TOOLED UP:THE ROLEX EXPLORER II
We often hear the term “tool watch” or “professional watch” used about some of the most iconic and desirable timepieces. Dive watches were originally developed for divers to time descent and ascent periods via the rotating bezel that indicated elapsed time. To be clear, in the 1960s and 1970s these watches weren’t just cool accessories that looked good, they were vital safety tools that saved lives.
The GMT complication was developed for professional use by pilots and travellers through necessity due to the advent of commercial air travel, to allow them to monitor two time zones. The chronograph had a number of different timing scales that aided racing car drivers, military leaders and doctors in their professional duties. The Submariner, GMT-Master and Daytona, therefore, have some deep roots as tool watches. But here, we lift the lid on one of the quiet stars of the Rolex tool watch line.
Like other more esoteric members of the Rolex sports line, the Milgauss and
