Rolex Yacht-Master 40 126655 - Review And Buying Guide
Rolex is a brand that stands as a symbol of adventure and exploration. Some of its most popular and iconic models are linked directly with sports and other activities, like the Daytona, which tracks the speed of a race car driver or the Submariner, which was built for divers.
The Rolex Yacht-Master was introduced in 1992, and the watches are linked to seafaring. Rolex designed the Yacht-Master as a tool for boating while focusing on the luxury and aesthetic attributes of the timepiece.
Over the years, the Yacht-Master has undergone several upgrades, and Rolex has designed various models in various materials and sizes. One of the most popular is the Rolex Yacht-Master 40, perfect for any occasion.
Introduced in 2015, the Yacht-Master 40 Ref. 126655 was designed as a tool for people who like to be in the water. With its updated styling and mechanical movement, this watch is unique.
As you’d expect, we will examine the Rolex Yacht-Master 40 126655 Oysterflex model here. But first, we’ll return to where it all started and how!
History of the Rolex Yacht-Master
Rolex’s history with sailing goes back to 1958 when the Swiss Maison partnered with the renowned New York Yacht Club. By then, Rolex had already established itself as a brand that manufactures great water-resistant watches with the invention of the Rolex Oyster in 1926. So, the partnership was actually a pretty obvious step.
In 1966, Rolex strengthened its standing in the world of sailing when renowned navigator Francis Chichester sailed around the globe on his yacht, wearing a Rolex on his wrist. From August 1966 to May 1967, he embarked on a 29,600-mile journey around the world, sailing his Gipsy Moth IV. Interestingly, Francis used only a few tools to navigate his way across the globe, including his nautical charts, a sextant and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. This timepiece served as a reliable and steady partner, helping him keep track amidst the rough conditions at sea.
Despite all such achievements, Rolex somehow refrained from creating a watch specifically designed for this category. Rolex did briefly toy with the idea of releasing a prototype dial for the Cosmograph Daytona with the name ‘Yacht-Master’ in the 1960s, but that never took off.
Finally, in 1992, Rolex introduced the modern Yacht-Master to the world with the reference 16628. The official name of this model is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master, the brand’s debut luxury sports watch made with the open seas in mind. In short, the Yacht-Master is the watch for the open seas.
To reinforce that collectors, buyers, and everyone else understood the luxury aspect of this timepiece, Rolex created the very first 40mm model in 18ct yellow gold. This model featured a matching gold bidirectional rotating bezel marked with a 60-minute graduation for timing. The watch was fitted with a gold Oyster bracelet. Over the next few years, Rolex expanded this luxury nautical watch collection with a variety of sizes and materials.
With so much luxury, the success of the Rolex Yacht-Master was unsurprising.
What makes the Rolex Yacht-Master so special?
The Yacht-Master is not the first Rolex designed with the seas or sailors in mind. But why is it so special?
1. Rich Sailing History
The Yacht-Master’s long-standing association with sailing cements its status as a reliable watch for the seas.
2. Premium Materials
Rolex designs the Yacht-Master watches using the most premium materials, including platinum and gold. This luxury attribute makes the Yacht-Master a fantastic addition to any collection.
3. Excellent Functionality
All this luxury doesn’t compromise the Yacht-Master’s practicality. Each Yacht-Master features a 60-minute rotating timing bezel, luminous hour markers, and a notable date display, offering men and women a beautiful timepiece that doesn’t compromise with function, strength, or durability.
4. Variety of options
Since its launch, Rolex has updated the collection with various outstanding models featuring functional and aesthetic updates. Yacht-Master watches are available in various sizes, materials, bezel designs, bracelet styles and colours, and also models with or without diamonds.
Rolex Yacht-Master 40 126655
The Yacht-Master is a tool watch synonymous with luxury, and it has been so since its first release in 1992. The Yacht-Master 40 Ref. 126655 embraces a timeless design and the brand’s long-standing values of grandeur, purpose, and excellence, all without compromising strength or standards.
