Vintage Rolex Explorer 16550 Black Spider Dial

Vintage Watch Condition Examination

This 16550 is in overall great vintage condition. The case is strong with scratches. The bezel is in very good condition with some scratches, wear, and some light nicks. Some of the black paint in the numbers shows wear. The dial is in overall great condition and the top layer of gloss shows cracking throughout and collectors refer to this as a “spider dial.” The lume on the dial and in the hands have developed patina and aged to an attractive creamy, beige color. The lume in the GMT is completely gone, which is something we have seen before. Due to the large surface of the hand the lume can fall out. The hands have developed patina. The bracelet is in great condition and is a slightly earlier Submariner style replacement. It has some wear and light stretch between the links. The crystal is a later service replacement.

Vintage Rolex Explorer II Ref 16550

Reference 16550 played an integral role in the Rolex Explorer II’s history. When it came to market in the mid-1980s, it was the first reference in the series to feature a larger 40mm case, an upgraded scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and a higher-beat caliber 3085 Perpetual movement. The 16550 was also the first Explorer II to sport the now-standard Mercedes-style hands and dial with dot, triangle, and baton hour markers. It was also the first Explorer II to offer a white dial which is something Rolex still offers today. The reference 16550 was pretty short lived, only available from approximately 1984 to 1989 when it was replaced by the ref. 16570.

The watch we have here is in overall attractive condition and features what collectors have dubbed a “Spider dial.” This refers to the dial looking like a spider web because the top layer of gloss shows cracking throughout. Technically this is a defect, but many collectors seek these out because of the unique appearance they give these watches and no two will age exactly alike. In addition to the “Spider Dial” this dial is also of the “Rail dial” variety. This is referring to the layout of the text on the bottom of the dial, where the words line up over each other creating an even gap between the words, you can read more about rail dials here. In addition this example features the older style bezel with “box” zeros adding to the overall striking character of the watch.