The Vault › All references › Yacht-Master
Yacht-Master · 2013 to 2024
“Steel YM II”
Grade D · 50/100Today's call: Buy it to wear, not to flip
D: passion purchase. Ranked #123 of 129 references in The Crown Index vault.
| Original retail (2022) | $18,750 |
|---|---|
| Market today | $16,500 – $19,000 |
| Vs original retail | -5% |
| 1-year trend | +3% |
The most complicated watch Rolex made for over a decade, wrapped in a case most wrists can't carry. 44mm of polished steel with a genuinely clever regatta countdown.
Now discontinued, it hovers around retail. There's a scenario where the YM II becomes a cult piece the way the quirky Milgauss did; the market hasn't voted for it yet.
The steel YM II was the attainable version of Rolex's maddest complication, and spent a decade as the brand's least-wanted sports watch, too big, too shiny, too specific.
Then it was discontinued in 2024 and the floor firmed up immediately. The cult-formation checklist (weird, discontinued, mechanically unique) is now fully checked; all that's missing is the decade of waiting.
Our verdict: D with a lottery ticket attached. Fine to wear, slow to sell. If the cult ever forms, you were early.
| Sizes | 44mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet material | Oystersteel (stainless) |
| Factory bracelet | Oyster |
| Factory bezels | Blue Cerachrom regatta countdown (Ring Command) |
| Notable dials | White, blue accents |
| Caliber | 4161 |
| Production | 2013 to 2024 (discontinued) |
Live eBay listings ↗ Open in the interactive Vault