{"product_id":"rolex-explorer-ii-1655-mk4-freccione-40mm-1975","title":"Rolex Explorer II 1655 MK4 ‘Freccione’ 40mm 1975","description":"\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRolex Explorer II 1655 MK4 ‘Freccione’ 40mm 1975\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCase and Bracelet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 40mm stainless steel Oyster case is in good vintage condition and wears its history openly, with honest marks visible around both sides of the case. Nothing here has been disguised. What matters more on a 1655 is what is absent: there is no pitting and no corrosion between the lugs or on the caseback. Those two areas are the traps on a 1970s Oyster, because the recess between the lugs holds the serial engraving and collects perspiration and bracelet grit where a cloth never reaches, and the caseback rim sits against the wrist for decades at a time. A case that has stayed clean in both places has been worn and stored properly rather than simply tidied up before sale. The fixed steel 24 hour bezel is integral to this reference and does not rotate, so there is no bezel action, insert or click spring to assess, only the engraved ring itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe bracelet is in good condition, with hairlines across the surfaces and moderate stretch consistent with its age. Stretch on a Rolex Oyster bracelet of this era is less a fault than accumulated mileage, since the play develops between the pins and the link holes and is then multiplied across every link in the bracelet. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDial and Hands\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe matte black Mark IV dial is in flawless condition. The tritium plots read evenly across the hour markers with no losses or lifting, and the printing remains crisp. The hands are in very good condition, including the broad orange 24 hour arrow that gives the reference its Freccione nickname and that was deliberately shaped stubby and wide to carry more tritium than a slim hand could. As expected of tritium, the lume no longer glows and now serves as a visual rather than functional element.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChronometry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo Witschi WAIO trace was taken for this example at the time of writing. The calibre 1575 winds smoothly and runs without hesitation, the hacking seconds function stops the sweep hand cleanly when the crown is pulled, and the 24 hour hand tracks the local hour hand in step as it should on a reference where that hand is a day and night indicator rather than an independent GMT. The date advances correctly and the crown screws down cleanly against its threads. The watch has also passed a 5 bar waterproof test. As with any vintage Oyster, that result reflects the case at the moment of testing and is not an invitation to swim in it. A Witschi trace can be provided on request.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Crown Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55084156584215,"sku":"Rolex Explorer II 1655 MK4 ‘Freccione’ 40mm 1975","price":26999.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0900\/8670\/3383\/files\/rolex-explorer-II-1655-mk4-freccione-40mm-1975-1.jpg?v=1788170468","url":"https:\/\/crownvintage.com.au\/products\/rolex-explorer-ii-1655-mk4-freccione-40mm-1975","provider":"Crown Vintage Watches","version":"1.0","type":"link"}