5 Affordable Tool Watches with Rolex Explorer II Vibes

If Rolex makes a steel sports watch, said watch will be highly sought after, if not downright iconic. The Explorer II is both.

Designed for cave explorers in 1971, the sequel to the mountaineering Explorer had unique features that set it apart — most notably, a fixed 24-hour bezel and a luminous 24-hour hand that allowed its wearers to keep tabs on daytime and nighttime hours while exploring areas devoid of sunlight.

That original version, now colloquially called the “Steve McQueen” despite a lack of evidence that the late actor ever wore one, was retired in 1985 and gave way to the general design language that’s still present in the Explorer II of today in both its original black and popular white “Polar” dial guises.

As an iconic Rolex steel sports watch, the Explorer II is understandably pricey at $9,650. Also, as an iconic Rolex steel sports watch, you’re very unlikely to get one at retail price without spending time on a lengthy waiting list, as the current market rate for the watch is about $1,500 above SRP.

But all is not lost if you’re looking to get a watch with Explorer II vibes without spending a fortune. Below, we’ve selected five alternative watches to the Rolex Explorer II that offer similar styling and functionality. Let’s go exploring.

Photo by Zen Love

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

Best Overall Rolex Explorer II Alternative: Christopher Ward Sealander GMT

Christopher Ward

Best Overall Rolex Explorer II Alternative

Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT

One of the best examples of a “go anywhere, do anything” type of watch (though CW prefers to say it does “everything), the Sealander GMT certainly has a lot going for it. Agreeable sports watch styling, versatile and compact sizing, and all the specs you could want, including dynamite lume, robust water resistance and a Swiss-made automatic movement visible through a sapphire caseback.

Specs

Case Size	39mm, 36mm
Movement	Sellita SW330-2 automatic GMT
Water Resistance	150m

Pros

• Available in two sizes and multiple colors
• Excellent quality and specs for the price

Cons

• Styling is derivative
• No lume on the bezel

• 
  $1,225 at Christopher Ward

What makes the CW our top pick? It’s bulletproof mix of style, functionality and affordability. The design is obviously inspired by the Explorer II — the brand admits as much — but it’s a bit more refined with its applied indices, “Light-catcher” case and smaller case sizes.

It’s highly functional thanks to a Swiss-made GMT movement from Sellita, killer Super-LumiNova lume and 150m of water resistance. And best of all, the price almost looks like a misprint, coming in well under $1,500 on a bracelet. It also comes in some additional colors beyond the requisite black and white, with the Dragonfly Blue variant being especially fetching.

Seiko 5 Sports Field GMT

Seiko

Seiko 5 Sports Field GMT

Following the success of its SKX diver-inspired GMT, Seiko launched another line of 5 Sports models utilizing the same affordable dual-time movement. This time, however, the watches fall under the iconic Seiko 5 field watch line and exude an explorer-vibe with their fixed 24-hour steel bezel.

Specs

Case Size	39.4mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 4R34 automatic GMT
Water Resistance	100m

Pros

• Very affordable
• Rugged yet versatile

Cons

• The design is very busy — there are 35 numerals (plus date) on the dial and bezel
• Included five-link bracelet doesn’t match the style of the watch

• 
  $425 at Uncrate

For the absolute bargain pick, as is often the case, we’re going with Seiko. The field watch version of Seiko’s game-changing “5KX” GMT, the 5 Sports Field GMT is powered by the same Cal. 4R34 automatic movement but is smaller at 39mm and features more rugged styling. It’s a bit busy compared to the Explorer II, but its overall vibe and toughness are certainly in the same ballpark.

Ball Engineer III Outlier

Ball

Ball Engineer III Outlier

Ball may fly under the radar as a brand, but its watches are some of the most impressive in the industry. This GMT is not only made from 904L steel (the same stuff Rolex uses for its Oystersteel), but it features a clever in-house movement with high anti-magnetic and anti-shock properties, a true GMT function and COSC certification.

