Baron - Mr Red
14613
Submariner 6200 Big Crown versus Explorer 6610 Red Depth
Take these two watches..... the Submariner 6200 Big Crown....and the Explorer 6610 Red Depth.....
Both manufactured for a very limited period of time
Both have no crown guards
Both have the wonderful 3-6-9 dial
Both pure tool watches
Both gloss/gilt combinations
In terms of how many of these marvels exist today, I would say probably comfortably less than 50. How many exist in good condition? Well, very few. So in terms of Rolex rarity, these two are very similar. To be honest, I would say I have seen a lot more 6200s than I have 6610 Red Depths. Yet, for the vintage collector, it is the Submariner and not the Explorer that gets all the limelight. The Sub gets the Oscar "Best Actor" while the Explorer takes the "Best animation" category. Yep, in terms of Rolex image, the Sub is king and the Explorer is very much down the pecking order. I would say that the GMT was in the mix along with the Submariner, then plausibly Daytona, Explorer and Milgauss. I include Sea-Dweller as really a part of the Submariner family. My point, however is that the Explorer just doesn't seem to get anywhere near the same attention as the rest of the Rolex family.
Now, its not forum policy to discuss prices, and my purpose here is not to focus on this, but if you take auction prices for watches, it is actually quite hard to find any type of Explorer that gets anywhere near the price of a decent Daytona...let alone Daytona Paul Newman. Each reference of Rolex has its superstars....but for the Explorer....uhmmmmm. I am curious to hear other views on this, but why does the Explorer seem to fail to get public recognition?
Edmond made an interesting comment on why Rolex was such an enduring brand. I think this touches upon this issue a little. It will be curious to see how views unfold....
