Original vintage 1980s Rolex Explorer II advertisement featuring Artic explorers Erling Kagge, Borge Ousland, and Geir Randby - "It seemed impossible. But we had to try...What to many seemed an impossible adventure was achieved by these polar explorers. They relied on their strength and endurance to see them through. And, on their Rolex Explorer II timepieces."
Dimensions: 8.50 inches wide by 10.75 inches high.
In 1990, Erling Kagge, Børge Ousland, and Geir Randby set off for the North Pole from Canada to be the first to reach the North Pole unsupported. The expedition started from Ellesmere Island on March 8, 1990, and reached the North Pole 58 days later on May 4, 1990, albeit without Randby, who was injured and had to be evacuated. The remaining pair of Kagge and Ousland travelled approximately 800 kilometers on skis, pulling their supplies on sledges.
Ousland (born May 31, 1962) started his career as a Norwegian Navy Special Forces Officer with Marinejegerkommandoen, and he also spent several years working as a deep-sea diver for the oil industry in the North Sea.
In 1994, he made the first solo and unsupported journey to the North Pole from Arctic Cape in Russia. Between 15 November 1996 and 17 January 1997, he became the first in the world to do an unsupported solo crossing of the Antarctic – 1,864 miles from the edge of the Ronne Ice Shelf to the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. The ski journey was made with kite assistance, and also holds the record for the fastest unsupported journey to the South Pole, taking just 34 days.
But Ousland wasn’t finished – on 22 January 2006, together with Mike Horn he began a journey to the North Pole in full Arctic night, successfully concluded on 23 March. In September 2010, Ousland's team aboard the trimaran sailboat The Northern Passage completed the circumnavigation of the North Pole. This was the first recorded instances of the circumnavigation of the North Pole without an icebreaker.
Erling Kagge (born January 15, 1963) is a Norwegian explorer, publisher, author, philosopher, lawyer, art collector and entrepreneur. He is the first person in history to reach the North Pole, South Pole and the summit of Mount Everest on foot.
In 1992 and 1993, Kagge completed the first unsupported and solo expedition to the South Pole, covering the 814-mile (1,310 km) route in 50 days. Kagge started at the northern edge of Berkner Island and had no radio or telephone contact to the outside world for the duration of this expedition, which was featured on the cover of Time magazine on March 1, 1993.
In 1994, Kagge summited Mount Everest, thus becoming the first person to complete the "Three Poles Challenge" on foot. Kagge has also sailed across the Atlantic twice, rounded Cape Horn and sailed to Antarctica and back.
In 2010, Kagge and urban historian and photographer Steve Duncan descended into the sewers, subways, trains and water tunnels of New York City – crossing the city alpine-style for five days and nights, from the Bronx, via Manhattan, to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.
And the watch? This was Rolex’s quite unusual (and legendary) Explorer II!
Like other more esoteric members of the Rolex sports line, the Milgauss and the Turn-O-Graph for example, the Explorer II received a muted reception when launched in 1971. To many, the watch was garish and the dial too busy and so it was slow to sell. It has, however, become a desirable watch in today’s market.
The watch was originally intended to be a tool watch for speleologists. The fixed 24-hr bezel and bright red arrow hand (some Explorer II models also has a bright orange arrow head) were designed to keep track of day and night while caving.
Initially, the Explorer II was slow to sell given it had a 24-hour hand and a 24-hour bezel – but its bezel was fixed, making it technically not a GMT watch, as it was unable to monitor two time zones. But as a tool watch, it reigned supreme.
Oh – we forgot to mention, the Explorer line originated in honor of Sir Edmund Hillary's successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. Oops.
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$49.99Price
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