The Rolex Explorer II 226570 uses its orange hand and fixed 24-hour bezel to show either day versus night or a second time zone. The bezel does not rotate. Instead, the conventional hour hand adjusts independently, allowing local time to change while the orange hand keeps a reference time. It is a useful choice if you want that function in a steel watch with an engraved bezel and a clear, purposeful dial.

The important buying question is whether you will enjoy this display and the 42 mm case—not whether the Explorer II name sounds like a smaller Explorer with one extra feature. Here is how to read it, what to expect when setting it, and what to check before choosing an example.

Rolex Explorer II 226570: the essentials

These specifications come from Rolex’s white-dial 226570 reference page. They describe the model, not the present mechanical condition or water resistance of an individual pre-owned watch.

How to read the orange hand

The orange arrow makes one circuit in 24 hours. Read it against the bezel, using the ordinary minute hand for the minutes. For example, an orange hand at 18 with the minute hand at twelve means 18:00, or 6 p.m., in the time zone assigned to that hand.

When both hour displays are set to the same zone, the orange hand distinguishes morning from evening. When they are set to different zones, the conventional hands show local time while the orange hand shows your chosen reference time. That distinction is explained in Rolex’s Explorer II user guide.

Picture a trip from Los Angeles to New York: keep home time on the orange hand and move the conventional hour hand three hours ahead. You can then read your destination’s time normally and check home time against the bezel. The fixed scale stays where it is; there is no bezel alignment to change.

What the fixed bezel does—and does not—do

The engraved numbers form a permanent reference scale. They are not an elapsed-minutes countdown or a rotating dive-timing insert. If you want a bezel you can reposition to time an activity, this is not that mechanism.

That fixed layout also shapes the watch’s appearance. On the white-dial version pictured here, dark markings stand apart from the light dial and steel bezel, while the orange hand is the strongest color accent. Judge the legibility at normal wrist distance rather than only in enlarged product photographs.

Understand the date-setting routine before buying

Rolex’s instructions set reference time first, then local time. The local hour hand moves in one-hour steps, and the date follows it across midnight in either direction. Consequently, correcting the calendar involves moving that hour hand; do not expect a separate quick-set date action like the one on some calendar watches.

Ask the seller to demonstrate the process on the actual watch. Follow the complete manufacturer instructions, including securing the crown afterward and never unscrewing it underwater. A demonstration helps you understand operation; it does not replace a mechanical inspection.

This matters most if you rotate watches and often pick one up after it has stopped. Think about whether you enjoy resetting a multi-hand display or would prefer a simpler time-only routine.

Try the 42 mm case as a complete watch

Check how the case and first bracelet links sit across your wrist. Then look in a mirror with your arm relaxed: a close phone photograph can make the watch appear larger than it feels in ordinary use. Try bending your wrist and wearing your usual sleeve.

Easylink offers a small comfort adjustment, not a remedy for an undersized bracelet. Ask for its wearable length, the number of spare links and the position of the clasp after sizing. If your priority is a more compact, time-only watch, our Explorer 36 versus Explorer 40 comparison is a useful separate starting point.

Check the example, not only the reference

Request current photographs of the bezel engravings, case edges, crystal, bracelet and open clasp. Ask about disclosed refinishing, replacement components and documented service. Have the seller itemize the accessories and confirm the complete purchase terms in writing.

ORATIME’s white-dial Explorer II 226570 reference listing illustrates the configuration shown here. It is an inquiry listing, not a claim that a particular watch is currently in stock. Confirm availability, condition, year and accessories for the example offered.

Explore the Rolex collection at ORATIME CO or contact ORATIME CO about an Explorer II. Start with your preferred dial, wrist measurement and how you plan to use the 24-hour display. Those details make a more useful shortlist than choosing by nickname alone.