Replica Rolex Explorer 2 16559 price listings commonly sit between roughly $250 and $600, and the number in the listing tells you very little about what you get. The first thing to resolve is not cost but identity: 16559 is not a Rolex reference. It shows up as a typo or a scraped code for the Explorer II 16550 or 16570, and occasionally for the vintage 1655. If a seller quotes you a firm figure for a "16559" without photos of the actual watch, you are comparing prices for a watch that may not exist.
Start with the reference, then compare price
The Explorer II family runs through a few numbers that matter here. The 1655 is the 1971 original, the 16550 arrived in the mid 1980s with a white dial that often aged toward cream, and the 16570 carried the line from the late 1980s into the 2000s. A listing that uses 16559 is mixing digits, and that is a signal about how carefully the seller checked the rest of the watch.
Replica Rolex Explorer II 16550 (16559) Comparison Guide
Ask which of those three you are being offered. A replica of a vintage 1655 has different case proportions, a different bezel font, and a different dial than a 16570, so the same price cannot cover both well.
replica rolex explorer 2 16559 clone
Price tiers for a replica Explorer II
- Entry, roughly $120 to $220: low-grade automatic or 21-jewel movement, stamped bezel, weaker dial printing, and a GMT hand that is usually fixed to the hour hand instead of setting on its own.
- Mid, roughly $250 to $400: an A2836-2 based GMT, 316L stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, and cleaner dial text. This is where most buyers land.
- Upper, roughly $400 to $650: a clone 3186 or 3187 style movement with independent GMT setting, better bezel engraving, and a bracelet with correct end links and clasp stamping.
- Above that: at this point you are typically paying for marketing copy and a nicer box rather than better materials. Treat any quote far above the top tier as a reason to slow down, not to feel reassured.
These figures are a general guide for comparison, not a fixed market rate. Movement type moves the price more than any other single part.
Parameters to verify before you pay
- Movement and GMT behavior: a true Explorer II lets the 24-hour hand set independently. On many budget builds it does not, and that is the tell most people notice first.
- Case size and thickness: near 40 mm wide with roughly 20 mm lugs. Cases that run noticeably thick sit high on the wrist and rarely match the original profile.
- Bezel: fixed steel with engraved 24-hour numerals and black fill. It does not rotate. Any listing describing a rotating bezel is describing a different watch.
- Dial: black or white, with the GMT hand, correct font weight, and date magnification that lines up with the crystal.
- Bracelet: Oyster style with solid end links, correct taper, and a clasp that matches the era you are buying.
- Crystal and crown: sapphire with a cyclops over the date, screw-down crown that seats cleanly.
- Water resistance: assume none unless the seller states it was pressure tested. "100 m" in a description is not a test result.
Common pitfalls
- Stock photos of a genuine watch used to sell a replica that looks nothing like them. Always request dated photos of the exact piece, including the caseback and clasp.
- Grade labels such as "AAA" or "Swiss ETA" attached to a movement that is neither. Ask for the movement model number.
- Payment methods with no recourse. Wire transfers, gift cards, and crypto leave you with nothing to dispute if the watch never ships.
- Customs risk. Counterfeit goods can be seized on import in the US and many other countries, and the loss usually falls on the buyer.
- Servicing. Clone GMT movements are not always easy to repair locally, so factor in what happens when it stops.
- Legality. Selling or importing counterfeit goods is illegal in the US, and buying carries real financial risk even where enforcement is inconsistent.
Quick pre-purchase checklist
- Confirm the real reference, 1655, 16550, or 16570, in writing.
- Get the movement name and whether the GMT hand sets independently.
- Request dated photos of the actual watch, front, back, and clasp.
- Check the bezel is fixed and the engraving is crisp.
- Use a payment method with some form of buyer protection.
- Accept that water resistance and warranty claims on a replica are rarely enforceable.
A sensible replica Rolex Explorer 2 16559 price is whatever the movement, case, and dial quality justify, not whatever the listing number implies. Settle the reference question first, then pay for the parts you can actually verify.