The Yacht-Master’s bidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated bezel is made of Cerachrom insert in black ceramic, 18 ct yellow gold or 950 platinum. The raised polished numerals and graduations stand out clearly against a matt, sand-blasted background. This functional bezel - which allows the wearer to calculate, for example, the sailing time between two buoys - is also a key component in the model’s distinctive visual identity.

The Yacht-Master 42 is equipped with calibre 3235, a new-generation movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. A consummate demonstration of Rolex technology, at the forefront of the art of watchmaking, this self-winding mechanical movement led to the filing of several patents, and offers fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, convenience and reliability. This calibre equips a Yacht-Master watch for the first time.

As in any contest of speed, precision is of the essence in a regatta. The Yacht-Master II features an unprecedented mechanical function: a countdown that can be programmed from 1 to 10 minutes and allows skippers to precisely time and follow each race’s official starting procedure. This flexibility is one of the major assets of the Yacht-Master II; its development was a considerable technological challenge. Rolex engineers devoted 35,000 hours to developing this complication. The programming can be mechanically memorised. Furthermore, once the watch’s countdown is launched, it can be synchronised with the official race countdown.