Rolex and titanium get together made its mark on Watches & Wonders 2023. The new Yacht-Master 42 comes for those who want to combine Rolex quality with a feeling of lightness via a fully titanium case and bracelet.
The world of watches barely sees the words Rolex and Titanium together. The use of titanium in Rolex models began with the helium escape valves of the Sea-Dweller models. In the following years, we also saw titanium on the case backs of Deepsea Sea-Dweller watches. The Deepsea Challenge model, which was introduced last year and offered water resistance up to 11.000 meters, was the brand's first full titanium watch. With the Yacht-Master 42, we are witnessing the beginning of a new era for titanium watches in the Rolex product line.
When you take the Yacht-Master 42 titanium in your hands, the first detail you notice is its lightness. The feeling of heaviness and toughness that we are familiar with Rolex watches is replaced by lightness and calmness that feels like flying above the clouds in the YM42. Yes, we've experienced titanium alloy watches hundreds of times before, but doing it with a Rolex definitely feels different.
As the name suggests, the Yacht-Master 42 is a 42mm diameter watch. Although this size is considered more like a standard men's watch size within the watchmaking industry, the measurements might be different then what they are on paper when Rolex is involved. When the length of the distance between the two lugs of the YM42 is added to this equation, we encounter a bold presence on the wrist.
The alloy, which Rolex calls RLX Titanium, is known in the industry as Grade 5 titanium. This metal, which is much lighter and stronger than stainless steel, also draws attention with its biocompatible properties.
As we are accustomed to from the Deepsea Challenge, which is made of solid titanium, many surfaces in the Yacht-Master 42 stand out with their brushed form. The folding parts of the bracelet buckle and the crown guards add a balanced contrast to the model with their glossy surfaces. The abundance of brushed surfaces further reinforces the sporty character of the watch. The bezel, which is made of matte textured black ceramic, also reveals the characteristic Yacht-Master look. The bidirectional rotating bezel can be used to quickly take intermediate time measurements.
The large indices and hands on the matte black dial offer excellent readability in dark environments with the blue Chromalight phosphor material. The date window at 3 o'clock and the cyclops on it stand before us as Rolex classics. The model with sapphire crystal offers 100 meters of water resistance with the help of the Triplock screw-down crown.
The Yacht-Master 42 houses the automatic Caliber 3235, just like the other three-hand and date models. The automatic movement, which operates at a frequency of 4Hz (28800vph), offers a power reserve of 70 hours. Rolex guarantees an excellent accuracy of ±2 seconds per day for this caliber.
The bracelet, which is made of titanium like the case of the watch, promises maximum comfort and durability with its “Oyster” type form. The claps have a short type Oysterlock and an Easylink mechanism that provides an extra 5mm. Here, I think the Glidelock clasp would be a better choice for a finer adjustment.
We can celebrate the addition of the 42mm Yacht-Master in its titanium form to the wearable Rolex model range. Thanks to the RLX Titanium alloy, presence, color, texture and many other details take the traditional Rolex perception to a completely different point. I hope we will come across this alloy in other models in the coming years.
Well, how about a titanium Rolex equipped with an Oysterflex strap to take the lightness game one step further?
