Rolex Vault › All references › Explorer
Explorer · 1985 to 1989 · Discontinued · Vintage
“Cream Dial / Transitional”
Not ranked: too few recorded sales
Market range: 3 public auction results (Christie's) from the last 3 years, buyer's premium included.
Average market price for an example in excellent condition. Dashed line marks the 1986 retail price.
Only four years of production, and a paint-formula mistake turned white dials cream over time. The defect became the most desirable trait.
'Rail dial' examples (aligned text in CHRONOMETER lines) stack a second premium on top.
The transitional Explorer II famous for a mistake: its white dials were lacquered with a formula that aged from white to cream, and 'cream dial' 16550s now command fat premiums for being defective. Only Rolex collecting works this way.
It also introduced the independently settable hour hand that made the Explorer II a true second-time-zone watch. Four years of production, one famous flaw, one real innovation: catnip.
Our verdict: The connoisseur's short-run vintage. Cream patina must be natural and even; that is the entire value.
| Sizes | 40mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet | Oystersteel (stainless) |
| Factory bracelet | Oyster |
| Factory bezels | Fixed steel 24-hour |
| Notable dials | White that aged to cream (the defect that became the grail); Black |
| Caliber | 3085 |
| Production | 1985 to 1989 (discontinued) |
| Sold | Example | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2025 | Christie's auction · Online sale ↗︎ Explorer II · sold for HKD 120,650 | $15,515 |
| May 29, 2025 | Christie's auction · Online sale ↗︎ cream rail dial | $18,900 |
| May 14, 2024 | Christie's auction · Geneva live sale ↗︎ cream dial · sold for CHF 15,120 | $16,630 |
Recorded eBay completed sales, logged at our last data refresh.