Signed Rolex, Oyster Perpetual Date, Explorer II, Ref. 1655, Case No. 3'030'010, Circa 1971

One of the most iconic vintage Rolex references, the so-called Freccione (Italian for “big arrow”) or Steve McQueen was in production from 1971 to 1985. True to Rolex’s philosophy of producing highly reliable timepieces often focused on professional use, this model was conceived as a speleologist’s watch. The generous amount of luminous details on the dial, and the very bright 24 hours orange hand are features dedicated to these researchers who spend, at times, days underground in the dark.

The present example is one of the very first ever made, manufactured during the first year of its 14 year production from 1971 - 1985.