The Rolex Explorer 114270 is the perfect go anywhere, do anything watch – until the day it is not. Weighing 3.6 ounces (102 grams), this 36mm watch affords the opportunity to own the lightest, nimblest sports watch that Rolex produced in the 21st Century. Its successor, the 214270, weighs 4.7 ounces and has expanded to 39mm. As a result of these dimensions, it is more comfortable on the wrist than most of its modern alternatives. That said, even lighter weights can be found in the annals of Rolex’s 20th Century models.

The versatile design of the Rolex Explorer makes it well-suited to wearing with both formal and casual clothing. As one of my cardinal rules is to never leave a watch unattended in a hotel room, I bring one watch while traveling, and often choose my Explorer. The watch has attended many weddings and conferences, but also works well when I am wearing a polo shirt while off-duty.

In June 2019, I wore my Explorer while running to catch a train. Unbeknownst to me, the center of the sapphire crystal of the watch somehow became chipped in the process. Unfortunately, Rolex had decided to stop supplying independent watch makers with genuine spare parts shortly prior. Rolex was only willing to replace the crystal if I paid for a full service of the watch movement, and local independent watchmakers either only had generic crystals or a scarce reserve of genuine crystals that they were only willing to utilize in conjunction with a full service. This pricey dilemma was ultimately resolved after I researched the part number for the crystal, found a genuine 25-295 crystal for sale on eBay, and then had an independent watchmaker install it. Had I not done so, I would have faced a four-digit repair bill.

My Rolex Explorer 114270 remains a favorite, but I am nonetheless very cautious about the notion of using it while exploring.