The biggest news to come out of Rolex’s Baselworld booth in 2019 was the release of the Yacht-Master 42 ref. 226659, which overtook the Yacht-Master 40’s spot as the largest model in the collection. Although the Rolex Yacht-Master has only been around for about three decades, it has undergone the most size changes with a few new dimensions introduced and a couple of old ones discontinued.
In fact, the only model that has retained its original case size since the beginning is the standard 40mm Yacht-Master (known as the Yacht-Master 40). Given all the updates, a common question we come across is just how many Rolex Yacht-Master sizes are there? Well, keep on reading to find out.
The Rolex Yacht-Master
Yacht-Master Key Features:
Production Years: 1992 – Present
Materials: Yellow gold, stainless steel/platinum, stainless steel/yellow gold, Everose gold, or stainless steel/Everose Gold
Functionality: Time with running seconds, quickset date
Case Sizes: 42mm, 40mm, 37mm, 35mm (discontinued), 29mm (discontinued)
Dial: Mercedes-style hands, date window at 3 o’clock
Bezel: Precious metal or Cerachrom, raised 60-minute scale, bidirectional
Crystal: Sapphire with Cyclops lens
Water Resistance: 100 meters / 330 feet
Bracelet: Oyster or Oysterflex
Click here for our Ultimate Buying Guide on the Rolex Yacht-Master.
A History of Rolex Yacht-Master Sizes
Rolex introduced the Yacht-Master in 1992 as an ultra-luxurious sports watch ready for the open seas. While it was similar in style to the Submariner – complete with Mercedes-style hands, an Oyster bracelet, and a 60-minute rotating bezel – Rolex made the nautically-inspired Yacht-Master more opulent thanks to a full precious metal bezel (instead of an aluminum insert) and swapped out the 300-meter water resistance rating of the Submariner dive watch for a more standard 100 meters.
The very first Yacht-Master model was fashioned entirely in 18k yellow gold and featured a 40mm case. However, Rolex quickly expanded the collection to include other sizes. For instance, two smaller Yacht-Master watches joined the lineup in 1994: the ladies Yacht-Master with a 29mm case and the midsize Yacht-Master with a 35mm case. Furthermore, other metal options were soon on offer, including two-tone steel and yellow gold varieties, followed by a stainless steel edition with a solid 950 platinum bezel. In Rolex-speak, the yellow gold/steel version is dubbed Yellow Rolesor while the steel/platinum variant is called Rolesium.
In 2015, Rolex made a few key updates to the Yacht-Master collection. First of all, the Yacht-Master 29 and Yacht-Master 35 were both discontinued in favor of the Yacht-Master 37 with its larger 37mm case diameter. Second, Rolex dropped the yellow gold option and replaced it with an Everose gold version but paired with a black Cerachrom ceramic bezel and black rubber Oysterflex bracelet. The following year saw the debut of the two-tone steel/Everose Gold (a.k.a. Everose Rolesor) editions, which replaced the Yellow Rolesor models in the Rolex Yacht-Master lineup.
Finally, we reach 2019, with the launch of the Yacht-Master 42, which is not only the biggest model available but also the first to include an 18k white gold case. Similar to the Everose gold Yacht-Master, the white gold Yacht-Master is fitted with a black Cerachrom bezel and black Oysterflex bracelet.
Current Yacht-Master Sizes
– Yacht-Master 42
– Yacht-Master 40
– Yacht-Master 37
As you browse the different Rolex watch case sizes, you will notice there are only a few different sizes of Yacht-Masters available. Rolex currently makes three sizes of the Yacht-Master. There’s the new Yacht-Master 42, the Yacht-Master 40, and the Yacht-Master 37. While the largest model is exclusively offered in solid white gold, Rolex makes the two other sizes in Everose gold, two-tone Everose gold and stainless steel, and bi-metal platinum and stainless steel.
It’s worth mentioning that the Yacht-Master is the only current Rolex sports watch collection that offers a functional bezel on a case that’s smaller than 40mm. Consequently, the Yacht-Master 37 is a great option for someone with smaller wrists looking for a Rolex sports watch.
Discontinued Yacht-Master Sizes
– Yacht-Master 35
– Yacht-Master 29
After two decades of production, the 29mm ladies Yacht-Master and the 35mm midsize Yacht-Master were both discontinued in 2015. However, these two smaller Yacht-Master watches are still popular options on the pre-owned Rolex market.
