Why There Might Be a New Rolex Yacht-Master II This Year

When it comes to Rolex, I don’t think anyone can completely predict the future. For a brand that is known and celebrated for the consistency of its designs, Rolex always manages to find some way of surprising us each year. With that in mind, sometimes we do get a tiny bit of insight into what Rolex might have planned, and it’s always fun to speculate about what models might be joining (or leaving) the lineup.

Although absolutely nothing is confirmed, nor will it be until the moment that Rolex announces its new releases, there is a pretty good chance that there will be a new Rolex Yacht-Master II unveiled this year at Watches & Wonders Geneva.

No Price Increase for the Rolex Yacht-Master II in 2022

To kick off the new year, Rolex raised its retail prices for 2022. The price increase can be seen across Rolex’s entire catalog, and virtually every single model saw its retail price go up for 2022 - except the Yacht-Master II.

Admittedly, the Yacht-Master is Rolex’s most underrated sports watch collection, and the Yacht-Master II might be one of the most divisive models in the brand’s entire lineup. However, Rolex Yacht-Master II watches are still completely sold-out at retailers, and it’s not likely that a small price increase at a retail level would deter sales - especially when available examples are trading hands for a premium on the open market. None of the Rolex Yacht-Master II references saw their prices increase by a single dollar for 2022, and a good explanation for this would be if Rolex planned to phase them out later this year.

Why the Yacht-Master II Won’t Be Discontinued

The lack of a price increase supports the theory that the current Rolex Yacht-Master II references are destined to be dropped from the catalog, but couldn’t this also mean that the Yacht-Master II will be discontinued entirely? 

Although anything is possible, it’s highly unlikely that Rolex would discontinue the Yacht-Master II altogether after this short of a production run. The model was first unveiled in 2007 and only officially joined Rolex’s catalog in 2010, so to scrap the entire concept after just one generation would be highly uncharacteristic of Rolex. Additionally, given that the Yacht-Master II is one the most complex models in the brand’s entire lineup, it likely cost a significant amount of money to design and develop. Therefore, it would only make sense for Rolex to continue to iterate upon the Yacht-Master II’s innovative platform and advanced movement in order to maximize the return on its investment. 

What’s Next for the Rolex Yacht-Master II

The current Yacht-Master II references seem destined to be phased out, yet it doesn’t make sense for Rolex to discontinue the model entirely. Therefore, one possibility is that we might see an entirely new generation of Yacht-Master II watches. Additionally, given that British sailor and Rolex ambassador Ben Ainslie has been spotted wearing a titanium Yacht-Master prototype, some major update to the greater Rolex Yacht-Master collection seems like a serious possibility… maybe a titanium Yacht-Master II on an Oysterflex bracelet?

All of that being said, while a number of signs are indicating that there will be a new generation of the Yacht-Master II, this does not mean that Rolex will actually unveil one later this year. We like to think of Rolex as being predictable, yet somehow the brand continues to surprise us each year by creating new and unexpected watches that somehow feel as though they should already be part of the catalog.

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*All images courtesy of Rolex