{"product_id":"rolex-explorer-i-swiss-only-as03735","title":"Rolex Explorer I 'Swiss Only'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Love It\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2011, Rolex did something a bit... controversial.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey fundamentally changed the design of the Oyster Perpetual Explorer I - the watch that defined general their purest form of sports watch for the brand for some five decades prior.  In this new iteration of the Explorer I, Rolex departed from the classic 36mm case design, deciding instead that bigger was better, and housed their in-house Calibre 3132 movement in 39mm of steel.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe move intrigued some and confused others. Frankly, we're still warming up to them. However, when we see earlier executions that herald the original design, such as this lovely Reference 14270, we jump at the chance to find them a good home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut of course we wouldn't settle for just \u003cem\u003eany\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e14270.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis particular example is considered a transitional model, and features the desirable 'Swiss Only' dial produced for under two years. Indicating a switch away from Tritium to Luminova luminous material, the 'Swiss Only' moniker has proven incredibly popular to a number of desirable sports Rolexes in the past few years, and has resulted in significant premiums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 14270, however, has only begun to stir in its pricing. Representing the first model to feature Rolexes \"new\" design language, its avant-garde dial design was polarizing at first, as 1016-obsessed purists poo-pooed their shiny dials and fancy markers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut today, special 14270s, such as this Swiss Only example, are beginning to be snatched up by forward looking collectors who appreciate not only their size and story, but the chance to get in on the ground level for \u003cem\u003ethe next big thing.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Explorer I Story\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew watches have captured the imagination the way the Rolex Explorer has.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e At its core, the Explorer has always been an understated tool watch, it's spartan appearance belying its hearty robustness. It is perhaps this, more than any other feature, that urges ever onward the spirit of adventure and humankind's unwillingness to accept defeat. In this way, the Explorer - in all of its executions - has formed a kind of cult status among watch enthusiasts and collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Explorer traces its heritage back to the first successful summit of Everest in 1953. While we know now that the watch on Sir Edmund Hillary’s wrist was a Rolex Oyster Precision. The Oyster Precision was the precursor to the Explorer, and it was the Precision that introduced the 3-6-9 Arabic dial that we associate with the Explorer today. It was after the successful summit that Rolex rechristened the model as the Explorer in honor of Hillary and Norgay’s historic accomplishment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRolex went on to produce the Explorer continuously for nearly seven decades (and counting, since it’s still in production), and the triumph of the 1953 expedition and spirit of adventure and exploration carries on with each new model.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e It is a memento of our ability to conquer the world through hard work, grit and determination - and of course our ability to do so with timeless style and panache.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rolex","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32347820752983,"sku":"40920024","price":7900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/products\/ROLEX_EXPLORER-I-SWISS-ONLY_14270_AS03735-6.jpg?v=1600897373","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/rolex-explorer-i-swiss-only-as03735","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}