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Explorer · 2010 to 2021
“Explorer 39”
Grade B · 74/100Today's call: Value buy
B: solid, selective. Ranked #74 of 129 references in The Crown Index vault.
| Original retail (2020) | $6,550 |
|---|---|
| Market today | $7,200 – $8,200 |
| Vs original retail | +18% |
| 1-year trend | +3% |
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 material | 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) |
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