Rolex Explorer ref.1016 de 1976

Rolex introduced the Explorer in 1953, the same year that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed Mount Everest with Rolex Oyster Perpetuals on their wrists. The Explorer was launched to celebrate this achievement and became an icon. The Explorer has been in production ever since and remains an all-time classic that watch enthusiasts love and appreciate for its beauty and simplicity. Since the watch's inception, Rolex has continued to improve and enhance the Explorer's construction, all while staying true to the original design. Rolex introduced the ref. 1016 around 1959, and it was in production until 1989. During this time, the model remained similar in appearance to its original form, apart from a change from a shiny to a matte dial around 1966. The model remained at 36mm in diameter until 2010. This ref. 1016 piece has a "Service Only Tritium Dial" service dial which carries Tritium, and the aging of the luminescent material can already be seen on the dial and hands of the