It includes all of the features you’d expect for a luxury brand like Rolex, including:
- 40mm Everose gold case, exemplifying elegance and craftsmanship
- Automatic movement with a date display at 3 o’clock
- Bidirectional bezel made of ceramic with 60-minute timing
- Sapphire crystal for protecting the face from scratches
- Fits on an Oysterflex bracelet with a folding Oysterlock safety clasp for added comfort and reliability
Initial Review
The Rolex Yacht-Master 40 126655 is a watch with so much visual impact! It looks somewhat ‘off’ expensive and so weirdly casual with its rubber bracelet that the overall design with rose gold works. There’s also a certain level of simplicity with the bold, intense black dial and that matching ceramic bezel. This folks is the watch you can wear globally to yacht clubs, lakeside lunches, champagne brunches, and anything with water. This is the watch that arrives before you and gets all the talking.
As you’d expect in any Rolex watch, it is made of the highest-quality material and is certified by expert watchmakers. A lot of thought has gone into the design and mechanics of this piece.
This is a stylish watch made of Everose gold with a 40mm case. The watch features on an Oysterflex bracelet that looks like rubber but basically consists of a thin, flexible metal blade made of titanium inside a moulded elastomer outer coating. It doesn’t end there.
Rolex pulls off another cool trick with the ‘comfort pad’ moulded into the underside of the strap. This makes the watch extremely comfortable on the wrist. In addition, the Rolex Glidelock clasp offers 2.5mm increments. This process of sizing the strap is fairly unique to Rolex.
Coming to the design, we honestly like the ‘matte’ ceramic bezel with polished numerals against a matte black dial. The Yacht-Master 40 really works well to balance the Formal and Casual ratio by using a flashy metal like Everose gold and toning it down with a black matte bezel and dial. The polished applied indices on the black dial also add a nice contrast. The whole package works beautifully on a variety of occasions.
The watch is powered by the new generation Rolex Calibre 3235, offering an ample 70-hour power reserve. One of the most significant innovations in this Calibre is the Chronergy escapement, a modern take on the Swiss lever variation. Our only criticism is the solid case back. We’d have loved a transparent case back to appreciate the mechanism inside.
All in all, what we have in here with the Yacht-Master 40 126655 is a very Rolex interpretation of luxury. It doesn’t matter if you’re sailing or doing water sports - you don’t need to be doing any of it to own this beautiful watch.
Review: Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Ref. 126655
Basics:
- Model: 126655
- Case Size: 40mm
- Material: 18ct Everose Gold
- Bezel: Bidirectional, 60-minute Graduated Bezel With Matte Black Cerachrom insert in Ceramic
- Dial: Intense Black
- Bracelet: Black Oysterflex
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Movement: Automatic, Calibre 3235
- Power Reserve: 70 hours
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Price: £28,150
Case
True to its luxurious character, the watch is fully made of Everose gold, which appears less blingy than yellow gold and is extremely versatile. The watch case is fully polished and practically there is no brushed surface at all, leaving the watch case with a more dressier character, which complement very well its relatively dressier size.
The polishing on the case is also very fine, and the overall rounded edges and corners complement the case shape and profile very well. What we have is a very balanced and well-executed case.
Bezel
To complement the sporty attributes, the watch further comes with a ceramic bezel, which we consider one of the strongest parts of this Yacht-Master, especially when you compare it with steel or two-tone models that come with bezel made of precious metals.
The ceramic bezel is more tolerant to daily beating and lets the wearer calculate the sailing time between two buoys.
The bezel edges are fluted Everose gold, and the bezel itself is bidirectional and has a 60-minute graduated insert made of precious materials. The markings are also black, raised, and polished to stand out against the matte background.
The depth of detail is that unlike the Submariner or GMT, which has glossy markings on the bezel, this Yacht-Master reference has a matte texture on the bezel, adding uniqueness to the watch.
Dial
Inside the case, we have a black dial, and the texture here is not glossy or jet black, similar to the one you get on Submariner or GMT. Rather, you have a matte black dial, similar to the one you see in Sea-Dweller. It does have a soft tone to it, which adds a bit of contrast to the blingy rose gold watch.
