The Rolex Explorer is probably one of the most beloved watches. However, with a selling price of about $4,724 – $18,580, it is not within the reach of the vast majority. Fortunately, you can look at many homages in the market too. What are the best Rolex Explorer homage watches?
The 8 best Rolex Explorer homage watches are:
- Pagani Design PD-1692
- Addiesdive AD2112
- Tisell 9015
- Benyar 5176
- Citizen Weekender AW1430-86E
- Seiko SNK393
- San Martin SN020G2
This post explores the 8 best Rolex Explorer homage watches under $300. We review what we like and do not like about the watches too. All are automatic watches except one.
7 Best Rolex Explorer Homage Watches Under $300
| Model | Pros | Cons | |
| Pagani Design PD-1692 | – Seiko NH35A movement – Sapphire crystal – Anti-reflective coating – Blue lume | – Odd wordings on dial – Clasp quality | Check Prices |
| Addiesdive AD2112 | – Seiko NH38 movement – Sapphire crystal – Anti-reflective coating – BGW-9 lume | – Clasp feels cheap | Check Prices |
| Tisell 9015 | – Miyota 90s5 movement – Sapphire crystal – Anti-reflective coating – 100M Water Resistance | – Expensive – Ships from Europe | Check Prices |
| Benyar 5177 | – Quality bracelet – Exhibition caseback – Great price | – Chinese G2666Z movement – Mineral crystal | Check Prices |
| Citizen Weekender AW1430-86E | – Eco-Drive movement – Large and sturdy – 5 years warranty | – Mineral crystal – Large size | Check Prices |
| Seiko SNK393 | – Seiko 7S26 movement – Day and date window – Affordable | – No winding – No hacking – Bracelet quality – Hardlex crystal | Check Prices |
| San Martin SN020G2 | – Epson YN55 movement – Sapphire crystal – Anti-reflective coating – Swiss BGW-9 lume | – Odd wordings on dial – Clasp quality | Check Prices |
| Parnis PA-0108 | – Miyota movement – Sapphire crystal – Anti-reflective coating | – No branding – Louder ticking sound | Check Prices |
Pagani Design PD-1692
What We Like: Pagani Design has been making beautiful, high-quality homage watches, and the PD-1692 is no different. This is their take on the Rolex Explorer; we think they did a great job.
This Rolex Explorer homage runs on a Seiko NH-35A automatic movement, meaning you can expect Seiko-like reliability and performance. The watch also has a sapphire crystal and an anti-reflective coating for excellent visibility.
The watch also lights up with a blue lume, just like the original Explorer. The watch is water resistant up to 100 meters. There are also options for a white dial if you fancy that.
What We Don’t Like: Perhaps Pagani Design tries to have some wording on the dial to make it look more similar to the original Explorer, but we think they did badly here. Mentioning the water resistance in feet and meters may not be necessary.
We also think that the watch has a difficult-to-open bracelet clasp. We suggest upgrading the bracelet yourself once you get the watch.
Addiesdive AD2112
What We Like: Addiesdive is a China-based homage watchmaker focusing on dive watches from Rolex, Omega, and more. The AD2112 is their Rolex Explorer homage model and, to us, a very well-made one.
The movement inside is a Seiko NH38 automatic movement. This workhorse movement should help the watch to tick reliably for years, even decades. The crystal is also sapphire with an anti-reflective coating.
The black dial gives the watch great visual intrigue, and the polished bezel gives the watch a luxurious look. The watch also has a 100M water resistance.
What We Don’t Like: This watch also disappoints on the bracelet side, especially the clasp. Perhaps they allocated most of the watch budget towards the watch itself and neglected the bracelet.
However, bracelets are upgradeable, and the 20mm bracelet width makes it easy to replace.
Tisell 9015 Explorer
What We Like: Tisell 9015 is a South Korean homage watchmaker known for its high-quality models. The 9015 is a straight-up homage to the Explorer, and we believe it is one of the best Rolex Explorer homage watches out there.
