Yacht‑Master

The watch of the open seas

The Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II – the only chronograph in the world with a mechanical memory – encapsulates the suspense of vital moments. A regatta watch par excellence, the Yacht-Master II is an essential tool for skippers to gauge their best course of action.

Features

A
distinguished
marine
character

Innovative regatta chronograph

The Yacht-Master II’s bold and distinguished marine character is firmly in line with the spirit of the Oyster Professional watches. The regatta chronograph’s clear display epitomises Rolex's constant attention to detail.

This innovative regatta chronograph appeals to experienced sailors and enthusiasts alike. With its unique programmable countdown with a mechanical memory and on-the-fly synchronization, the Yacht-Master II lays claim to a proud place in the prestigious line of Rolex Professional watches.

Countdown to the race

As in any contest of speed, precision is of the essence. The Yacht-Master II features an unprecedented mechanical function: a countdown that can be programmed from 1 to 10 minutes and allows skippers to precisely time and follow each race’s official starting procedure.

This flexibility is one of the major assets of the Yacht-Master II; its development was a considerable technological challenge. The programming can be mechanically memorised. Furthermore, once the watch’s countdown is launched, it can be synchronised on the fly to match changes in the official race countdown.

Ring Command bezel
Rolex achieved perfection when it turned its attention to redefining the purpose and functionality of the bezel. Typically, a bezel operates independently from the internal mechanism; however, the Ring Command bezel in the Yacht-Master II regatta chronograph operates in conjunction with it.

As a mechanical component linked to the movement, the bezel literally acts as the key to the programmable countdown, allowing it to be set and synchronised to the sequence of race start times. Complex in design, but simple in use, it is functionally beautiful.

How to use the
Yacht-Master II

Learn how to use the features of the Rolex Yacht-Master II watch before or during a regatta.

User guide

As comfortable at sea as aboard a sailboat, the Yacht-Master combines character and performance.

The waterproof and robust qualities of this model make it the ideal watch for water sports and sailing in particular.

Design and Features

The
nautical
watch

The Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master is the only Professional model offered in three sizes: 42, 40 and 37 mm. The Yacht-Master’s Oysterflex bracelet, developed and patented by Rolex, offers a sporty alternative to the metal bracelets without compromising robustness, water resistance or reliability.

Bidirectional rotatable bezel

The Yacht-Master’s bidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated bezel is made of precious materials. The raised polished numerals and graduations stand out clearly against a matt, sand-blasted background. This functional bezel — which allows the wearer to calculate, for example, the sailing time between two buoys — is also a key component in the model’s distinctive visual identity.

Many Rolex watches are available with the now-legendary combination of yellow, white or Everose gold and steel known as Rolesor, but Rolesium is a creation specific to the Yacht-Master. While the case and bracelet are in rugged Oystersteel, the bezel of the Rolesium versions is made of 950 platinum, imparting a silvery whiteness and vibrant luminosity for an unmistakable sense of luxury.

Rolex has forged a privileged relationship with yachting out of a natural affinity with this dynamic nautical sport and its time-honoured values.
The Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master symbolizes the privileged ties between Rolex and the world of sailing that stretch back to the 1950s. Yachting has an elegance that the sport’s harsh conditions cannot obscure.

Today, Rolex is the committed partner of the most prestigious yacht clubs, institutions and regattas in the world, sharing the highest standards of excellence with the custodians of yachting’s finest spirit.

Rolex and yachting

Exceptional
Navigators

Taking on the might of the oceans demands courage and an innate sense of adventure. Sailors must thoroughly prepare for all eventualities before they set off, for they know they will inevitably face bad weather, damage to their boat and any number of other incidents.

Several have set sail wearing a Rolex wristwatch chronometer, including Sir Francis Chichester, Bernard Moitessier and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who are known for being the first yachtsmen to complete solo round-the-world voyages in under a year.

Sir Francis Chichester
The first man to circumnavigate the globe from west to east single-handed, will forever be a part of the history of yachting. This unassuming man, also an entrepreneur and an aviator, epitomized the spirit of sailing and adventure. He achieved his pioneering feat across the world’s oceans between 1966 and 1967, wearing an Oyster watch on his wrist.

The Oyster Perpetual worn by Sir Francis Chichester
during his circumnavigation of the world, August 1966 – May 1967.

Drenched, scraped and tossed about like its wearer, his Rolex watch valiantly stood up to the stormy seas. “During my voyage around the world in Gipsy Moth IV, my Rolex watch was knocked off my wrist several times without being damaged,” he wrote in a letter to Rolex in 1968. “I cannot imagine a hardier timepiece. When using [it] for sextant work and working the foredeck, it was frequently banged, also doused by waves coming aboard; but it never seemed to mind all this.”