yachtmaster 2015

Oyster Perpetual

Yacht-Master

Staying on course, mapping invisible routes.

For those at sea, staying on course is a constant challenge. When dealing with the elements, nothing is certain and constant reaction is required to stay in the right direction. Since its launch in 1992, the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master has been equipped with a bidirectional rotatable bezel that facilitates the calculation and reading of navigational time. Elegantly combining functionality and nautical style, this watch has made its mark well beyond its professional realm.

A shared quest for precision

Knowing where you are in space and time, setting a course and sticking to it are vital in navigation. Given its function, the watch is an essential tool for sailors to assess their position. Regarded as the most precise horological instruments in the world, marine chronometers have been certified by astronomical observatories since the 18th century. At the time, the ultimate authority for measuring chronometric precision was the Kew Observatory in Great Britain.

In 1914, the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, had one of the brand’s watches tested by this very observatory, which certified it as a chronometer: a first in the watchmaking world for a wristwatch. Since then, renowned sailors, such as Sir Francis Chichester and Bernard Moitessier, have navigated the seas with Rolex wristwatches serving as onboard chronometers.

Matching the precision of marine chronometers was fundamental to Rolex’s watchmaking.

Designed for navigators

Sailing occupies a special place in the world of Rolex. In 1958, the brand partnered the New York Yacht Club, creator of the legendary America’s Cup. Rolex then formed partnerships with several prestigious yacht clubs around the world and became associated with major nautical events – offshore races and coastal regattas.

These strong ties culminated in 1992 with the launch of the Yacht-Master. Boasting the robustness and waterproofness of our Oyster case, this chronometer is fitted with a bidirectional bezel with raised 60-minute graduations to enable navigational time to be calculated and read.

.css-1afbye{font-family:var(--quote-font-family);font-style:var(--quote-font-style);font-weight:var(--quote-font-weight);font-size:clamp(1.5rem, 0.6875rem + 2.0313vw, 3.125rem);line-height:1.3;}figure:not(.removem1epbs8d) .css-1afbye::before,figure:not(.removem1epbs8d) .css-1afbye::after{display:inline;}figure:not(.removem1epbs8d) .css-1afbye::before{content:var(--quote-opening);}figure:not(.removem1epbs8d) .css-1afbye::after{content:var(--quote-closing);}@media (max-width: 30rem){.css-1afbye{line-height:1.4;}}.short-quote .css-1afbye{font-family:var(--quote-font-family);font-style:var(--quote-font-style);font-weight:var(--quote-font-weight);font-size:clamp(1.875rem, 0.6250rem + 3.1250vw, 4.375rem);line-height:1.3;}figure:not(.removem1epbs8d) .short-quote .css-1afbye::before,figure:not(.removem1epbs8d) .short-quote .css-1afbye::after{display:inline;}figure:not(.removem1epbs8d) .short-quote .css-1afbye::before{content:var(--quote-opening);}figure:not(.removem1epbs8d) .short-quote .css-1afbye::after{content:var(--quote-closing);}@media (max-width: 30rem){.short-quote .css-1afbye{line-height:1.4;}} This Yacht-Master 42, which is an outstanding nautical watch, is also proof of Rolex’s firm commitment to yachting.

Precious on land and at sea

Available in three diameters – 37, 40 and 42 mm – and in various precious versions – 18 ct yellow, white and Everose gold – as well as in Everose Rolesor and Rolesium versions, the Yacht-Master is unique in the world of Rolex professional watches. An elegant watch with a sporty character, it was the first to be paired with an Oysterflex bracelet in 2015.

In 2023, after testing under real-life conditions by acclaimed helmsman Sir Ben Ainslie, Rolex launched a new version of the Yacht-Master 42. It is made of RLX titanium, a high-performance material, at once light, robust and corrosion resistant.

A veritable ally at sea, the Yacht-Master also elegantly adorns the wrists of navigators once back on solid ground. With many different versions, it is a model that transcends its seafaring origins. It has become a watch for those who know how to change course without losing sight of the horizon, moving freely.

Yacht-Master 42

Oyster, 42 mm, yellow gold.

• Assistance Call Us 800.348.3332 Schedule a Store Visit Email Us Tracking Information Returns & Exchanges Shipping & Delivery Bucherer 1888 Credit Card

Your browser's Javascript functionality is turned off. Please turn it on so that you can experience the full capabilities of this site.

