by Sébastien Ricci.
Just before the summer of 2023, by a mix of chance and passion, I crossed paths with a Rolex Explorer reference 6150 from 1953.
A rare piece, one that marked the dawn of modern mountaineering and deep exploration. A watch built to face the elements – a true survivor. Love at first sight! After the usual checks to confirm its authenticity, I bought it without hesitation. This was the very first “toolwatch” in the history of Rolex, the first to bear the name Explorer on its dial, celebrating the conquest of Everest in May 1953 – just before the watch entered production.
As with any vintage watch of unknown service history, I carried out a full overhaul myself, replacing all the gaskets and performing a water-resistance test. In my view, a watch like this should never sleep in a safe. Its DNA is adventure. In its patina you can almost feel the salt, the sea spray, the Alpine peaks and the ocean depths. For its 70th anniversary, it deserved another great adventure. That’s why I decided to return it to the stage as a true “professional watch”.
Rolex Explorer 6150.
One calm summer Sunday in 2023, under crystal-clear light, just off the coast in front of Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum lies a shipwreck known as Le Toulonnais. Resting 35 meters down, this former vessel was deliberately sunk and has since become a haven for marine life.
By my side was my dive partner – an old Calypso diver, a trusted companion and witness to Commander Cousteau’s legendary expeditions. A discreet man with a big heart, he rarely speaks, but he has lived through the conquest of the undersea world. A true legend in his own right.
Sébastien Ricci.
We geared up together. My Explorer was on my wrist, just as it had been since it left my workshop. Next to it, my trusty mechanical depth gauge. On my back, the classic Spirotechnique Royal Mistral regulator.
Spirotechnique Royal Mistral regulator.
And then we started the dive.
At 35 meters down, silence. The light still filtering softly. Le Toulonnais came into view, ghostly yet serene. I looked at my wrist. The seconds hand swept on, steady and unfazed. Seventy years after its birth, the Explorer was still holding the pressure. We explored every corner of the wreck, enjoying that moment.
When it was time to ascend, I relied on the watch to estimate my decompression stops, despite it lacking the rotating bezel that would equip the Submariner, released just months after the Explorer 6150. Its bold numerals, high-contrast dial, and legible hands made the task effortless.
Back on the surface, the watch had lived a new chapter: diving 70 years after its creation, showing no weakness—much to my delight. The following week it would return to the office with me, under a suit and tie. That’s its strength: versatility. Always in its element, whatever the circumstances.
This was more than a technical test. It was a tribute.
A tribute to the genius of the early creators of professional watches.
To the spirit of adventure of the pioneers.
To the timeless elegance of a watch built to last.
With this adventure, it became more than a beautiful vintage timepiece with a sublime patina. It reclaimed its true nature: an Explorer.
My heartfelt thanks to the dear friend who placed this watch on my path.
Until next time—for more stories of time and adventure.
Rolex Explorer 6150.
