The Space Age was a time during the 1960’s where the US and Soviet union battled to flex their muscles of outer earth exploration. This Era birthed one of Rolexes rarest models, the Space-Dweller.
After successfully, reaching the top of mount Everest with the Explorer, Rolex sought greater heights by creating a watch inspired by space exploration. This model was created for the Japanese market after John Glenn famously orbited Earth three times on Mercury-Atlas 6 mission. There is some debate about the exact number produced, but it is generally believed that fewer than 15 pieces were made, with some believing it was fewer than 10… At an auction in 2020 one piece sold for $136,000. This number may not seem that impressive compared to the Paul Newman Daytonas, however, considering modern Explorer models retail for around $6,000 it’s a pretty big jump.
The watch takes the case from a Rolex explorer 1016. The only real major difference is that it replaces the word Explorer with Space-Dweller. It features a 36mm stainless steel case and large numerals on the dial. Similar to the rarity of the watch this was one of Rolexes rare failures as it failed to capture the hearts of the Japanese market.
Although the Space-Dweller never actually went to space—the Rolex GMT Master 1675 holds that title—it is as a tribute to the impressive feats of astronauts. While it may seem rather underwhelming given this fact, the Space-Dweller remains a fascinating piece of Rolex’s history.