Watch reference library
Rolex Explorer 124270
In production 2021 to present.
The Rolex Explorer 124270 is a 36mm Oystersteel watch with the calibre 3230, water resistant to 100 meters, made 2021 to present.
Specifications
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case material
- Oystersteel
- Bezel
- Fixed, polished Oystersteel (smooth)
- Dial
- Black
- Movement
- Rolex calibre 3230, automatic
- Power reserve
- About 70 hours
- Water resistance
- 100 meters
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet with Easylink 5mm extension Part number, lug width and links
- Bracelet part
- 78GB00, from Rolex's 2022 to 2026 price lists
- Lug width
- 19mm
The story
The Explorer was 36mm from its 1953 introduction, tied to that year's first successful summit of Everest, right up until Rolex enlarged it to 39mm in 2010 with the reference 214270. In 2021, Rolex reversed that decision and brought the line back to its original 36mm with the 124270, pairing the historic proportions with the new-generation calibre 3230, which replaced the 214270's calibre 3132 and roughly doubled the practical power reserve to about 70 hours. The dial layout that has defined the Explorer since 1953 carries over unchanged, oversized 3, 6, and 9 numerals and the tri-lobed "Mercedes" hour hand, both inherited from the original ref. 6350. True to the model's history, the 124270 has no date window and no rotating bezel, just a smooth polished ring, keeping the reading uncluttered. Rolex also introduced a steel-and-yellow-gold sibling, the 124273, alongside the 124270 in 2021, the first time the Explorer had ever been offered in a two-tone Rolesor configuration.
What to check before you buy
The return to 36mm has brought in a genuinely mixed following, it's worth trying one on before assuming the older "too small" reputation of the pre-2010 Explorers still applies, the new case and bracelet wear differently than people expect. There is no date window and never has been, that's a design choice going back to 1953, not a missing feature to worry about. Because production only began in 2021, most 124270s on the market are still fairly young, full box-and-card sets are common, and few should need service yet under Rolex's roughly 10-year guidance. As with other current Rolex sports models, the serial is a random code on the rehaut rather than a sequential number, so it's not something you can use to date the watch precisely on its own.
Buying or selling a 124270?
Selling one? Text photos to (605) 521-2821 for an offer within hours, or ask for one below. Moda pays by wire or Zelle within 24 hours of receiving the watch, on its own insured label. Rather sell it yourself? Post it in the Moda watch groups and run the listing through the Post Checker first. Buying one from someone you don't know? Moda's middleman service inspects the watch at Moda HQ and the buyer pays the seller only after approving the condition report. When it ships, it goes fully insured through ShipIFS, the shipping vendor Moda uses for its own watches.
A Serial Check tells you whether this 124270 has been reported stolen and whether its dial and bracelet are the factory originals.
Moda-lytics tracks the live market price of this reference from real wholesale listings.
Moda Watch Club is the Moda group for luxury watches, and Moda Watch Club: 10K & Under covers watches below that line. Both are free to join with a join code.
Common questions
Why doesn't the Explorer have a date window?
It never has. The Explorer has been date-free since its 1953 introduction; the date-equipped, dual-time sibling in the same family is the separate Explorer II.
Why did Rolex shrink it back down to 36mm?
The original Explorer was 36mm from 1953 until Rolex enlarged it to 39mm with the 214270 in 2010. In 2021, Rolex reversed course and returned the line to its historic 36mm with the 124270, alongside the new calibre 3230.
What's the story behind the 3, 6, 9 dial and the "Mercedes" hands?
Both trace back to the original 1953 ref. 6350, developed around the era of the first successful Everest expedition; the oversized 3-6-9 numerals and the tri-lobed hour hand, nicknamed Mercedes for its shape, have remained the Explorer's visual signature ever since.
Is there a two-tone version?
Yes, Rolex released a Rolesor steel-and-yellow-gold version alongside the 124270 in 2021, reference 124273, sharing the same case, dial layout, and movement, the first time the Explorer had been offered in two-tone.