VSF Explorer II 226570
VSF's take on the current 42 mm Explorer II has surfaced, Polar dial first, with a DD3285 clone movement. What is known, and what is still marketing.
The orange hand is back, and this time it has the right movement behind it. VSF’s version of the current Explorer II has started turning up, and the interesting part isn’t the white dial. It’s the jumping hour hand underneath.
The release
The target is the 42 mm ref. 226570, the Explorer II generation introduced in 2021. There was no formal launch. Photos appeared in mid-October, then listings followed. So far only the Polar dial is documented: white, with black marker surrounds, the orange 24-hour hand and a fixed steel 24-hour bezel, all on an Oyster bracelet.
Inside is a Dandong DD3285, a clone of the calibre 3285, the genuine watch’s GMT-capable movement. Its trick is an independently jumping local-hour hand. You set the hour hand in one-hour steps for a new time zone while the 24-hour hand keeps home time, and nothing else stops.
Sellers also claim 904L steel, a 72-hour power reserve and a black-dial version on the way. None of that is confirmed. For reference, the genuine 3285 is rated at about 70 hours, so the 72-hour figure already looks like a seller rounding up with enthusiasm.
Why it matters
Explorer II replicas have long been the awkward cousin of the GMT crowd. Earlier versions relied on modified ETAs or poorly regarded clones, and the jumping-hour function was often more promise than practice. A dedicated 3285 clone changes that, at least on paper, and it puts the Explorer II on the same mechanical footing as the GMT-Master clones people already trust.
Early observers are mixed in a useful way. They praise the bezel and crown, but point to thin marker surrounds, and they can’t agree on whether the dial’s finish matches. On a Polar dial, that matters. A white dial hides nothing, and the black surrounds do most of the work of making it look right.
The take
The movement is the reason to care, and the dial is the reason to wait. Get close photos of the marker surrounds in daylight, make sure the local hour actually jumps cleanly, and treat every number on the listing as a claim. If both check out, this could be the Explorer II that finally stops apologising.
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