Not only was it massive with its 44mm case, but it also had a bold, visually striking design that stood out among Rolex’s catalog of versatile timepieces. The Yacht-Master II was unlike anything Rolex had launched before. While the original Yacht-Master was luxury-oriented, the latter was a purpose-built watch especially designed to time regatta races. In its relatively short history, the Rolex Yacht-Master has become one of the most varied collections among Rolex sport watches.įifteen years after the launch of the Yacht-Master, Rolex introduced its bigger sibling, the Yacht-Master II. Over the next few decades, Rolex gradually expanded the Yacht-Master collection to include larger sizes, new metals such as steel, platinum, white gold, and Everose, and incorporated new materials like the Cerachrom ceramic bezel and the Oysterflex rubber bracelet.

To drive this home, the first ever Rolex Yacht-Master was forged in solid 18k yellow gold, from its bi-directional rotating bezel to its Oyster bracelet. Whereas Rolex’s previous sports watches had utilitarian themes – the Submariner for diving, the Daytona for racing, and so on – the Yacht-Master was focused on aesthetics and luxury. Only two known examples of the Cosmograph Yacht Master are known to exist, one of which was owned by singer Eric Clapton and sold at auction in 2003.Īlmost three decades later in 1992, Rolex finally introduced the modern Yacht-Master - the brand’s first luxury sports watch built for the open seas. The brand did make a prototype of the Cosmograph chronograph with the name “Yacht Master” on its dial, but they ultimately decided not to bring it to market. What made his journey even more impressive is that he had limited access to tools in navigating his journey, having only a few nautical charts, a sextant, and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual to keep time.Įven with its proven success at making watches suited for sailing, Rolex never got around to creating a watch specifically for this category. He sailed on his yacht, the Gipsy Moth IV, from August 1966 to May 1967, taking him 29,600 miles around the world. In 1958, Rolex entered a partnership with the prestigious New York Yacht Club, a social and boating club which sponsors an annual regatta.īy 1966, Rolex solidified its ties to the world of sailing when Francis Chichester – one of the world’s pioneering aviators and solo sailors – became the first person to sail around the globe, all while wearing a Rolex on his wrist. With the invention of the Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch case, Rolex had already built a reputation for making excellent waterproof watches since the 1920s. Although the Yacht-Master collection was not introduced until 1992, the relationship between Rolex and the world of sailing dates to the late 1950s.

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