Hands-On With The Elusive Rolex Yacht-Master 42 In RLX Titanium

When you squint, you can see the original 1992 yellow gold Yacht-Master in the 2023 stealthy titanium version. But the elusive Rolex Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium must be seen with eyes wide open because this is not a watch you see every day. Indeed, this monochromatic “Super Sub” is a hard-to-find exotic watch with far higher demand than available supply. You might say that’s nothing new concerning Rolex sports watches. Still, something tells me this lightweight water-going watch will always be a rare and under-the-radar timepiece. So when it unexpectedly appeared at Fratello HQ, I seized the opportunity to wear it for a while. I just had to experience its stealthy yet luxurious presence with both hands and wide-open eyes. Spoiler alert: it’s phenomenal.

If I had to pick one watch from Rolex’s current lineup, I would, without hesitation, choose the Yacht-Master 42 ref. 226627 with its titanium case, matching Oyster bracelet, and black ceramic bezel with an elevated 60-minute scale. The €14,650 retail price is on the steep side, but because it’s in RLX titanium, I can justify that. After all, it’s only the second watch to come out in that alloy after the monstrous 50 × 23mm Deepsea Challenge. Well, honestly, justifying it takes some effort because RLX titanium is, in fact, Grade 5 titanium and not that uncommon. Then again, this is also Rolex’s first wearable titanium watch. With that in mind and knowing the backstory of the Yacht-Master, I can get over the price.

The elusive Rolex Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium creeps up on you like a panther in the night

Unfortunately, what I wrote in the previous paragraph is all strictly hypothetical. The Rolex AD can’t/won’t sell you a titanium Yacht-Master 42 even if you bring the €14,650 in crisp, clean banknotes. And on the parallel market, the premium price is not justifiable no matter how hard my mind tries — you can’t find one on Chrono24 for less than US$/€25K. Apart from a still-feverish market, the relative scarcity of the titanium Yacht-Master 42 also keeps the price high. It might be a niche product compared to the GMT-Master II “Pepsi,” but the audience is still bigger than the number of watches on the market.

Still, somewhat miraculously, an RLX titanium Yacht-Master 42 did make it to Fratello HQ. That gave me the chance to go hands-on with the “Super Sub” for a while. The Yacht-Master ref. 16628 debuted in 1992, but legend has it that Rolex had already conceived it decades before. The watch was initially designed to be the next-generation Submariner, but the softened looks were deemed too radically different. Consequently, Rolex put the concept on ice. But in the 1990s, the brand wanted to further emphasize its luxury side, so it warmed up the 1960s design, tuned it a bit, and presented the Yacht-Master in yellow gold.

The Yacht-Master 42 in titanium next to the 40mm ref. 16622 in Rolesium

Next-generation Sub

The 40mm yellow gold Yacht-Master ref. 16628, with its white dial and etched bezel insert, featured a triple-lock crown and was water resistant to 100 meters. Inside the watch beat the same movement that powered the Submariner of that time, the automatic caliber 3135. When it came to looks, though, the watches were quite different indeed. It’s hard to imagine this watch, with its shiny bits and rounded edges, as a next-generation Sub.

Come 2023, the latest iteration of the Yacht-Master stepped forward, and it did look like a next-generation Sub. Stripped of all its precious metal and shiny bits that always distinguished the watch, the matte, monochromatic RLX titanium Yacht-Master 42 looks like a high-tech take on the Submariner theme. Rolex changed the soul of the Yacht-Master by turning it from a watch that loves to go for a casual boat trip and spend lots of time on the yacht club’s sun deck to a competitive ocean racer. The watch has a rather large 42mm case that puts functionality first. The case has an 11.6mm thickness, a 50.3mm lug-to-lug length, and a 100m depth rating. It also houses the Rolex caliber 3235 with a 70-hour power reserve.

The use of Grade 5 titanium for both the case and the Oyster bracelet makes the watch roughly a third lighter than it would be in steel. The majority of surfaces show a brushed finish, but there are also a few touches of polishing. They’re just enough to give the light a chance to make the watch come alive while preserving the no-nonsense look of a veritable tool/sports watch. Consider this Yacht-Master 42 an instrument built to luxury standards.

Wearing the light and solid Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium

When you take the titanium Yacht-Master 42 out of the box, you feel the expected lightness of the alloy, but it also brings an unexpected sensation — robustness. Arguably, the Oyster bracelet in 904L steel is the world’s best bracelet for a sports watch. Its build quality, durability, and comfort are incredibly high. Building a bracelet in titanium that feels the same as steel but lighter is a challenge. Rolex managed to do so. The titanium three-row bracelet looks and, more importantly, feels and works like a solid, robust, and durable steel Oyster bracelet but at a fraction of its weight.

I found the bracelet very impressive. So did my colleagues when I handed them the watch so they could experience the paradoxical feeling of light robustness. This lightweight version of the Oyster bracelet is outfitted with patented ceramic inserts inside the links to enhance its flexibility and longevity. It also features the Oysterlock folding safety clasp plus the Easylink comfort extension, which allows a roughly 5mm adjustment. This might just be the ultimate sports watch bracelet on the market today.

Solid lightness

Once on the wrist, you hardly feel the watch is there. That makes sense because it weighs just over 100 grams. The size is also no issue for my 18cm wrist. The 42mm case diameter is generous, but it makes sense. A big watch can house a big dial, which makes for easy readability. And since this is a professional watch, legibility matters to Rolex.

On this RLX titanium Yacht-Master 42, that translates to a clean and simple matte black dial with long-glowing Chromalight indexes. Rolex kept it simple by outfitting the watch with broad hands and hour markers in simple shapes. The lumed “maxi” triangles, circles, and rectangles give the watch a very attractive form-follows-function look.

The watch’s visual highlight is the 120-click bidirectional 60-minute bezel. The matte black Cerachrom insert has a sandblasted base that helps the polished and raised numerals and graduations stand out just enough. It turns precisely and has a solid feel. If I wanted, I could have calculated the sailing time between two buoys using the bezel, but I didn’t have a boat, so I didn’t. That didn’t dampen the mood at all, though. When I first saw it in the Rolex display at Watches and Wonders in 2023, I wasn’t quite convinced, but once I got to handle it during the press presentation, all my doubts melted away instantly and turned into admiration. That didn’t change after the watch salon, and now, after having worn the watch “in the wild” for a bit, that admiration has only increased.

If you ask me, the Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium is the ultimate contemporary Rolex. Using a lightweight alloy makes functional sense, as does the monochromatic look. The execution of this tool watch is of an extremely high and luxurious level, making it a nec plus ultra tool watch that can double as a stealthy and sophisticated everyday beater for the lucky ones — those lucky enough to catch this elusive creature in the wild.

What do you think of the Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium? Is it indeed the ultimate sports watch in the current Rolex lineup? Also, what model would you also like to see executed in titanium — the Explorer II or maybe the next-generation Milgauss? Let me know in the comments below.