Watch Paparazzi

Designer Kim Jones spotted wearing Rolex

Kim Jones, creative director of Fendi and one of fashion's most consistently referenced style authorities, was recently spotted wearing a stainless steel Rolex Explorer II reference 16550 with a distinctively warm cream-toned dial — a detail that will not be lost on any vintage Rolex collector paying attention.

Rolex introduced the Explorer II ref. 16550 in 1985 as the direct successor to the ref. 1655, a watch retroactively nicknamed the 'Steve McQueen' Explorer II despite no confirmed connection to the actor. The 16550 brought meaningful upgrades: a sapphire crystal replacing the earlier acrylic, a quickset date mechanism via the calibre 3085 movement, and a cleaner, more legible dial layout. It was produced until approximately 1988, when Rolex replaced it with the ref. 16570. Case diameter remained 40mm, and the signature orange GMT hand — a nod to the model's original purpose of tracking a second time zone — was retained throughout production.

What makes the 16550 genuinely exceptional to collectors is the so-called 'cream' or 'ivory' dial variant. Toward the end of the reference's production run, a portion of the dial supply — originally intended to be white — began exhibiting a warm, honey-ivory oxidation. The cause is generally attributed to a chemical reaction in the lacquer or printing compounds used at the time. The result was never a deliberate design choice, which paradoxically makes these dials among the most sought-after in all of vintage Rolex. The contrast between the aged dial and the intact stainless steel case and bracelet is, to collector eyes, close to perfect.

Jones has long demonstrated that his watch selections are considered rather than performative. A cream-dial 16550 is not a watch you arrive at by accident or by following auction headlines — it requires genuine knowledge of the reference's production history and an eye for originality.

On the current grey market, a well-preserved cream-dial Rolex Explorer II ref. 16550 commands a significant premium over its white-dial counterpart. Prices for honest examples with documented provenance have been climbing steadily as the broader vintage Rolex market continues to mature and specialists increasingly separate condition-sensitive references from the general pool.