Most competitive sports require extreme time accuracy, but professional sailing is even more so. The regatta actually starts with the official starting gun countdown, usually between 10 and 15 minutes, when the yacht captains are required to come back from the starting line to steer their boat, but not cross it. During this time, of course, they are at the mercy of a variety of factors — strong winds or choppy seas can test every skill of even the most experienced crew. Understandably, in such highly specific navigational conditions, accurate timing becomes crucial. Haste brings punishment. Start too late and you may fall behind in the whole race.
It is a very different view of the yacht timer complex than the Panerai, which provides less information on the canvas, although at 43 mm, it is still not a small watch. Particularly impressive are those dual five minute counters that show up in asymmetrical holes at 12 o ‘clock. On the right hand side, a red disc marked 5-4-3-2-1 counts down every 30 seconds when activated by a two o ‘clock pusher, while the blue arc on the left slowly displays the word START over time.
Even those who cringe at visual effects should not criticize the engineering behind it. The yacht master II features Rolex’s ring command panel, which links directly to the motion unlock watch’s various functions. Turn the dial, engraved with the Numbers 1-10(and the name of the replica watch, in case you’ve forgotten), and turn on the programmable timer. The wearer sets the duration of the countdown by rotating the crown and returning the circle to the starting position lock, remembering (crucially) to set it.
The timer starts with the pusher, the number of seconds passed is indicated by the sweeping second pointer, and the number of minutes is indicated by the red arrow on the horseshoe meter at the top. But if you need to adjust the countdown, here comes the really smart part. Push down resets the second hand and instantly synchronizes the arrow pointer to the nearest minute, making the yacht master II the world’s first best replica watches with mechanical memory and push back.
The key to all this is clearly the engine. The original reference used cal.4160, a reworked version of Daytona’s cal.4130. Since 2013, YMII has been given a different name — now cal.4161 — but its functionality has not changed. It consists of 360 individual components, making it the most complex calibre Rolex replica has ever built, until it became apparent their interest in it led to the launch of the Sky-Dweller’s cal.9001 and annual calendar functions, with an additional 20 bits.
While opinions may be divided, and to some extent continue to be, master yachtsman II has become a celebrity favorite in recent years. NBA legends lebron James and carmelo Anthony are big fans, as are mark wahlberg and conor McGregor, who often show off their 18-karat gold models.
It’s not clear how much time these luminaries have spent on sailing, but the unorthodox style is clearly enough for them. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest, and certainly the most technically impressive, showstoppers from fake rolex, the yacht master II made a real statement, either on deck or ashore.