Rolex LIED About This...The History of the Rolex Explorer

[@jonnybreakz]

On a point of interest...the 1016 was released in 1960, not 1963 like it is so commonly noted on the net on various pages. It came with a gilt gloss chapter ring dial with SCOC markings. Ian Fleming's own 1016 was from 1960. The serial number for Fleming's Explorer 1016 is 596851, and it was made in the last quarter of 1960. It also happens to be one of the first reference 1016 Explorers ever made.

[@jamie1234591]

Actually, Hillary and Tenzing only wore Smiths watches to the summit. The Managing Director of Rolex admitted to this in November 1953. See a fascinating online article in Outdoor Journal on the subject. "It would appear from Mr. Barrett's letter that Sir Edmund Hillary was, in fact, only wearing one watch at the the summit and that a Smiths watch. We congratulate Smiths on the fact that their Smiths Delux ordinary wind wristwatch reached the summit with Sir Edmund Hillary." - From the October '53 edition of The British Horological Institute Journal.

[@jamie1234591]

www.outdoorjournal.com/featured/opinion-editorial/rolex-vs-smiths-which-watch-summited-everest-in-1953-putting-a-controversy-to-rest/

[@wincrasher2007]

Hilarious stuff. Hope Christian wasn't too traumatized by his hike in the "woods".

[@vivaanhoward6471]

i guess I'm kind of randomly asking but do anybody know a good place to watch newly released series online?

[@louiecolton621]

@Vivaan Howard I would suggest Flixportal. Just google for it :)

[@santiagochris9022]

@Louie Colton yup, I have been using Flixportal for since march myself =)

[@vivaanhoward6471]

@Louie Colton thanks, I went there and it seems to work :) I appreciate it !

[@louiecolton621]

@Vivaan Howard You are welcome =)

[@mrdisco99]

Haha! I felt sorry for Anna trying to document Christian's feeble attempt at "roughing it" So you did the GMT at the airport, and the Explorer in what I'm guessing was a park not too far from the city... what's next? Is Christian putting on scuba gear in the river to do the Submariner? LOL

[@anamisidro8453]

I own both a SMITHS and a Rolex explorer. Amazing watches.

[@rcm4u2]

Correction- The 6610 went from 1955-1958, and had a 1030 movement. The 5504 started in 1958, and had the improved 1530 movement.

[@likeris2]

the best explorer is 214270 and its nothing to do with everest

[@aleksandersiemaszko6027]

What's up with the tracksuit sweatpants 🤣

[@SoCalWatchReviews]

Aleksander Siemaszko - didn’t you hear? He’s a mafioso now 🤣

[@michaeledwardlenzi]

Oh my. $20k for that Explorer. The world has gone nuts. --Michael

[@mikew2911]

My favorite trust fund baby in the watch community, love ya Christian!

[@commentjedi]

So, what made it legendary? Rolex marketing?

[@SPAmbro236]

Love the dedication of the Theo & Harris team going all the way to Mt. Everest to film this. Bravo!

[@archievthapa3593]

Superb review - subscribed !!! BTW eagerly awaiting my Smiths Everest PRS-25 - 36mm - gilt dial !!!

[@jacobvonloh69]

Half expected this boy to be fuckin around in the Forrest wearing his damn leopard Belgian loafers lmao

[@drewhunkins7192]

So Sir Edmund Hillary really wore the regular basic Rolex Oyster Perpetual while climbing Mt. Everest.

[@DancingMalik]

One of my fave T&H vids. Correct me if I'm wrong, timefactors has taken the smiths name so u can get a smiths watch and it's Sir Edmund not Edmond 👌

[@phmwu7368]

Always remember it could have been Rolex first on top of Mount Everest if British climbers Charles Evans and Thomas Bourdillon, wearing cream dial Rolex, made it on May 26, 1953 but had to return after being very close to the summit... Three days later Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay made it to the top!

[@jamie1234591]

Wearing Smiths and not Rolexes www.outdoorjournal.com/featured/opinion-editorial/rolex-vs-smiths-which-watch-summited-everest-in-1953-putting-a-controversy-to-rest/

[@phmwu7368]

@@jamie1234591 In fact Tenzing wore both... Rolex had been sponsoring expeditions since 1933 (e.g. 1933 Houston Douglas-Hamilton first to fly over Mt Everest) and already registred a Swiss patent for Explorer in January 1953 😉

[@jamie1234591]

@@phmwu7368 Photographic evidence shows Tensing wearing one Smiths watch. Rolex watches were given to team members in Calcutta after the expedition. Please read the article posted if you are interested.

