Watch Review: Rolex Yacht- Master 40

#NotEveryDayYouGetToHoldARolex… This is certainly the case when it comes to holding the Rolex Yacht- Master 40. It’s a Rolex, and it’s made of solid rose gold! This watch speaks quality to me in every way and has to be one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve looked at.

Made of solid 18ct Everose Gold, complete with a black ceramic bidirectional bezel and Oysterflex Bracelet, this is a watch lover’s dream! In fact, the only criticism I have about this watch is its price tag. Yes, its worth nearly 22k now, which is simply crazy when you think about it. But when I went to look at this watch back in mid 2017, it was worth 18k which is still crazy! Therefore, I won’t be owning this watch anytime soon, but having the chance to look at it was such an exciting experience…

Introduction of the Oysterflex

This watch was launched at Baselworld 2015, and I consider that year a milestone for Rolex. This is because we saw the introduction of a new Rolex strap- the Oysterflex. This strap is made of a rubber material called elastomer. Plus, it has a solid 18ct Everose Oysterlock clasp, making this watch very lavish. Personally, I think the rubber strap gives this watch a more casual look, meaning it goes great with a T- shirt or jumper, but not so great with formal.

Before the introduction of the Oysterflex, we had only seen the Oyster, Jubilee, President, and Pearlmaster bracelets being used on Rolexes. Plus, several Rolex models also use crocodile leather straps, which I have mostly seen on the Day- Date models. To find out more about Rolex straps, visit: https://www.aandewatches.com/rolex-bracelet-size#:~:text=The%20four%20types%20of%20Rolex,equipment%20on%20most%20Rolex%20models. I’m interested to hear what your favourite Rolex strap is in the comments below.

The Everose Gold Case

This watch comes in two sizes- 40mm and the smaller 37mm. But the watch I went to look at was 40mm, which in my opinion is a very good size. It’s presence on your wrist is quite subtle, and it can fit quite nicely under your sleeve too. When I picked up this watch, it was surprisingly lighter than I expected. This could partly be because of the Oysterflex strap, which is considerably lighter than an Oyster strap.

The case itself is made of solid 18ct Everose gold, which is Rolex’s patented rose gold. Rose gold is composed of gold and copper, which helps to give it its reddish colour. However, over time, it loses its colour because the copper gets oxidised by the environment. Rolex overcame this problem by adding 2% platinum to their alloy, which helps it retain its rose gold colour for years. You can watch this interesting video here, which will explain more about Everose gold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzjxLr3P6cc.

There is also the option of getting a 18ct white gold version in 42m, but I haven’t seen this in any boutiques yet… You can find out more about this watch here: https://www.rolex.com/watches/yacht-master/m226659-0002.html

The Dial

The dial is black, with fluorescent Everose gold markers. Like other Rolex watches, it has a date at the 3 o’ clock position and the Cyclops Lens, which stands out like a beacon. The watch crystal is made of sapphire crystal, which offers extremely good scratch resistance. Furthermore, the red ‘YACHT- MASTER’ writing on the dial is a nice touch too, which adds a bit of colour in my opinion, along with the white writing. Like the markers, the hands are fluorescent and made from Everose gold.

The Cerachrom Bezel

The bezel is made of Rolex’s patented ceramic, Cerachrom. The word Cerachrom is derived from two words- ‘cera’ (English word for ‘ceramic’), and ‘chrom’ (ancient Greek for ‘colour’). I love the design of this bezel, because of the raised shiny numbers. Plus, the fully black bezel compliments the strap and rose gold casing. This bezel makes the Yacht- Master unique from the other sports models, where the numbers are engraved then plated using platinum.

Rolex first introduced Cerachrom bezels for their 2013 black and blue Rolex GMT Master II, aka the ‘Batman’ watch (https://www.rolex.com/watches/gmt-master-ii.html?ef_id=CjwKCAjwxqX4BRBhEiwAYtJX7TsBnDL_7aqrjv4lqwXDaJrIUIQPkrNmw2iK-fK3kbB2kZ40UxTmWRoCW7oQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!141!3!407381323894!e!!g!!rolex%20gmt). These bezels are better than the aluminium and Bakelite ones, because they are scratch- resistant and their colour isn’t affected by UV rays.

Unlike the unidirectional bezels on the GMT and Submariners, the Yacht- Master bezel is bidirectional. When you rotate the bezel, it turns quietly and smoothly, like butter. This is a strong indicator of the quality of this watch, because in cheaper diving watches, the bezel causes a racket when you turn it. But this isn’t the case with this watch…

The 3235 Movement

The movement used in this watch is Rolex’s in- house 3235 movement, which has 14 patents. With Superlative Chronometer, this movement is magnetic resistant and can resist temperature changes too. And this movement comes with a whopping 70-hour power reserve, so this means its less maintenance as you don’t have to wind it daily. It is also extremely accurate, as it only loses/ gains 2 seconds each day. Unfortunately, you cannot see the movement as like other Rolex watches, the back is covered.

Verdict

Overall, I think this watch is a truly amazing piece. I think the rubber strap makes this watch more subtle, as I would find it very over the top if it were to have an Everose gold Oyster strap. When you read about this watch on their webpage, this is when you really appreciate the effort that goes into making one of these watches. However, its near 22k price tag is quite off putting. But sadly, this is the price you must pay for quality…  

To find out more about the Rolex Yacht- Master 40:

https://www.rolex.com/watches/yacht-master/m126655-0002.html