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So I picked this up today and having looked from afar for an age to finally have one feels quite special yet already I find myself questioning the 36mm
I’ve got other Rolex sports including a sub and I’ve had the sd43 and even as big as a 46mm navitimer in the past but this is the first time I’ve gone for a more traditional size and with my 8”’ wrist I’m now questioning if I should of gone for the newer model
I brought it somewhat on impulse at a great price but already thinking the larger version would have been a better option ???
Last edited by R0bertb00th; 28th July 2020 at 22:16.
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I think you're gut is right. A dress watch at 36mm would look fine on your 8" but a sports watch....
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It’s odd how watch sizes and wrist sizes change (or maybe what we think of as normal does).
For years I wore a 34mm Rolex Date every day (8 inch wrist size) and never thought it small but now I couldn’t do it.
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Funny, I am kind of in the opposite boat. I bought a new 39mm 18 months ago from my AD and I'm still leaning towards switching to a 36mm. I prefer the dial proportions of the smaller watch but I would miss the warranty and solidity of mine.
Both nice watches, get the size that suits. No right or wrong.
Agreed - I’ve had both and the 36 was too small imho.Originally Posted by boring_sandwich
The 39 would look huge on my wrist and personally I don’t like the newer proportions. My 114270 is my favourite watch and gets the most wrist time and it being 36mm is truer to the 1016 which is my grail! I believe as trends shift and smaller watches become increasingly “cool” again the 114270 will be very sort after
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Give it a week or two. You may get to like the 36mm size.
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There is a lot of sense in this comment. When I put mine on i think it looks small for a while then I just get used to it.
In 2014 I used to wear a 34mm Omega for over 36 years. I decided to treat myself to a Rolex and bought a 39mm Explorer and for a few weeks I felt it looked to big. The salesman in the AD who sold me the watch was wearing the 36mm Explorer at the time and the difference in appearance was negligible.
This obsession with size is a sad result of reading too many fora such as this. If you take a walk down any street in any town you will soon see hundreds of men wearing watches smaller than 36mm.
Reading fora can be educational but it is also home to a bunch of neurotic weirdos who think the world has come to an end because their watch is not the perceived right size or that they have scratched it a week after buying it. If you cannot buy a watch and relax after wearing it, best to sell it. Life is to be enjoyed, not fretting over some watch on your wrist that no one else ever even looks at.
You have bought a classic watch that will remain in fashion for the rest of your life, so relax and enjoy it.
Always a wise policy.
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Try one and see I guess. If you can’t find one, the Oyster Perpetual 39 is easier to find and the same size. With a relatively large 8” wrist I doubt you’d have any problems with the 39 so it’s a matter of taste.
Appreciate the feedback I’ll give it a week on the wrist and if I still feel the same I’ll try for a trade or sell it and look to find another
I have similar wrists to you and went with the 39mm MKII, fits perfect.
I really can't see why anyone would prefer the 36 over the 39, unless they have <6 inch wrists. My wrist is only 6.75" (and not that flat) and the 39 new model is nowhere near too large.
I have 7" wrists and much prefer the 36mm. It looks classier, more subtle, but plenty big enough.
I'm also happy wearing a 45mm Seiko Tuna.
See, everyone has a different opinion
I had one of these (maybe that one!) until recently. It never felt too small on my 6.75" wrist but one of the things that got me was that it does not feel very substantial for a sports watch. Indeed, it wasn't much more substantial than my 30 year old SS Datejust with the Jubilee bracelet and notably less than for example a similar age Seamaster (which is admittedly a fair bit larger). I am quite used to wearing 36-39mm watches so I don't think that was a factor.
I think that may make it feel like it is smaller than it is. I am keen to see how the 39mm model is both from a size and presence perspective but haven't tried one on as yet.
I think the 39 is perfect as a sports watch
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The 114270 was my grail for years. I finally got around to providing myself with an excuse to grab one at the end of last year for my 50th. I really thought that it could be my one watch collection (apart from the Tag 2000 Professional that my old man bought me for my 18th).
Had no problem with the size per se on my 7" wrist but found that the legibility was surprisingly poor. Now that has something to do with my eyesight but it was bugging me so much that I sold the watch last month. I'm considering the 214270 (if I could get my hands on one to try) but for now I have a gilt BB58 and newer model Railmaster which are both great watches as far as size and legibility is concerned.
I have a 6 inch wrist and happily wear a 36mm Explorer. The Explorer always feels small after wearing a Seiko SKX007 but I get use to it quickly. Equally the SKX007 feels clumsily big after wearing the Explorer.
Both the 36 and 39 are classics and you cannot go wrong.
Potential swap it seems with Rob?Funny, I am kind of in the opposite boat. I bought a new 39mm 18 months ago from my AD and I'm still leaning towards switching to a 36mm. I prefer the dial proportions of the smaller watch but I would miss the warranty and solidity of mine.
Rob - nice acquisition, looks good! Definitely a different with the Sub and SD.
Maybe wear it for a week or 2 - get a feel for it then see?
S
Indeed - we've already DM'ed and are going to revisit it in a bit.Potential swap it seems with Rob?
Rob - nice acquisition, looks good! Definitely a different with the Sub and SD.
Maybe wear it for a week or 2 - get a feel for it then see?
S
lovely! Nice to keep such a great piece between forum users!
S
OP, I think that looks great on your wrist. For me the 39mm proportions get all bent out of shape, especially the fatter bezel. I am biased towards the 36mm though....love mine
Nice Explorer article on Hodinkee
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/ro...u-need-to-know
Thanks for sharing. Now I'm even more confused. Do some versions of the 14270 have lume filled numerals?
