While most would agree that the Rolex Explorer II ref. 16550 fitted with a white dial is one of the most interesting vintage sports wristwatch by Rolex from the 1980s, some examples feature a creamy patina developed on the dial due to age and the nature of the material. Developed at random, not all examples fitted with a white dial develops a creamy hue, making examples that do, highly rare.

Initially introduced in 1985, the ref. 16550 was a transitional model of the Explorer II with a short production span of roughly four years. Featuring applied luminous white gold indexes, the successor ref. 16570 featured applied blackened surrounds indexes giving a different appeal.

The present example Rolex Explorer II ref. 16550 features a rare “cream” dial from circa 1988 bearing an “R” serial. During the transitional period over a one and a half year, a rare batch of ref. 16550 would feature intriguingly blackened surrounds as its indexes before the reference completely phased out. A true delight, this cream dial features equally stunning lume plots that have aged in a uniform cream hue. The blackened surrounds have also aged with an attractive holographic patina within its blackness from oxidation. An extremely well-preserved example perhaps bought from a Japan voyage, it is further complete with its original accessories.