The Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 is a steel watch with a fixed 24-hour bezel and an orange 24-hour hand. Rolex built it from 1971 to 1985. Collectors call it the "Steve McQueen." A fake 1655 is a copy of that reference, made in China and sold for about $120 to $600. McQueen has no documented link to the watch. The nickname came from the trade, not from the man.
What the genuine 1655 is
Case: about 39 mm, Oystersteel, plexiglass crystal, 20 mm lugs. Bezel: steel, fixed, 24-hour scale, no rotation. Hand: orange arrow for the second time zone, read on a 24-hour scale. Movement: Rolex cal. 1575, automatic. Water resistance rating: 100 m. Production ended in 1985, when Rolex moved to the ref. 16550.
Dial marks run from Mark I to Mark VII, and the exact count depends on the source. Early dials carry a "frog foot" coronet. Print fonts, lume color and bezel numerals change between marks. Those changes drive auction prices.
Where the name came from
No photo shows McQueen wearing a 1655. The link started in the Italian market in the 1980s and spread through dealers and forums. McQueen died in 1980. The name stuck because Rolex pitched the Explorer II at cave explorers and drivers. Treat the nickname as marketing, not provenance.
Replica tiers
- Budget, $120 to $200. Plated case, printed bezel, quartz or a low-grade automatic, no working 24-hour hand.
- Mid tier, $250 to $400. 316L steel case, Asian GMT automatic (ETA 2836 clone), working 24-hour hand.
- Top tier, $450 to $600 and up. Clone 3186 or 2836 movement, plexi or sapphire option, engraved caseback, solid end-link bracelet.
Tells on a fake 1655
- Bezel font. Each genuine mark has its own numeral shapes. Copies use one font across all marks.
- Orange hand. Genuine orange is matte and fades with age. Copies use bright paint.
- Dial print. Word spacing and text height drift on copies.
- Lume. Genuine tritium is dead and cream. Copies ship with lume that glows under UV.
- Crystal. Genuine is domed plexi that sits above the bezel. Many copies ship flat sapphire.
- Caseback. Genuine 1655 stamps are plain. Copies add engraving that does not match the reference.
- 24-hour hand. It should make one turn in 24 hours, not 12.
- Price. A genuine 1655 starts near $40,000. A $400 watch is a copy, not a bargain.
Prices
Genuine: auction results for the 1655 run from about $40,000 for a watch with service parts to over $150,000 for an early Mark I with box and papers. Replica: $120 to $600, with no resale value. Rolex service centers refuse counterfeit watches.
Legal note for US buyers
Selling a counterfeit watch as genuine is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2320. US Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit imports. Buying a replica for personal use carries lower risk than selling, but the item is still an infringing copy.
What to ask a seller
- Movement name and a photo of the movement.
- Caseback photos, inner and outer.
- Case diameter and lug width measured with calipers.
- Lume photo under UV light.
- Return terms in writing.