[@phmwu7368]

@@jamie1234591 Interesting stuff, I have a collection of 1953 RGS photographs and in several of those photographs British team members can be seen wearing two cream dial wristwatches (e.g. Charles Wylie). The subject will get more interest as the 70th and 75th anniversaries are coming up. Top Tip reading material = Tenzing's Two Wrist-Watches: The Conquest of Everest and Late Imperial Culture in Britain 1921-1953 🧐

[@kaisoerfjord8232]

«This 5504, (3:15) which we just listed in Theo & Harris shop, dates to 1958. ... (3:55) Its steel oyster case is IN GREAT CONDITION» - LIAR LIAR LIAR --- All dented and BANGED UP BIG TIME.

[@TheSkatereel]

Great watch but prob not the best $20K vintage watch to actually take for .a hike. Thats major drawback of vintage, cant really use them for their original use.

[@Chris-es3wf]

Vintage: The area in which everything is essentially a complicated dress watch.

[@mdhammad69]

The video suddenly turned in to a part from Blair Witch Project at the end. Love the watch. Great video you guys. Keep em comin.

[@gabimassi8265]

great review, thank you for that...

[@bludgeonedbabyseal]

Sorry but you missed out an important model in the Explorer's evolution. In the late 50s Rolex offered the 5500 for a decade. Based on the Airking body it was a 34mm model with a typical black gilt dial, the 3, 6, and 9 Arabic numerals, Mercedes-style hands and the “lollipop” seconds hand. It came in precision and super precision models and is every inch an Explorer. If anything, it is more valuable than the 36mm 1016 produced alongside it. Finding a good one is very difficult now.

[@waitwat1142]

1:40 But, that's wrong. Edmund Hillary wasn't wearing a Rolex at the summit. He was given a Rolex for the expedition, but he only wore the Smiths at the summit. Rolex even apologized for the confusion.

[@WINDINGCROWNS]

Christian, did u really drink that creek water? I had u for a Pellegrino bottle sipping kinda guy. Lol.

[@billybong78]

He looks like his first time outdoors hiking haha

[@evanmcdonnal]

Shameless sales pitch that taught me literally nothing that isn't the most common of knowledge about the Explorer.

[@danielx40]

I’m a sailor and outdoorsman. Spelunking as well. Currently wear a Breitling Aerospace Evo for my trips in the wilderness but it feels too militant. Do you guys think an Explorer II would be a better fit than the Submariner and Yacht-Master? I do not care about heritage or vintage value etc. I just need to have a tough watch that if I accidentally knock it on a rock by a riverbank I won’t feel remorse, and a watch that reminds me of the pinnacle of human civilization when woke up in a orange tent in the morning.

[@johnbenton5102]

So elegantly out of your element in the woods haha

[@4034miguel]

But why Smiths failed where Rolex succeeded. What is the crucial difference in both Companies approach to capitalize on Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's exploit?

[@dude...are-you-sure]

the print explorer and precision look like it was added on after everything else. the white color doesn't look aged or same hue as the rest of the dial. it actually stands out much whiter than the rest of the dial. btw, credit where it is due, for Everest your mention should include Tenzing Norgay as he was Sherpa that carried all of Hillary's gear and climbed it with Hillary. we wont argue who was first but Norgay deserves to be part of that mention along side Hilary for Mt Everest.

[@TeutonTwin]

The 6610 was not introduced in 1959. :/

[@oliverharrison2157]

Hillary wasn't wearing two watches, only one: a Smiths. Rolex have said as much and are careful never to claim to have reached the summit in '53.

[@tawipausian8003]

LOVED The video Very entertaining 👏💯👍👍

[@SoCalWatchReviews]

Informative, funny, entertaining.. what more can you ask for people? My man Christian and Anna are killing it!!

[@rockon21ful]

Great video and a stunning watch.. Smiths is still in business but under different ownership, I believe TimefactorsUK and still offer vintage looking pieces at affordable prices. Yes, Rolex succeeded where the original Smiths brand seemed to fail.. Keep the amazing videos coming and I hope that stream you drank from is pristine and not runoff from the highway..;)

[@pengu470]

2:30 sums me up every day

[@rodrigomontero9413]

Do an Air-King episode

[@mattcathell9699]

Lmao. Your out takes at the end are hilarious 😂

[@FisherApexRunning]

Would love to see a review on that beads of rice bracelet. Looks like that is also for sale.

