The 2023 Rolex Explorer reference 124270 is Rolex doing something surprisingly refreshing: making a modern sports watch smaller. Introduced in 2021, the 124270 brought the stainless steel Explorer back to its traditional 36mm diameter after a decade at 39mm. The formula is exactly what you want from an Explorer: an Oystersteel case, smooth bezel, black dial, Oyster bracelet, and the oversized 3-6-9 numerals that have defined the model for generations. There is no date, no rotating bezel, and really nothing decorative that doesn't need to be there. It is one of the simplest watches Rolex makes, and that's a big part of why the design has aged so well.

The black dial uses Rolex's Chromalight display, with luminous 3, 6, and 9 numerals alongside luminous hour markers and hands. Inside is the automatic caliber 3230, Rolex's modern no-date movement featuring the Chronergy escapement, blue Parachrom hairspring, and Paraflex shock absorbers. It offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve and carries Rolex's Superlative Chronometer specification of -2/+2 seconds per day after casing. You also get a sapphire crystal, screw-down Twinlock crown, and 100 meters of water resistance. In other words, despite looking like one of the most traditional watches in the Rolex catalog, mechanically there is very little old-fashioned about it.

The 36mm case is really the reason to own the 124270. An Explorer has always made sense as a compact watch, and returning it to 36mm gave the design back some of the proportions that made the older references so good in the first place. The solid-link Oyster bracelet and Oysterlock clasp make it feel substantially more modern than a vintage Explorer, while the 5mm Easylink extension is one of those small conveniences you quickly get spoiled by. A 2023 example gives you all the charm of the classic Explorer layout without actually asking you to deal with a vintage watch. No ceramic bezel, no polished center links, no cyclops, no extra complication. Just a black dial, three big numbers, and 36mm of Rolex getting out of its own way.