Rolex Discontinues
Yacht-Master II
I plan to continue covering Watches and Wonders until I have nothing left to say or share, so stay tuned for more insight, conjecture and opinion. Rolex FINALLY did it!!! They got rid of the Yacht-Master II—at Watches and Wonders 2024—which historically was my least favorite modern Rolex. Although there were some cool characteristics, like being the only other Rolex Chronograph beside the Daytona, I could just never get into the Yacht-Master II.
I would go so far as to say the Rolex Yacht-Master II, was the most un-Rolex, Rolex, in the sense it didn't really look like a Rolex. The Yacht-Master definitely had a sporty vibe, but I could never get used to how it said "YACHT-MASTER II" on the bezel, which seemed just plain silly to my way of thinking...Kind of like dudes back in the 1990s who would wear jackets with a yuuuugee red, white and blue, TOMMY HILFIGER logo running across the front of it, or even like MEMBERS ONLY jackets from the 1980s.
The Yacht-Master II was launched in the late Patrick Heiniger era, and alway kind of seemed out of place. It was designed to time sailing regattas, but the question is, 'Who times sailing regattas with a wrist watch!?!!' [Said with Seinfeld accent :-]
The only dude I can think of that I ever saw rocking the Yacht-Master II, and lookin good was Scott Eastwood, who is pictured below.