A Complete List of All Yacht-Master Sizes and References
In short, the Rolex Yacht-Master is available in five different sizes (including the discontinued variants): 42mm, 40mm, 37mm, 35mm, and 29mm. Below is a comprehensive list of Yacht-Master sizes and references.
Rolex Yacht-Master 42
| Reference | Production Years | Case | Bezel | Bracelet | Caliber |
| 226659 | 2019 – Present | White Gold | Cerachrom | Oysterflex | 3235 |
Rolex Yacht-Master 40
| Reference | Production Years | Case | Bezel | Bracelet | Caliber |
| 16628 | 1992 – 2011 | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold Oyster | 3135 |
| 16622 | 1999 – 2012 | Stainless Steel | Platinum | Stainless Steel Oyster | 3135 |
| 116622 | 2012 – 2019 | Stainless Steel | Platinum | Stainless Steel Oyster | 3135 |
| 126622 | 2019 – Present | Stainless Steel | Platinum | Stainless Steel Oyster | 3235 |
| 16623 | 2005 – 2016 | Stainless Steel | Yellow Gold | Stainless Steel/ Yellow Gold Oyster | 3135 |
| 116655 | 2015 – 2019 | Everose Gold | Cerachrom | Oysterflex | 3135 |
| 126655 | 2019 – Present | Everose Gold | Cerachrom | Oysterflex | 3235 |
| 116621 | 2016 – 2019 | Stainless Steel | Everose Gold | Stainless Steel/Everose Gold Oyster | 3135 |
| 126621 | 2019 – Present | Stainless Steel | Everose Gold | Stainless Steel/Everose Gold Oyster | 3235 |
Rolex Yacht-Master 37
| Reference | Production Years | Case | Bezel | Bracelet | Caliber |
| 268655 | 2015 – Present | Everose Gold | Cerachrom | Oysterflex | 2236 |
| 268622 | 2016 – Present | Stainless Steel | Platinum | Stainless Steel Oyster | 2236 |
| 268621 | 2016 – Present | Stainless Steel | Everose Gold | Stainless Steel/Everose Gold Oyster | 2236 |
Rolex Yacht-Master 35
| Reference | Production Years | Case | Bezel | Bracelet | Caliber |
| 68628 | 1994 – 2000 | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold Oyster | 2135 |
| 168628 | 2000 – 2015 | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold Oyster | 2235 |
| 68623 | 1995 – 1999 | Stainless Steel | Yellow Gold | Stainless Steel/Yellow Gold Oyster | 2135 |
| 168623 | 1999 – 2015 | Stainless Steel | Yellow Gold | Stainless Steel/Yellow Gold Oyster | 2235 |
| 68622 | 1999 – 2012 | Stainless Steel | Platinum | Stainless Steel Oyster | 2135 |
| 168622 | 2012 – 2015 | Stainless Steel | Platinum | Stainless Steel Oyster | 2235 |
Rolex Yacht-Master 29
| Reference | Production Years | Case | Bezel | Bracelet | Caliber |
| 69628 | 1994 – 2000 | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold Oyster | 2135 |
| 169628 | 2000 – 2015 | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold | Yellow Gold Oyster | 2235 |
| 69623 | 1995 – 1999 | Stainless Steel | Yellow Gold | Stainless Steel/Yellow Gold Oyster | 2135 |
| 169623 | 1999 – 2015 | Stainless Steel | Yellow Gold | Stainless Steel/Yellow Gold Oyster | 2235 |
| 69622 | 1999 – 2012 | Stainless Steel | Platinum | Stainless Steel Oyster | 2135 |
| 169622 | 2012 – 2015 | Stainless Steel | Platinum | Stainless Steel Oyster | 2235 |
The Only Rolex Sports Watch Available in Multiple Sizes
Unlike other Rolex Professional watch collections, the Yacht-Master has always been varied in terms of sizes. In fact, the Yacht-Master is the only Rolex sports watch line that provides more than one size option at the same time. Pre-2015, it was 29mm, 35mm, and 40mm. Today, it’s 37mm, 40mm, and 42mm.
On the other hand, Rolex only ever offers the likes of the Submariner, Daytona, GMT-Master, and other sports models in one size. And if there is a size change (for instance when the Submariner grew to 41mm or the Explorer grew to 39mm or the Sea-Dweller grew to 43mm) then the previous size is discontinued.
The size variations, along with the wide range of metals, dials, and bezels to choose from, makes the Yacht-Master collection one of the most diverse models Rolex has ever made. This is particularly impressive when you consider that the Yacht-Master is less than three decades old.
Which one is your favorite Yacht-Master size? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.
