If you searched for an "imitator Rolex Explorer II 1655," you likely want one of two things: the story behind a watch that gets copied more than most vintage Rolexes, or a way to tell whether the one in front of you is real. Both come down to the same details. The 1655 is hard to fake well, and the tells sit in the dial, the bezel, and the movement, not in a seller's photos.
What the 1655 actually is
Rolex introduced the Explorer II reference 1655 in 1971 and built it until roughly 1985. The brief was narrow: cave researchers who spent days underground and lost track of whether it was day or night. The answer was a 24-hour hand with an orange arrow tip and a fixed steel bezel graduated to 24 hours, so the wearer could read a second time zone or simply tell AM from PM. The case measures about 39mm, the date sits at 3 o'clock with no magnifying lens over it, and the movement is the caliber 1575, a 26-jewel automatic with a GMT-style 24-hour function.
Two nicknames stuck. English-speaking collectors call it the "Steve McQueen," even though McQueen was never photographed wearing one. Italian collectors call it the Freccione, the arrow, after that orange hand. Both names get attached to fakes on marketplace listings, which is one of the easier ways to spot a seller who does not know the watch.
Why this reference gets copied
Money, mostly. Original-dial 1655s trade in the five figures at auction, which is enough to pull counterfeiters and dial refinishers into the model. That price also means the fakes cluster around predictable shortcuts, so a short list of checks filters most of them out.
Top Best Guide to Finding Lookalike Rolex Explorer 2 1655 Watches Online
The tells I check first
- Crystal. The 1655 has no cyclops magnifier. A bubble over the date means the crystal is wrong, or the whole watch is.
- Bezel. It is fixed and does not rotate. If it turns, it is not a 1655 bezel. Look at the numerals, too: the font is slim and even, while copies often print heavy, wide digits and sloppy graduation marks.
- Orange hand. The paint is matte and slightly muted. Copies tend toward a flat, oversaturated orange, and the arrow head is often too thick or too blunt at the tip.
- Dial text. Spacing and weight of the Rolex coronet and the printed lines are hard to copy. Tritium dials carry T SWISS T or SWISS T markings near 6 o'clock. A plain SWISS MADE on a 1655-scale dial is a red flag.
- Bracelet. Period-correct examples came on a folded-link Oyster bracelet. Solid end links and modern clasps usually mean a later bracelet, or a fake.
- Stamping. The reference number and serial sit between the lugs. On 1655s the stamping is crisp and shallow, not laser-etched or deep-cut.
- Movement. Ask for a photo of the caliber 1575 with the rotor removed. Plating, engraving, and jewel count give it away in seconds.
Where the copies show up
Marketplaces, collector forums, and social-media sales groups. The harder problem is not the outright counterfeit, it is the Frankenwatch: a genuine case and movement paired with a redialed or refinished face and sold as untouched. Photos flatten lume patina and hide polishing, so I always ask for a movement shot, a caseback photo, and a straight-on dial shot in daylight before considering anything.
What I would do instead
I will not point anyone toward counterfeit sellers, and not just on principle. A fake 1655 has no service path, no spare parts, and no resale value, and importing counterfeit goods into the United States can get the package seized by Customs. If what you want is the look and the function, a current Explorer II gives you a working 24-hour hand, a real warranty, and a watch you can hand down. If what you want is the vintage feel, save toward a genuine example with a documented service history. The 1655 rewards patience, and it punishes shortcuts.
Fast checklist before you buy
- No cyclops over the date.
- Bezel does not rotate and the numerals are slim.
- Orange hand is matte, arrow tip is sharp.
- Tritium marking near 6 o'clock matches the dial era.
- Reference and serial stamping between the lugs is crisp.
- Movement photo shows a caliber 1575 with correct finishing.
- Bracelet and clasp match the production period.