You get a Miyota 90S5 automatic movement from Citizen Watches ticking inside. The watch has very similar measurements and design cues to the original Explorer. The watch also has a deep, rich, black dial with brilliant lume.
The watch also comes with sapphire crystal. There is also an anti-reflective coating, and it is water resistant to 100 meters.
What We Don’t Like: Tisell has a limited presence in the US and may be hard to buy here. You can purchase directly from South Korea or order yours from their official European dealer.
The watch can be quite expensive too. It is one of the most expensive models on this list, although it is still within the affordable range.
Benyar 5176
What We Like: The Benyar 5176 is one of the most affordable alternatives in this list. From the looks alone, it punches well over its weight, looking like a legit Rolex Explorer homage. It even has an exhibition caseback and 50M water resistance.
The watch also has a well-finished casing with a great dial design. The dial is designed to look as close to the Explorer as possible, making it a great value for a Rolex Explorer homage.
What We Don’t Like: Benyar still needs to make a profit from their watches, so something has to give. In this case, the movement is not Japanese but a Chinese G2226Z movement. This movement has not been proven, but some Invicta models use them.
The watch also comes with minerals instead of sapphire crystals. This means the watch may scratch easier. There is also no anti-reflective coating, meaning the watch dial may not be readable at some angles.
Citizen Weekender AW1430-86E
What We Like: This is a great Rolex Explorer homage from Citizen. It has a look that does not resemble its original model too much. This watch also has a rugged, tougher look.
The watch has a clean dial. The dial details also make the watch a great conversation piece. You also enjoy 100 meters of water resistance with this watch.
The watch also runs on the Eco-Drive movement, meaning you only need to charge it by exposing it to any light source. This watch also comes with a generous 5-year warranty, showing Citizen’s confidence in their products.
What We Don’t Like: It is huge. 43.5mm case diameter means it would not fit into many people’s wrists well. The watch also comes with mineral crystal. It also does not have an anti-reflective coating.
Seiko SNK393
What We Like: This is part of the classic Seiko 5 range of automatic watches. It is powered by Seiko’s legendary 7S26 automatic movement. It is the workhorse movement behind models such as the venerated SKX dive watches.
This watch also has a day and date window, a legible dial, and an exhibition caseback. The crown is located at the 4 o’clock position. The watch also has an affordable price, and is made in Malaysia.
What We Don’t Like: This watch does have issues, particularly in its movement. The 7S26 movement is not windable on the crown, which means you need to charge the watch by shaking the watch. The movement is also not hackable.
The crystal is made of Seiko’s Hardlex mineral crystal, which means it would not be as scratch resistant as sapphire. However, it will be better than regular acrylic crystals.
San Martin SN020G2
What We Like: San Martin is a premium homage watchmaker based in China. It uses more premium materials to make its homage models, such as Swiss movements or lume. The SN020G2 is their Rolex Explorer homage and, to us, a very good attempt.
Ticking inside is the The Epson YN55 movement. The watch has a dial and case designed to look as close to the Rolex Explorer. You get the 3-6-9 dial arrangement with a screw-down crown.
It also has a domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on the crystal. You also get a blue, long-lasting lume.
What We Don’t Like: This watch suffers from the same issue as the Pagani Design’s Rolex Explorer homage. The odd wording on the watch dial may have ruined its aesthetics for us.
The watch is also expensive. In fact, it is one of the most expensive models on this list.
Parnis PA-0108
What We Like: This Rolex Explorer homage is unique because it does not have a brand on the dial. This makes the watch look rather minimal in appearance, which may appeal to some. The watch also runs a Miyota movement, possibly an 8215 movement.
The Parnis PA-0108 also has a watch face and clean bezel similar to the original Explorer. It has a crisp dial with deep black color. You also get sapphire crystal with green lume.
What We Don’t Like: The Parnis PA-0108 may have a ‘blank and replica-like feeling, although it is a homage. The watch also has a paltry 30 meters of water resistance.
We also notice some noise in the movement, with a louder, ticking sound. However, it is not too bad to the point it distracts you. In fact, if you enjoy hearing your watch ticking away, this may just be the Rolex Explorer homage for you.
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