My closest pal has just bought one and there’s no doubt it’s a fantastic watch - the dimensions, quality of materials, dial design, heritage and of course the movement. The only thing that doesn’t quite do it for me is the Mercedes hands. I wanted one for quite a while, although I’m over it now. If I was to put that much dough into a watch at this point, it would be the OP39.
The thing about wanting an Explorer but either not having the cash or being able to justify the outlay is, it’s qualities - black dial, do it all, understated sports watch with enough bling to dress up, are available in other watches. The Sarb033, Sinn 556A, Smiths Everest, Hamilton Khaki Field, Tudor Ranger and Tudor BlackBay41 all offer something similar at varying percentages of the Explorers quality and price.