Rolex Unveils New Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master

At one point along his epic west-to-east, global solo sail that began in 1966, Sir Francis Chichester’s twinmast yacht, Gipsy Moth IV, capsized in the Tasman Sea. The British yachtsman would later write, on a photograph to be autographed: “Gipsy Moth IV needs repairs… but the Rolex ticks on happily.”

The Rolex in question was a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, a chronometer – an appellation for watches certified to keep extremely precise time – that served as one of his navigational instruments during his 226-day voyage. Clearly impressed by the waterproof timepiece that had seen him through his journey, the entrepreneur and sportsman wrote to Rolex in 1968: “During my voyage… my watch was knocked off my wrist several times without being damaged. 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.”

Today, watches designed for the needs and rigours of sailing are hardly rare, but they owe a debt to Hans Wilsdorf, who started Rolex in the early 1900s. In those days, chronometers were typically large marine timepieces, which had to keep accurate time for maritime navigation. For everyday use, pocket watches were then the norm. Wilsdorf’s company paved the way for maritime wristwatches by obtaining the first chronometer certification for a wristwatch in 1914, and subsequently creating the waterproof Oyster case – with patented screw-down caseback, bezel and winding crown – in 1926.

Today, Rolex’s catalogue includes two sailingcentred timepieces, one of which is the Yacht-Master. Launched in 1992, the watch is both dressy and sporty, with a key feature being its bidirectional rotating bezel that can be used by sailors – and other wearers – to track various timings, such as the time taken between two buoys. This March, its latest iteration was unveiled at Baselworld. The Oyster Perpetual YachtMaster 42 (pictured) is the largest yet of the family, with a 42mm case – in white gold with a Cerachrom bezel insert in matte black ceramic. Completing its sporty look is the Oysterflex bracelet, made from rubber overmoulded with flexible metal blades.

It’s powered by one of Rolex’s latest movements, calibre 3235, an automatic mechanism featuring the brand’s Chronergy escapement (an energyefficient system using a skeletonised escape wheel) and antimagnetic Parachrom hairspring. Aside from a depth rating of 100m, the YachtMaster 42 has the precision that’s a must for any maritime watch worth its salt: Bearing Rolex’s Superlative Chronometer certification, the watch has a variation of just -2/+2 seconds a day, more than twice the requirement of a regular chronometer. Sir Francis would have approved.