Initially created for a niche audience. The Submariner for divers, the GMT-Master for pilots, and the Explorer II for adventurers who explore caves. While there are a few common features between the very first Explorer II reference and the latest one, there have been plenty of upgrades and changes over the decades. From the ref. 1655 that debuted in the 1970s to the newest iteration, ref. 226570, which launched in 2021, let’s delve into the history of the Rolex Explorer II. The 1655 was the first reference in the Explorer II family. It is also often called the “Steve McQueen” Explorer because it was said that the famous actor sported one, however, this point is heavily disputed among the Rolex collector community with most claiming it as an urban legend.