Nope, always painted in black or white. Weirdly misleading if they're claiming so
I think more my reading that any attempt to be misleading. The 14270 would be perfect for me except for the lack of lume filled numerals.
I think it very much depends on the individual. The 39mm works very well for me as a sports watch (small wrist!).
It has the ability to fly below the radar 90% of the time but it occasionally it catches the light and reminds me that it really is a thing of beauty!
Last edited by Progressive; 31st July 2020 at 06:17.
39 works great for me, on an average sized wrist, and the remainder of my watches are 36-37mm. People forget they’re still on the smaller side of the professional range, and the current watch does have the strongest spec of any Explorer to date....
Interesting availability/pricing conspiracy theory brewing!
https://youtu.be/sYMpEp9nOeY
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Well there is one on there now!
https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/exp...id15964227.htm
Last edited by boring_sandwich; 1st August 2020 at 12:31.
You’d might be surprised - with a 6.5” wrist I find the 39mm looks fractionally oversized, the lugs just aren’t hugging the wrist. Having tried it a few times I’m always left with the feeling that 38mm would have been a better fit. I’m not surprised if 1/4” is enough to make a difference as it’s borderline and you could get away with it, but it’s enough put me off them, for that money I want a watch with no doubts about the fit. That said, there’s no such thing as a watch that’s too large or small, only a wrist that’s too large or small for a particular watch.
I’m in a similar position/quandary. Albeit it’s an Omega rather than Rolex. Just got myself a bargain Speedie and thought that the 40mm would be ok. All my other watches are 42+.
Am slowly getting there with it but it really is a mental thing. The Speedie looks great on me wrist but my brain is telling me it’s too small.
Persevere with a lot of wrist time but only you can make the call. If it still doesn’t feel right, bite the bullet and go for what is right for you.
I’ll let you know how I get on with mine in the next week or so.
Agree with Andy on all this. I’ve had 2 39’s in the past, just didn’t look right so had to move them on. Bought the 2nd just to be sureOP, I think that looks great on your wrist. For me the 39mm proportions get all bent out of shape, especially the fatter bezel. I am biased towards the 36mm though....love mine
Traded a Sub for my 114270, thought I’d regret it but 2 years later, still got it and still love it. So wearable and charming.
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With all the coverage on Hodinkee this week I would suggest the OP's 36mm is the better investment.
If he kept it for a year or so and slowly formed a decision one way or the other, I suspect he'd be in a position to trade in the 114270 at a fair mark up and buy a 39mm if preferred. They're already approaching price parity on Chrono24 which is interesting given the difference in technical refinement.
I would not use C24 as a reliable tool for pricing as they are all over the place and mostly at the top end.
I agree with you, just mentioned it as it's interesting to see what the market will bear for non-enthusiast/WIS types.
This 36mm over the 39mm all day. As mentioned wear for a couple of weeks and you’ll find it grows on you. This or the 5 digit version is my grail watch. You can try it also on a vintage leather strap too as a different option
I think your find the 36mm mentioned is a 5 digit reference!
The 114270 is the only watch I've bought twice, the second time being at the end of last year after a 6 year Rolex hiatus. However, from the moment I opened the box, I was fairly sure I'd made a mistake. I bought it as an 'office' watch to alternate with my GS quartz but, while I still find myself admiring the GS literally every time I look at it, with the Rolex I would only look at it to see the time. After spending too much time on watch forums such as this one, I'd convinced myself I needed another Rolex. However, rather than deriving the smug satisfaction I'd hoped for from seeing 'the crown' on the wrist, I felt instead it was mocking me!
It's a nice, simple, well finished, comfortable watch that, imo, given these are now all 10+ years old, would be decent value around the 1.5 - 2k mark. No point arguing with the market but you have to place more store by the Rolex brand than me or expect to flip (in which case, Rolex steel sports models make perfect sense) to pay the 4-5k current asking price.
If I were the OP, I'd give the 39mm a try. With an 8" wrist, I suspect it'll look better and certainly offer more presence. The price is still crazy but at least you're getting what, in the Rolex world, passes for latest tech.
To me it is a beautiful watch. Understated and discreet nothing unnecessary. When I look at the dial I don’t see anything that could be added to make it better.
I have to agree the Explorer in either 36 or 39mm is a great looking watch.
To me it is a beautiful watch. Understated and discreet nothing unnecessary. When I look at the dial I don’t see anything that could be added to make it better.
Many thanks for the feedback and there's some really great feedback on this post and its clear the explorer is a firm favourite, Ive worn the 36mm for over a week now and I do like the face its beauty and so more simple than other Rolex sports I've had in the past, however Ive decided Im going to move it on and try and source the 39mm version I like the originality of the 36 but its just too small on my wrists - live and learn I guess.
Now to do some research and ascertain if a straight swop would be a fair trade for the 39mm - seems given the comments here that would be a reasonable trade?
Last edited by R0bertb00th; 5th August 2020 at 10:39.
Couldn't resist sharing mine as well. It's my favourite watch
Great image.
Thank you
Incidentally I've got a newbie question. I didn't get a notification of your quote, is there a setting that I should pick to notify me when I get quoted? I had a look through the settings page but didn't see anything, but that said it took me ages to figure out how to get the posts in a thread to appear in the right order
The problem is Chrono 24 is becoming the baseline reference point for everyone and it’s completely unregulated. Even the long-time dealers with physical premises use it to create a sale price for their stock. Most of the time watch prices on C24 are inflated by 6.5% at least to capture the commission charged by the platform. That Bark and Jack piece was really interesting....if his theory is right.
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