After having moved for work I made it to the local Rolex AD in order to submit myself to their scrutiny and interrogations toward being deemed worthy of purchasing a new 36mm Explorer. I tried on a massive two-tone sea-dweller, Explorer II black dial, and a couple 36mm Datejusts.
The sea-dweller was too much for me in every regard. The Explorer II is a fantastic watch. The white dial datejust seemed a good size but the black dial seemed a little small and hard to read.
Then I noticed a blue Tudor Black Bay 36mm and thought that would be a good approximation of the 36mm Explorer. It may be a little thinner than the Rolex but I really liked the feel of a smaller watch on the wrist. The legibility of the dial makes a big difference in a smaller watch too.
Does the 36mm Explorer wear just a little bigger than the BB36? Anything else I should be considering from your experience with the 36 Explorer? I'm hoping when I finally try one on the coolness of the dial and the ease of wear will win me over.