1655: its case back indicates it was manufactured in the second quarter of 1971, and indeed 1971 is the year this model was launched.
Reference 1655, aka "Explorer II" and "Steve McQueen" is one of the most unusual and experimental watches made by Rolex. No photographs exist of McQueen wearing the watch and collectors speculate the McQueen nickname was given to increase interest in the model. True to its philosophy of developing tool watches for the most varied situations (from the diver’s Submariner, to the advanced physics researchers' Milgauss, passing by the pilot’s GMT), the present watch was developed for spelunkers (cave explorers). It features 24 hours indication, in order for the wearer to accurately pinpoint the day/night cycle (which is not so easy in the perpetual darkness of caves), abundant luminous markers and a brightly colored 24 hours hand to allow for optimal readability in the dark.
Reference 1655, aka "Explorer II" and "Steve McQueen" is one of the most unusual and experimental watches made by Rolex. No photographs exist of McQueen wearing the watch and collectors speculate the McQueen nickname was given to increase interest in the model. True to its philosophy of developing tool watches for the most varied situations (from the diver’s Submariner, to the advanced physics researchers' Milgauss, passing by the pilot’s GMT), the present watch was developed for spelunkers (cave explorers). It features 24 hours indication, in order for the wearer to accurately pinpoint the day/night cycle (which is not so easy in the perpetual darkness of caves), abundant luminous markers and a brightly colored 24 hours hand to allow for optimal readability in the dark.