Rolex has added a new model to its Explorer range, called the Oyster Perpetual Explorer 40, which measures 40 mm in diameter. The Explorer 40, like its predecessor the Explorer 36, stays true to the original model launched in 1953 after the first successful summitting of Mount Everest. The watch features a black lacquer dial with the numerals 3, 6, and 9, and Professional hands, all of which are associated with the watch’s identity, symbolizing adventure and perseverance. The Explorer 40 is made of Oystersteel and comes with an Oyster bracelet. Its Chromalight display provides excellent legibility in all lighting conditions, emitting a long-lasting blue glow in the dark and a bright white hue in daylight. The watch is equipped with calibre 3230, a movement that offers essential functions, including hours, minutes, and seconds.
Like all Rolex watches, the Oyster Perpetual Explorer 40 carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, ensuring excellent performance. The Explorer is a symbolic watch that embodies the close relationship between Rolex and exploration. The brand equipped many Himalayan expeditions with Oyster watches in the 1930s, including the one that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were a part of when they became the first climbers to reach the top of Mount Everest. Rolex’s ambition to test its watches in real-world conditions, continuously improving them, was demonstrated through this move.
The Oyster case of the Explorer 40, which is waterproof to a depth of 100 meters, is a paragon of robustness and reliability. The middle case of the new model is crafted from a solid block of Oystersteel, and its case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool that only Rolex watchmakers can access. The Twinlock winding crown is fitted with a double waterproofness system, and the crystal is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire and has an anti-reflective coating. The Oyster case provides optimal protection for the watch’s movement.
The new Explorer 40 timepiece from Rolex is powered by the advanced Perpetual Calibre 3230, which was designed and manufactured entirely by Rolex and released in 2020. This mechanical movement is a feat of engineering and delivers outstanding performance in terms of precision, power reserve, convenience, and reliability. The Calibre 3230 features the patented Chronergy escapement, made of nickel-phosphorus, which ensures high energy efficiency and dependability even in the presence of strong magnetic fields. The movement also incorporates a blue Parachrom hairspring that is resistant to shocks and temperature variations, and is equipped with the high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers designed by Rolex. With a Perpetual rotor, the self-winding system of the Calibre 3230 ensures a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
The Explorer 40 watch is fitted with an Oyster bracelet, the most universal in the Oyster Perpetual collection, known for its robustness. The bracelet features the Oysterlock folding safety clasp that prevents accidental opening and the Easylink comfort extension link that allows the wearer to easily adjust the bracelet length by approximately 5 mm.
