The nautical Rolex — a bidirectional 60-minute bezel, and the platinum-and-steel Rolesium original.
Introduced
1992
Family
Yacht-Master
Current ref.
126622
Calibre
3235
The Yacht-Master takes the Submariner's sporty silhouette and reworks it for the marina rather than the dive boat: a polished, raised bezel with a 60-minute scale, sunburst dials, and a more luxurious finish. It is offered in steel-and-platinum, gold, and Everose, across 37, 40, and 42 mm.
The 2023 RLX titanium 42 mm pushed the line in a lighter, more technical direction.
History
The first Yacht-Master, reference 16622, introduced the steel case with a solid platinum bezel that Rolex named “Rolesium.” Its grey platinum bezel and silver dial gave the model a distinct, monochrome identity.
Later came gold and Everose versions, a 37 mm size, the rubber-strapped Yacht-Master 42 in white gold, and in 2023 a titanium 42. The current steel-and-platinum 40 mm is the 126622 with calibre 3235.
Reference table
A selective map of the references collectors ask about most — not every variant, but the ones that anchor the line.
| Reference | Years | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16622 | 1999–2015 | 40 mm Rolesium | Steel case, platinum bezel |
| 116622 | 2012–2019 | 40 mm | Blue-dial Rolesium, calibre 3135 |
| 126622 | 2019–present | 40 mm | Current Rolesium, calibre 3235 |
| 226658 | 2019–present | 42 mm gold | Yacht-Master 42, yellow gold |
| 226627 | 2023–present | 42 mm titanium | RLX titanium Yacht-Master |
Years are approximate production windows. Verify the reference and serial against the watch in hand before relying on any figure.
Nicknames
Each nickname maps to a reference and a story. Tap through for the Naples reference guide on each.
In Naples
Naples is a settled, well-travelled collector town, and the Yacht-Master fits a Gulf-coast life of flights, boats, and Fifth Avenue South dinners. We are a reference, not a dealer — this is context for buyers, not a storefront.
Yacht-Master FAQ
The Yacht-Master is a luxury nautical watch with a polished, raised bidirectional 60-minute bezel and dressier finishing; the Submariner is a true 300 m dive watch with a unidirectional bezel. They share a family resemblance but different purposes.
Rolesium is Rolex's name for the Yacht-Master combination of a steel case with a solid platinum bezel, introduced on the original 16622. The grey platinum gives it a distinctive monochrome look.
No. The Yacht-Master II is a separate, larger regatta chronograph with a programmable countdown and Ring Command bezel. The standard Yacht-Master is a simpler time-only nautical watch.