The cheap fake Rolex Explorer II 16570 “Polar” has long been an enthusiast favorite – it’s a clean white dial sports watch, something that’s not very common in the best copy Rolex catalog.
“I love the size, the functionality, the mix of old and new Rolex replica for sale, and the continuation of the Explorer II as the oddball of everyday Rolex,” says James Stacey, my colleague and proud 16570 owner.
“I’d say high quality fake Rolex Explorer II 16570 white dial, every time. Ideally tritium,” agreed Tim Bender of Fog City Vintage when I asked him the $10,000 question.
Bender is, in particular, a fan of aaa quality replica Rolex 16570 “Chichi Di Mais” dials (Italian for corn kernels) named after their lume plots that have turned a shade of yellow/orange. These dials are found in early ’90s tritium Explorer IIs (E, X, N, and S serials).
“I even prefer them over cream Swiss made fake Rolex 16550 Explorer IIs,” Bender said, referring to the prior reference that often ages to a beautiful, creamy patina and collectors pay big bucks for. “Chichi Di Mais are probably as rare as the 16550, but trade at about a third of the cost.”
Today, he said you can expect to pay about $10,000 to $12,000 for one of these. For the sake of this thought exercise, let’s assume I was a bulldog negotiator and Tim sold me one for $10,000. But if you don’t really care about all that Italian stuff, Tim recommends a Luminova dial with drilled lugs and solid end links, which were offered together for only a few years in the early 2000s. These are easily under $10,000.
James emphasized the practicality of the Swiss movement copy Rolex Explorer II 16570, while Bender honed in on the potential collectibility of variants like the Chichi Di Mais. This is the mix of old and new Rolex James mentioned that has drawn many people to the era of five-digit cheap super clone Rolex over the last few years (in addition to four-digit models being increasingly out of reach).
“The white dial appeals to me to an extent that it makes the 16570 my favorite five-digit Rolex replica for sale, heck, likely my favorite modern high quality copy Rolex of all time,” James said. Good enough for Stacey, good enough for me.