The Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 42 in 18 ct white gold with a falcon’s eye dial and an Oysterflex bracelet.

The Yacht-Master’s new Oysterflex bracelet, developed by Rolex and patented, offers a sporty alternative to metal bracelets. The bracelet attaches to the watch case and the Oysterlock safety clasp by a flexible titanium and nickel alloy metal blade. The blade is overmoulded with high-performance black elastomer which is particularly resistant to environmental effects, very durable and perfectly inert for the wearer of the watch. For enhanced comfort, the inside of the Oysterflex bracelet is equipped with a patented longitudinal cushion system that stabilizes the watch on the wrist and fitted with an 18 ct white gold Oysterlock safety clasp. It also features the Rolex Glidelock extension system, designed by the brand and patented. This inventive toothed mechanism, integrated beneath the clasp, allows fine adjustment of the bracelet length by some 15 mm in increments of approximately 2.5 mm, without the use of tools.

By operating its own exclusive foundry, Rolex has the unrivalled ability to cast the highest quality 18 ct gold alloys. According to the proportion of silver, copper, platinum or palladium added, different types of 18 ct gold are obtained: yellow, pink or white. They are made with only the purest metals and meticulously inspected in an in-house laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment, before the gold is formed and shaped with the same painstaking attention to quality. Rolex's commitment to excellence begins at the source.

Like all Rolex Professional watches, the Yacht-Master 42 offers exceptional legibility in all circumstances, and especially in the dark, thanks to its Chromalight display. The broad hands and hour markers in simple shapes – triangles, circles, rectangles – are filled with a luminescent material emitting a long-lasting glow.

The Yacht-Master’s bidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated bezel is made entirely from precious metals or fitted with a Cerachrom insert in high-tech ceramic. 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 Cyclops lens is one of the most distinctive Rolex features, and one of the most recognizable. Named after the one-eyed giant of Greek mythology, the Cyclops lens magnifies the watch’s emblematic date display for easy reading. Behind the Cyclops, as with every feature of a Rolex timepiece, lies a history of invention, research and development, and the endless search for perfection.

The calibre 3235 is a new-generation movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. This self-winding mechanical movement is at the forefront of the art of watchmaking. A consummate demonstration of Rolex technology, with 14 patents, it offers fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, convenience and reliability. It incorporates the new patented Chronergy escapement, which combines high energy efficiency with great dependability. Made of nickel-phosphorus, it is also insensitive to magnetic interference.

Dial

• Dial : Falcon’s eye
• Details : Highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence

Case

• Case : Oyster, 42 mm, white gold
• Oyster architecture : Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown
• Diameter : 42 mm
• Material : 18 ct white gold
• Bezel : Bidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated bezel with matt black Cerachrom insert in ceramic, polished raised numerals and graduations
• Winding crown : Screw-down, Triplock triple waterproofness system
• Crystal : Scratch-resistant sapphire, Cyclops lens over the date
• Water resistance : Waterproof to 100 metres / 330 feet

Movement

• Movement : Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding
• Calibre : 3235, Manufacture Rolex
• Precision : -2/+2 sec/day, after casing
• Certification : Superlative Chronometer (COSC + Rolex certification after casing)
• Functions : Centre hour, minute and seconds hands. Instantaneous date with rapid setting. Stop-seconds for precise time setting
• Oscillator : Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring. High-performance Paraflex shock absorbers
• Winding : Bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor
• Power reserve : Approximately 70 hours

Bracelet

• Bracelet : Oysterflex
• Material : Flexible metal blades overmoulded with high-performance elastomer
• Clasp : Folding Oysterlock safety clasp with Rolex Glidelock extension system