• Rolex Certified Pre-Owned
• Our Selection
• Rolex Yacht-Master

Compare up to 6 products:

Yacht-Master

2018, 40 mm, rose/red/pink gold

2015, 40 mm, stainless steel

1994, 40 mm, yellow gold

2003, 40 mm, stainless steel

2001, 40 mm, stainless steel

2004, 40 mm, stainless steel

2002, 40 mm, stainless steel

2005, 29 mm, steel/yellow gold

2001, 29 mm, steel/yellow gold

2018, 40 mm, steel/rose gold

2013, 40 mm, stainless steel

2008, 29 mm, stainless steel

1999, 35 mm, yellow gold

2015, 37 mm, rose/red/pink gold

2018, 37 mm, rose/red/pink gold

2003, 35 mm, stainless steel

Filter your search

• $5,000 - $9,999
• $10,000 - $24,999
• $25,000 - $49,999
• Women's
• Small (< 31 mm)
• Medium (31 mm - 39 mm)
• Large (>39 mm)

Case Material

• Stainless Steel

Strap/Bracelet

The fastest and most secure way to protect the watches and jewelry you love.

We've minimized the paperwork and maximized protection, so you can stop worrying about your watches and jewelry and focus on enjoying them.

In most cases, you'll get a personalized quote in seconds and your policy kicks in immediately.

Wherever you are on planet Earth, your watches and jewelry are protected. Rest easy and travel safely.

If you suffer a covered loss, there's no deductible and no gimmicks. Ever.

Each of your watches and jewelry is covered up to 150% of the insured value (up to the total value of the policy).

Popular Searches

Hands-On Ming's New 37.02 'Minimalist' Does Something Potentially Groundbreaking – Can You See What It Is?

Introducing The Glashütte Original PanoLunarInverse Limited Edition

In-Depth Breitling Agrees To Protect The NFL Shield Via Licensing Deal

A Week On The Wrist The Rolex Yachtmaster 40mm With Oysterflex Bracelet

For the first time, rolex is delivering a watch on a rubber strap – except in classic rolex fashion it's not a rubber strap at all. it's a beautifully over-engineered bracelet called the oysterflex..

Editors’ Picks

How To Wear It The Cartier Tank Cintrée

In-Depth Examining Value And Price Over Time With The ‘No Date’ Rolex Submariner

Watches In The Wild The Road Through America, Episode 1: A Model Of Mass Production

There is big news, and there is Rolex big news, and in some ways, ne'er the twain shall meet. At Baselworld this year, Rolex debuted a first for the company: the very first, ever, Rolex delivered on a rubber strap. Now, for most companies this would have little effect on watch enthusiasts other than to evoke (very) tepid interest at best, and boredom at worst – but this is not an ordinary rubber strap, this is an official, designed-and-tested-and-thoroughly-obsessed-over-by-Rolex rubber strap. And thereby hangs a tale.

The Yachtmaster, as we have mentioned in some of our previous coverage , occupies a somewhat particular place in Rolex’s lineup of sports watches; it shares water-resistance and a turning bezel with the Submariner (the latter is water resistant to 300 m while the Yachtmaster standard model is water resistant to 100 m). It is certainly not a tool watch; the Yachtmaster is offered in either platinum and steel, or gold and steel (that’s Rolesium and Rolesor, lest we forget) and is either quietly or unequivocally luxurious depending on what size and metal you go for (Rolex makes the Yachtmaster in both 35 mm and 40 mm sizes). 

The Yachtmaster’s history goes back to the first introduction of the watch in 1992, although the name, interestingly enough, appears on the dial of a prototype Yachtmaster Chronograph from the late 1960s (a watch so legendary I am actually forced to use the word; one of three known is in the collection of Mr. John Goldberger; we covered it – and a host of other remarkable ultra-rare watches from his collection – in a very memorable episode of Talking Watches ).

The term “Yachtmaster” is also, incidentally, used for a certificate of competency in yachting which is issued by the Royal Yachting Association, although we’re unaware of any specific association between the RYA and the Yachtmaster watch.