The intense black dial features luminous batons at the 6 and 9 positions, a triangle for the 12 position, and dots for the remaining hours. The 3 aperture has the date window with a Cyclops. The name Rolex appears in pink, which complements the Everose gold, and the name Yacht-Master is, however, written in bold red.
The hour markers and dial hands have the same rose gold finish, which offers a fantastic contrast against the matte background.
Strap
The black Oysterflex bracelet has a simplistic profile. The strap looks to be made of rubber, but it’s not. It’s an elastomer material, and it’s extremely soft without compromising longevity and strength.
The Oysterflex strap gives the watch a sportier look and is, in a nutshell, quite a piece of work. The Rolex Oysterflex aims to combine the comfort properties of a rubber strap with the durability of a bracelet.
On the outside, you see a black sheathing of high-performance black elastomer. At the core of the Oysterflex bracelet are titanium and nickel inserts, which affix the bracelet to the clasp and watch case. Moreover, the Oysterflex bracelet is designed in an unusual fashion. For example, ridges are moulded into the inside of the bracelet facing the wrists. This fence-like design is intended to allow the bracelet to be worn better and provide support to the wrist.
This bracelet is highly resistant to wear and tear while being tremendously comfortable. The Oysterlock safety clasp can be worn with great confidence. For extra comfort, a cushion system stabilises the watch on the wrist and allows the wrist to cool off on hot days.
A micro-adjustment system beneath the clasp allows up to 2.5mm, give or take, so the clasp fits perfectly. The black sporty bracelet might appeal more to people who go boating or play water sports. The traditional Oyster bracelet is secure and waterproof, but the smooth rubber casing of the Oysterflex makes it appear less precious.
Movement
The reliable Calibre 3235 has a self-winding mechanical movement that is shock-absorbent and resistant to magnetic interference. It has a 70-hour power reserve and is water resistant to 100 metres. The Rolex Calibre 3235 has 14 patents and shows a performance increase of 15 percent over the previous generation.
The escape wheel is pierced, making it lighter. This further reduces inertia and improves power transfer. The 3235 retains the Parachrom spring balance and Paraflex shock absorbers and is guaranteed to perform better than the COSC specifications.
Price & Availability
The Rolex Yacht-Master 126655 is priced at £28,150 which we understand could be an ‘expensive’ purchase. But considering its value, both aesthetically and functionally, it’s a worthy purchase.
Released in 2019, this Yacht-Master remains a popular novelty to collect. If you buy one and hold onto it, it will end up being a really good investment as virtually any Rolex watch is. Today, the Yacht-Master 126655 is generating significantly more interest than its available supply and thus the prices of the watches on the pre-owned market are steadily increasing. However, buying a pre-owned Rolex is a smart investment.
| Model | Retail Price | Pre-Owned Price |
|---|---|---|
| Yacht-Master 40 126655 | £28,150 | £18,926.00 to £37,165.00 |
Why buy the Yacht-Master 40 - 126655?
The Rolex Yacht-Master isn’t as famous or collected as the Daytona or the Submariner. Part of this is because it’s a newer model that has only appeared in the Rolex lineup since 1992. However, this watch has all the qualities of other Rolex watches, including outstanding workmanship and materials, making it every bit as good to buy.
This watch looks great with quality casual wear. It’s a stylish accessory if you’re sailing or participating in water sports. It also looks equally good with a suit. Because of its style, the watch effortlessly crosses the line between formal and evening wear. Men can wear this watch with a business suit or a tuxedo. Women are also quite fond of this timepiece, but there are smaller versions for women with smaller wrists, such as the 37mm reference 268855.
FINAL WORDS
Ultimately, we find this Yacht-Master 40 a fantastic ‘all-rounder’ luxury watch. It’s bold, beautiful, and powerful and gives you the feeling of luxury as well as freedom. Whatever you throw at it, this piece will handle effortlessly and go on from swimming to gardening or rocking that formal dinner or drinks occasion.
No doubt, the watch sits comfortably in the list of Rolex top sellers. Its style and quality are equally good, and Rolex fans enjoy having this watch in their collection.