ROLEX

Brand: Rolex
Model: Explorer
Year: 1985
Reference: 16550
Dial: Cream
Box office number: 8866XXX
Movement: Automatic winding
Cal: Rolex 3085
Material: steel
Bracelet-Strap: Steel
Size: 40 mm
Accessories: Box and Warranty
Notes: Steel self-winding watch with date at three o'clock. Cream-coloured dial. Black glasses with luminescent material turned. Mercedes balls with luminescent material turned. Steel ring with Arabic numerals. Flat mineral glass. Crown and screw back.

Our selection prioritises unique objects, with unusual variants or ageing and toning that develop, like colours on a canvas, true works of art that cannot be replicated in series, adding a distinctive feature to the timepiece.
the Rolex Explorer II ref. 16550 with white dial is one of the most recognisable vintage sports wristwatches from Rolex. From the 1980s, this example, known to enthusiasts as the ‘Pannone’, reflects that small percentage of watches produced with a white dial, which developed a creamy hue, making it very rare.

Introduced in 1985, Ref. 16550 was a transitional model of the Explorer II, with a short production run of around four years. The reference features polished white gold applied hour markers with luminescence. This model, unlike those that have appeared more frequently on the market, has a “cream” dial from around 1985/'86 and features the typical characteristics of the transitional period, a year and a half before the reference was completely discontinued, in which the indices were characterised by an intriguing dark outline. Equipped with an equally extraordinary uniform patina, with ‘rail’ graphics, it is preserved in excellent condition and comes with its own set. Lot 9 is a “must have” in our Padel & Paddle auction