WATCH POP

Could someone explain the significance of the orange hand explorers (Why the demand etc.)? As I know, the orange hand explorer was not a popular watch when it was originally released. IMHO, I think the dial and hands do not look that great. I probably would not have bought one when it was available at the ADs.
As a result, not many people bought them and Rolex discontinued it. Now that they're hard to find with the few out there, the demand and price (and interest) has increased on the watch. I think it's going for around $15K.
This is classic supply vs demand in the marketplace.
The same applies to the original Milgauss. It was not a popular watch and was discontinued. Today some versions are so rare that they fetch $100K at auctions!
Mike A lot of people think it's a cool watch. They are not ubiquitous like Subs. They are comfortable. They are a bit unusual in appearance compared to Subs or GMTs. They have a nickname tie-in with one of the hippest guys that ever lived, in the opinion of many. They are often hard to find on the market. Add it up and you have a piece that can be highly priced and highly prized. Thanks for the response. The orange hand Explorer II model is associated with Steve McQueen by collectors. That particular model wasn't very popular with buyers thus they are rare compared to the Submariner. Now only if we could get a particular colored-bezel GMT Master or Datejust model associate with another big movie star. I wonder how the prices of those will do.
The man who never makes a mistake always takes orders from one who does.