The Explorer II reference 1655 is the watch collectors nicknamed the Steve McQueen. A replica of it works only when four things are right at the same time: a 39mm case, an acrylic crystal, a fixed 24-hour steel bezel, and a GMT hand that can be set without moving the hour hand. Fail any one of those and the watch reads as a fake from across a room, no loupe required.

What the 1655 Actually Is

Rolex put the reference 1655 on sale in 1971 as a cave explorer's tool. The orange 24-hour hand and the non-rotating bezel let a wearer track day and night in places with no daylight reference. Production ran to roughly 1985, then the line moved to the 16550 and the 16570, both 40mm and both with sapphire. The McQueen name comes from photographs of the actor wearing an Explorer II, and the connection is looser than most sellers suggest.

Before You Start

  • Fix the reference in your head. The 1655 is the McQueen. Anything 40mm with a sapphire crystal is a later Explorer II, not this one.
  • Pick a dial generation. Mark I through the later marks differ in lume plot size, font weight, and hand profile.
  • Set a budget. On replicas, the movement costs more than the case finish and drives the price more than anything else.
  • Know your wrist. A 39mm case on a 20mm lug width sits small next to a modern 42mm Explorer II.

Spec Checklist for a Convincing Replica

  • Case: 39mm across the flanks, 20mm lugs, crown guards blended into the midcase.
  • Crystal: domed acrylic, no Cyclops magnifier over the date.
  • Bezel: fixed steel, 24-hour scale, black-filled numerals, no rotation.
  • Hands: orange 24-hour hand with no lume plot, sitting below the minute hand.
  • Dial: matte black, printed text, tritium-style plots inside the minute track.
  • Bracelet: Oyster 7836 with folded links and 580 end links is period correct.
  • Caseback: plain, no decorative engraving.

How to Evaluate One Step by Step

  1. Measure the case across the flanks without the crown and confirm it reads 39mm, not 40mm or 42mm.
  2. Press a fingernail against the crystal edge; acrylic flexes and sounds dull, sapphire feels glass-hard.
  3. Try to turn the bezel. If it rotates, stop there, because the 1655 bezel is fixed.
  4. Loupe the 24-hour hand and check that it carries no lume plot.
  5. Set the GMT hand to a second time zone and confirm the hour hand stays put on a jumping-hour movement.
  6. Look at the date window and confirm there is no magnifying lens on the crystal.
  7. Compare dial printing against photos of the mark you want, watching letter spacing and the depth of the coronet.
  8. Check that the lume plots sit inside the minute track instead of touching it.
  9. Flip the watch and inspect the caseback for engraving that should not be there.
  10. Open the bracelet and read the end link stamp; 580 ends fit the 1655, most modern solid links do not.
  11. Run it on a timegrapher. The original caliber 1575 beat at 19,800 vph, and most replicas run at 28,800.

Movement Choices

ETA 2836-2 GMT

This is the standard option in mid and upper tier builds. It runs at 28,800 vph, sets the GMT hand through the crown in the second position, and holds time well. Parts are easy to source.

DG3804B

A cheaper Asian GMT movement at 21,600 vph. It works and the lower beat rate is closer to the original on paper, but finishing and long-term stability are weaker.

Seiko NH34

A reliable Japanese option with a good power reserve. It is thicker, so case dimensions sometimes grow by a fraction to fit it, and that shows on the wrist.

Modified or Low-Beat Builds

Some builders regulate a 28,800 movement down or fit a low-beat module to mimic the 1575. Ask for the beat rate before buying, because it is the one flaw nobody sees without a timegrapher.

Red Flags

  • A rotating bezel on a 1655 style case.
  • A Cyclops lens over the date.
  • A 42mm case listed as 39mm in the description.
  • Bright white lume plots on a watch meant to look forty years old.
  • Bracelet end links stamped for a different reference.

Wearing and Care

Acrylic scratches, so keep a tube of polywatch and a soft cloth on hand and polish the crystal at home rather than sending the watch out. Rinse the case with fresh water after swimming in salt water, and have the gaskets checked once a year if you wear it in the shower. Keep the bracelet dry between wears and store the watch flat so the folded links do not stretch.