Rolex Explorer 1 39mm On Wrist. However when the 39mm explorer arrived its proportions were indeed altered but to my eye not to the same scale of the subs sds gmts dds and ops. I would go with the 39 mm case because it will suit most wrists and certainly the smaller ones.
Rolex will indeed discreetly correct some of the aspects people complained about on the rolex explorer 214270 the 39mm with 3 hands mainly focusing on a more relevant display. I own both the 40mm submariner and the 39mm explorer. Has a 39mm case hollow white gold numerals filled with super luminova maxi hands both longer and fatter than the mk 1.
Now powered by the cal 3132 movement 214270 mk ii launched in 2016.
The lug to lug size watch length vertically on the explorer is 47 3mm while on the submariner is 46 9mm so the explorer is actually 0 4mm longer on that dimension. New hands new indexes all with improved proportions. I tried a 36mm alpha explorer and it was too small. 39mm explorer on a 8 wrist rolex general discussion.