It might not fall under the category of ‘headline grabber’, but Rolex’s Yacht-Master 42 that it launched at Watches & Wonders 2023 was my pick of their offerings that week. This new version of the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 42 made use of RLX titanium for the first time in this collection. The grade 5 titanium alloy is used for both the case and the Oyster bracelet.

What made it my pick came down to comfort. After all, in the end, a watch should be worn, and this feels light but not too light, a size just right, and a bracelet that works. It feels good on the wrist. The use of RLX titanium reduced the weight by approximately one-third compared to the same thing in steel.

The Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium has a Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown, and is waterproof to 100m. There is a bidirectional rotating 60-minute bezel with matte black Cerachrom ceramic insert with polished raised numerals and gradations against a matte-sand-blasted background.

The black dial features the time and an instantaneous date which, of course, has a rapid setting feature. There is also the use of Chromalight and blue-coloured lume.

This new model has a combination of polished and satin finishing on the case e.g. a polished crown guard, the topics of the lugs, which gives it a bit more contrasting interest than the average titanium case.

As mentioned, this new Yacht-Master 42 comes in an Oyster bracelet. It features the Oysterlock folding safety clasp and is also equipped with the Easylink comfort extension link which allows the wearer to easily adjust the bracelet length by 5mm. The Oyster bracelet in RLX titanium also includes patented ceramic inserts inside the links to enhance its flexibility on the wrist and its longevity.

Powering it is the automatic Calibre 3235 with a power reserve of 70 hours.

This new Yacht-Master 42 is (no big surprise here) a 2023 version that is faithful to the design of the 2019 model and has an RRP of AUD 19,850.

Categories: Hands-on, Rolex, Switzerland, Watch Profile, watches, Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023, Women's watches