Watch of the Week: Rolex Yacht-Master 42

When it comes to Rolex’s sports watches, the focus is often on their famed Daytona, GMT-Master, Explorer of Submariner, rather than the Yacht-Master. Even today can the Yacht-Master be considered a new kid on the block, as this model wasn’t introduced until 1992 and doesn’t have such a long history as the other Rolex sports models mentioned. Some refer to it as the Submariner’s casual sibling, and there is some truth to this. While visually, it has some similarities, there are also differences. The 60-minute graduated bezel is bidirectional, and Yacht-Master is waterproof to 100 meters. In effect, this makes it the perfect watch for people who enjoy all kinds of water sports but don’t scuba dive.

This is especially the case for the Yacht-Master 42, which Rolex introduced last year. As its name already indicates, does it have a diameter of 42mm, making it the largest, time-only Yacht-Master currently available. Where the Submariner is all business, and for many, the ultimate ‘tool-watch,’ is there with this Yacht-Master room for elegance. While it is fitted with an oyster-case, it is made out of white gold instead of oystersteel. Its black dial is a perfect match for the very attractive bezel, with its matte black Cerachrom insert with polished raised numerals and minute markers. While perhaps just a detail, it gives the Yacht-Master 42 a lot of its character, and the bezel with raised numerals has also become a hallmark of this model.

Inside the Oyster-case, we find caliber 3235. This sturdy, automatic movement features a full bridge over the balance wheel, fitted with a Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring. With other features such as high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers, is this not only perfect for people who enjoy an active lifestyle but can Rolex offer a precision of -2/+2 seconds a day, after casing. Rolex is a company that invests a lot of time, effort, and resources in every aspect of their watches, and the strap is no exception to this. The Oysterflex may look like a rubber strap, it is in  fact so cleverly designed and made that it rightfully deserves the title bracelet. Flexible metal blades inside the high-performance elastomer give it the comfort of a strap and more constructed feel of a bracelet, offering the best of both worlds. For the Yacht-Master 42, it is perfect as it not only complements the looks of the watch, it also matches the lifestyle and activities for which this very good looking Rolex sports watch was created in the first place.