The Rolex Explorer II was my first Rolex, I had previously been a big fan of Omega watches.
Rolex is a company steeped in tradition, and have historically been very conservative and reluctant to make sudden changes to their designs. One of these stubborn points has been size of the watch. While most fashion watches and many of the lower priced Swiss producers have swung into the 42-46mm sizes and beyond, Rolex still seem to be of the opinion that real men wear tiny watches!