[@Gath8mm]

An absolute explorer, with, an Explorer...I guess.

[@SuperAJ360]

long live the Explorers!

[@hueydough1430]

Didn’t his climbing buddy Norgay wear a Rolex bubble back?

[@bearclooneywatches4186]

Rich pumpkin colour! lmao

[@mauricehontz3508]

San Francisco Blue Jays 😂

[@Agrippa31BC]

Where’s the review though.

[@jhcowatchinglifestyle]

Have you ever seen the Canadian versions of these? This is a tale of TWO-TONES that should be EXPLORED further, hahahaha!

[@locutusdborg126]

Great video, Christian. Keep your excellent content coming.

[@Ross_Dugan]

Totally needed a G shock in extreme situations like what you were going thru in that video.

[@likeris2]

Where in video extream situation? Drinking water?

[@Ross_Dugan]

likeris subruknem I was being facetious

[@terminal-velocity111]

So????! What was on his wrist?

[@markmcdonnell]

Loving these relaxed 'nature' videos. Fun, informative and thoroughly enjoyable. Keep it up 👍

[@jeanlefranc3817]

Thought T&H was as much about menstyle as it was about watches. Clearly, something has gone wrong here 😧

[@leiflagercrantz8853]

Nice video

[@manahatter]

i always take a 16570 if entering central park.

[@tylerrohn6938]

Quick 20gs, thx but I’ll buy a car instead

[@NelsonJ79]

When will you review the Grand Seiko Godzilla?

[@TheoandHarris]

Coming soon!

[@DJVADERABLE]

Drip is unreal! Can you please make some more fashion/watch videos

[@hostilegrey9011]

I think your spirit animal is an old Jewish lady

[@artblend4278]

Nice retrospective of the Explorer! be careful though not to drink dodgy water in the woods, you could end up in exploring toilets!! cheers!

[@denisspratt926]

Nice video and nice story. But the watch still doesn't do anything for me.

[@VMIyanks04]

Hahaha I love watching this video! Hilarious!

[@chrismills2089]

Brilliant

[@SengLeeKoh]

It's the man, not his watch dummies. He'll probably wear something like a G-shock today.

[@cedarcanoe]

The curator of T&H. Oh cut that crap

[@connerscornerwatchesandmil3382]

Huh?

[@LesterLovesWatches]

Conner Bates I think the OP was calling BS on the highfalutin use of the word “curator”. A curator is a museum professional who uses his/her vast experience and learning to put a wealth of information and artefacts together into an exhibition. Christian buys watches, sells them at a profit, and occasionally imparts some wiki-nuggets to his seemingly famished acolytes. Not the same thing.

[@emptybucket1988]

bloopers are better

[@setter55]

Rolex lie a lot, didn't invent the waterproof case. Bought the patent for it. Not Swiss, British and German. But everyone thinks Rolex are the be all and end all of watches. An average be it brand elevated to luxury status by idiots who will wait years to get one because of it's name. When in reality it's a mass produced piece with an average non in house movement

[@clark3830]

I have in my collection a Rolex Explorer 1 Ref1016. Love it even without automatic winding. Great history. I am thinking of getting the Air-King with its green print to go with the Explorer.

[@tomkhong9828]

Rolex Exploiter

[@Sophia-Tennis-live]

Edmund not " Edmond" was spelt incorrectly. Still love your content Christian!!

[@Damage_Inc]

The whole concept of walking in the woods/outdoors is lost on me. It's actually terrible and kinda cringe.

[@djhungzilla]

Yeah, the concept of exercise is definitely lost on you and your three chins - try going to the gym and eating less

[@richtherealtor1591]

👍👏❤️

[@ManoloVintage]

I loved when Anna said, and I quote: "SUCK IT UP CHRISTIAN. WE'RE GONNA FINISH THIS VIDEO!!" 😍Oh gosh... the KZbin crush thing is coming back all over again

[@ClassicalProtestant]

I’d sell a few more watches and make some serious budget allocations for videography equipment. In all seriousness I believe the next step for T&H is the quality of the visuals. Grab a movie camera for $32,000.00. Pay it off over time. But it’ll make a tremendous difference. Would like to see you guys take it up a notch. Everything else is hitting...but the camera work needs work.

[@drwindsurf]

fun :)

[@renelesch6244]

Nice xD