The Yachtmaster dates back to 1992 when the watch was first introduced, although interestingly, the name appears on the dial of the prototype Yachtmaster Chronograph from the late 1960s (it’s a legendary watch, I’m actually forced to use the term; two-thirds of Mr. John Goldberger’s collection; we covered this in the very memorable The Talking Watch – along with many other rolex Yacht-Master Black 116655 extraordinary ultra-rare watches in his collection.
As we’ve mentioned in some of our previous coverage, the Yachtmaster occupies a rather special place in the Rolex sports watch lineup; it shares water resistance and a rotating bezel with the Submariner (the latter is water resistant to 300 m, while the standard Yachtmaster model is 100 m). It is certainly not a tool table. Yachtmaster offers either Platinum and Steel or Gold and Steel (Rolex and Rolesor, in case we forgot), and depending on the size and metal you want to use, it’s either quiet or not hesitant to be luxurious (Rolex can make both 35mm and 40mm sizes).
The Yachtmaster dates back to 1992 when the watch was first introduced, although interestingly, the name appears on the dial of the prototype Yachtmaster Chronograph from the late 1960s (it’s a legendary watch, I’m actually forced to use the term; two-thirds of Mr. John Goldberger’s collection; we covered this in the very memorable The Talking Watch – along with many other extraordinary ultra-rare watches in his collection.
Now, the latest version of the Yachtmaster does have a few pages lifted from the existing Yachtmaster manual: 100-meter water resistance, a two-way rotating bezel, and dials and hands that echo the Submariner. There are also features that might make old-school Sub lovers wonder if the Rolex won’t have an extremely subtle sense of humor; HODINKEE founder Ben Clymer thinks the gold-plated crown and “Rolex” and the red letters (if they appear in a Rolex dive watch) would instantly make it the most popular single watch in the modern Rolex inventory. The case is rose gold – Rolex famously made its name in its own foundry, called Everose, with some platinum mixed in to prevent discoloration – and the bezel, rather than some other precious metal (e.g. the “standard” Yachtmasters are black Cerachrom – a very technical-looking matte black that contrasts sharply with the gold case. Somehow, between the rose gold, the Cerachrom bezel and the new Oysterflex bracelet, it manages to be the most luxurious and at the same time replica rolex watches the most technologically advanced Yachtmaster (throwing out the Yachtmaster II, which we reviewed here recently, but which is a watch that moves completely to the beat of another drummer).
The core of the Oysterflex bracelet is a metal insert made of titanium and nickel that is used to secure the bracelet to the clasp and case. Topped with a “high performance black elastomer” outer skin. “Elastomer” is a word for Portmanteau, consisting of “elastic” and “polymer”, and is a general term for natural and synthetic rubber. In addition to the material complexity of Oysterfle
They may look a little strange, but in practice, the design works very well. It’s easily the most vertical, comfortable, organic-feeling rubber strap I’ve ever worn, and like the entire watch, it’s technically very skillful and very luxurious at the same time. I doubt if any company has ever had such trouble designing a strap (because Rolex prefers to use the word “bracelet” when describing the Oysterflex, the habit dies hard and you may find yourself calling it a strap, as we did).