Rolex Vault › All references › Explorer
Explorer · 2010 to 2021 · Discontinued
“Explorer 39”
Rank #18 of 113 rated pieces in the Rolex Vault
Market range: the middle half of 144 recorded eBay sales in the last 12 months.
Median recorded eBay sale price for each quarter with 3 or more sales. Dashed line marks the us retail (2020).
The only 39mm Explorer ever made, discontinued when the line returned to 36mm in 2021. That makes it a one-generation oddity.
Mk1 'blackout-adjacent' dials with unlumed numerals are the collector pick.
The 39mm Explorer, Rolex's one concession to the big-watch era, and the center of the great 'stubby hands' controversy: the 2010 launch version's hands were sized for the old 36mm dial, and the internet never let it go. Rolex fixed them in 2016.
Mk1 stubby-hands examples are now, inevitably, collected for the flaw everyone mocked. Discontinued in 2021 when the 36 returned, the 39 is the orphan size, and orphan sizes are where tomorrow's cults breed.
Our verdict: One-size-only references age well. A patient hold with a built-in scarcity story.
| Sizes | 39mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet | Oystersteel (stainless) |
| Factory bracelet | Oyster |
| Factory bezels | Smooth polished steel |
| Notable dials | Black 3-6-9; Mk1 non-lume numerals vs Mk2 lumed |
| Caliber | 3132 |
| Production | 2010 to 2021 (discontinued) |
| Sold | Example | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $6,500 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $9,139 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $6,000 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $7,000 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $8,000 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $8,263 |
Recorded eBay completed sales, logged at our last data refresh.
Recorded eBay sales from the last 12 months put the typical Rolex Explorer 39 214270 at $7,500, with the middle half selling between $7,000 and $8,000 (143 sales). Condition, box and papers move the price within that range.
Yes. The typical sale of $7,500 is about 15% above the $6,550 retail (2020).
The Crown Index grades it A+ (88/100) from real resale data, and today's call is wait for a dip. It holds its value well, but the market price is steep right now. Past prices are not a forecast.