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Ball Cal. RRM7337-C automatic GMT
Water Resistance	200m

Pros

• Impressive and innovative in-house movement
• Extremely robust in all environments

Cons

• Bezel can be hard to read
• Styling is not as refined or attractive as competitors

• 
  $2,897.20 at Exquisite Timepieces
  
  $3,449
  
  (16% off)

Ball makes some of the toughest watches in the world, full-stop. A newer model for the brand, the Engineer III Outlier is powered by an in-house movement featuring a traveler’s GMT function with an independently adjustable hour hand — just like you’ll find on the Rolex. It’s also crafted from ultra-hard 904L stainless steel … again, like on the Rolex.

You know what isn’t like the Rolex, though? It’s 200m water resistance and 1,000 gauss magnetic field resistance — both of which are higher than what you’ll get with the Explorer II. Then there’s Ball’s trademark tritium gas tube lume, which is always on, requires no charging and lasts up to 25 years. Now, just point us to the nearest cave.

Grand Seiko SBGN003

Grand Seiko

Grand Seiko SBGN003

Part of Grand Seiko’s first line of watches featuring the GMT variant of its high-accuracy 9F quartz movement, the SBGN003 has become something of a modern classic for the brand thanks to its mix of versatile sizing, classic sports watch styling and Grand Seiko’s typical sharp finishing.

Specs

Case Size	39mm
Movement	Grand Seiko Cal. 9F86 quartz GMT
Water Resistance	100m

Pros

• Fantastic sizing for nearly all wrists
• Trademark Grand Seiko finishing in an affordable sports watch

Cons

• Bracelet is ho-hum and features no micro-adjustment
• Some will turn their nose up at quartz

• 
  $3,200 at Reeds Jewelers

Seiko recently discontinued this watch in favor of a newer generation of quartz GMT sports models that aren’t quite as Rolex-y in their design language. But we think the SBGN003 still deserves a spot in this guide as it’s long been popular with enthusiasts and remains available for purchase at many retailers.

The watch is certainly dressier than the Rolex thanks to Grand Seiko’s trademark Zaratsu polishing, but it still pulls off an Explorer II-like vibe with its 24-hour steel bezel and orange GMT hand contrasting against its black lacquer dial. The 9F86 quartz movement inside might just change your mind about quartz, too, as it’s accurate to an astounding 10 seconds per year and features a local hour hand that can be independently adjusted without interrupting that crazy precision.

Tudor Black Bay Pro

Tudor

Tudor Black Bay Pro

The smaller and more wearable of Tudor’s two GMT models (the other being the 41mm Black Bay GMT), the Black Bay Pro combines old-school tool watch looks and durability with modern luxury watchmaking. It’s got a manufacture movement with 70 hours of power reserve and the bracelet features Tudor’s quick-adjust T-Fit clasp.

Specs

Case Size	39mm
Movement	Tudor Cal. MT5652 automatic GMT
Water Resistance	200m

Pros

• Cool design inspired by the vintage Rolex “Steve McQueen” Explorer II
• Impressive manufacture movement with traveler GMT functionality

Cons

• Very thick and stout
• Faux rivets on the bracelet bother many

Read our full review of the Tudor Black Bay Pro

• 
  $4,225 at Reeds Jewelers

Tudor made some big waves when it unveiled this GMT watch at Watches & Wonders 2022, as it came in at a 39mm size that enthusiasts had been hoping for ever since Tudor released the original 41mm Black Bay GMT in 2018. But what took everyone by surprise was the BB Pro’s styling, as it eschewed the Black Bay GMT’s Pepsi look and was a dead ringer for the classic “Steve McQueen” Explorer II that hadn’t been seen in Rolex’s catalog since the ’80s.

If it’s that vintage Explorer II vibe you’re after, the Black Bay Pro is the best watch you can get. So why isn’t it our top overall pick? Well, at over four grand, it’s stretching the idea of “affordable” for most people. (It’s still less than half the cost of an Explorer II, though.)