Short answer
The "Steve McQueen" Explorer II is Rolex reference 1655, a steel tool watch released in 1971 with a fixed 24 hour bezel and an orange 24 hour hand. The nickname is a collector invention from Italy in the 1980s, not a Rolex name, and McQueen was not photographed wearing a 1655. A replica of that watch is a counterfeit: it copies a protected name, dial and case shape. In the United States, importing or selling it is illegal, and inside there is no Rolex movement, no parts support from Rolex service centers, and no resale value.
What reference 1655 is
- Steel case of about 38.5 mm with crown guards and a screw down crown.
- Fixed 24 hour bezel with engraved even numerals. It does not rotate.
- Orange arrow tipped 24 hour hand, read against the bezel for a second time zone or for day and night above the polar circle.
- Built from 1971 into the mid 1980s, with several dial, hand and bezel variations across the run.
- Later Explorer II models such as the 16550, 16570 and the current 226570 are different watches with different cases and bezels.
Where the nickname came from
Italian dealers and collectors started calling the 1655 the Steve McQueen model in the 1980s, borrowing the actor's name as a sales hook. McQueen wore a Submariner and a Datejust in photographs, not an Explorer II. The name stuck anyway and is now standard shorthand in the vintage market, which is why sellers use it on replica listings too.
How a replica copy falls short
- Movement. The 1655 runs a Rolex calibre with a 24 hour module. Copies use generic or cloned movements with unknown service intervals and no parts pipeline.
- Case and bezel. Case proportions, lug shape and bezel engraving depth differ. Plated finishes wear through on sharp edges.
- Dial and hands. Font weight, coronet shape, lume color and the orange tone of the 24 hour hand are the first tells under magnification.
- Ownership cost. No authorized service center will touch a counterfeit, so any repair falls to a local watchmaker with no access to correct parts.
- Legal risk. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit trademarked goods, and commercial import or sale carries civil and criminal exposure.
Checks before you buy any Explorer II
- Confirm the reference number stamped between the lugs and match it to the model.
- Verify the bezel is fixed steel, not a rotating GMT bezel from a later model.
- Check that the 24 hour hand moves independently and reads against the bezel numerals.
- Ask for service records and a movement photo from an independent watchmaker.
- Pay for a third party authentication before funds change hands.
Legal routes to the same look
If the goal is the 24 hour tool watch look rather than the Rolex name, several makers build fixed bezel GMT and field watches at low cost, and a used modern Explorer II bought from a dealer is a serviceable option. Both keep their value better than a counterfeit and can be repaired, insured and resold.