Now, this newest version of the Yachtmaster does take a few pages from the existing Yachtmaster playbook: 100-meter water resistance, a bidirectional turning bezel, and a dial and hands that echo the Submariner. There are also a couple of features that may make vintage Sub enthusiasts wonder if Rolex mightn’t have an exceedingly subtle sense of humor; the gilt coronet and “Rolex,” and the red lettering, both features which according to HODINKEE founder Ben Clymer would have, had they appeared on a Rolex dive watch, made it instantly the single most popular watch in the modern Rolex inventory. The case is rose gold – Rolex famously makes their own, called Everose, in their own foundry, with a bit of platinum mixed in to prevent discoloration – and the bezel, rather than being some other precious metal (as is the case in the “standard” Yachtmasters) is in 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 this manages to be the most luxurious and at the same time most technical Yachtmaster yet (leaving aside the Yachtmaster II, which we recently reviewed right here , but that is a watch that marches to the beat of a different drummer entirely).

The two different versions of the Everose Yachtmaster (40 mm and 37 mm) sport different movements; the larger uses the caliber 3135 and the smaller, the newer 2236, which sports the “Syloxi” silicon balance spring (first used by Rolex in 2014).

The Oysterflex bracelet is, in a nutshell, quite a piece of work. One of the most endearing traits of Rolex as a company is that it tends to demonstrate what we can only describe as a laudable degree of corporate obsessive-compulsive disorder when it comes to research and development, and it does so, often, without making any sort of fanfare about it at all. In this case we do know a little bit about the Oysterflex, however – it is basically designed to have the hypoallergenic and comfort properties of a rubber strap and the durability and shape-retention properties of a bracelet. 

At the core of the Oysterflex bracelet are metal inserts made of titanium and nickel, which are used to affix the bracelet to the clasp and watch case; over those is a sheathing of “high-performance black elastomer.” “Elastomer” is a portmanteau word, formed from “elastic” and “polymer” and is a general term for natural and synthetic rubbers. In addition to the materials complexity of the Oysterflex bracelet, it is also shaped in a rather unusual fashion – there are ridges molded into the the wristward face of the bracelet, which are intended to allow the bracelet when worn to better approximate the natural curvature of the wrist.

They might look a bit odd but in practice, the design works out quite wonderfully; this is easily the most downright comfortable and organic-feeling rubber strap I have ever worn, and like the entire watch manages to be both extremely technical in feel, and very luxurious at the same time; I doubt whether any company has ever taken so much trouble over the design of a strap (for all that Rolex prefers the term “bracelet” in describing the Oysterflex, habit dies hard and you’ll probably find yourself calling it a strap, just as we did). On the wrist, the two stabilizing ridges do exactly what they are supposed to: keep the watch from shifting, as heavier watches on rubber straps are wont to do, without requiring you to have the strap uncomfortably tight. The Everose Oysterlock clasp does a superb job mechanically and also looks fabulous into the bargain; the quality of finish on the clasp and case may not seem terribly elaborate at first, but it is as technically flawless as anything I have ever seen at any price, on any watch.

What we have here, in other words, is a very Rolex interpretation of luxury. Yes, this is a gold watch, and a gold Rolex, and wearing a gold Rolex always carries with it, shall we say, certain semiotic complexities. However there is also another side to the watch, and to the Rolex approach to luxury in general: the taking of such pains to produce technical perfection that technical perfection becomes a luxury in itself.

The Everose Rolex Yachtmaster, in Rolex Everose, with Everose Oysterclasp and Oysterflex bracelet, as shown, $22,000 in 37 mm, and $24,950 in 40 mm. For more info, check out Rolex.com.

Watching Movies Tom Selleck's Tiny Timex And Two-Tone Rolex In 'Three Men And A Baby'

By Danny milton

Seven Of Our Favorite Watches To Engrave

By James stacey

Sunday Rewind Take A Deep Dive With The Rolex Sea-Dweller 126600

By Hodinkee

Pre-Owned Picks A Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A, An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, And An IWC Portugieser Chronograph Rattrapante

By Hodinkee shop

Last Week’s Top Stories

Introducing The Patek Philippe Cubitus Collection

By Benjamin clymer

Introducing Oris Refreshes The Divers Sixty-Five Into The New 'Divers Date' (Live Pics)

By Mark kauzlarich

Photo Report Exploring The 2024 Audrain Newport Concours With A. Lange & Söhne

Hands-On The H. Moser & Cie. x Massena Lab Endeavour Chronograph Compax

By Tantan wang

Bring a Loupe A Cube-esque Patek Philippe, A Van Cleef & Arpels Signed Rolex, And A True Vintage Cartier Tank L.C.

By Rich fordon