Yachtmaster 116622 bezel dilemma

[axelfoley]

I purchased my first Rolex in March of this year from a NYC AD: A 116622 Yacht Master Dark Rhodium dial. I was extremely excited about this watch; I have been in love with it ever since it came out in Basel 2016.

Maybe I was naive, but I wanted a watch I could wear almost every day without thinking much about it. The only time I want to remove my watch is when doing physical activity for a long period, like hiking, rock climbing, or helping a friend move.

However, my problem is that the Yacht Master platinum bezel scratches during normal wear if it comes into accidental contact with a solid surface. I don’t want to take off my watch if I’m lifting up something or loading a heavy box into the car. But now I feel like I have to, or the platinum could scratch. I have scratched the bezel loading things into the car and by hitting a wall when walking.

I have no issue with the bracelet scratching — I was fully aware this would happen with the PCLs. I’m annoyed about the BEZEL having 4 visible scratches after just 3 months of ownership. What will it look like in 1 year? In 3 years? I know that that Rolex can fix this at servicing, but that’s only every 5 years. Sure, the YM is not as much a tool watch as a Sub or Explorer, but frankly I don’t want to treat it delicately and have to think about all day whether the activity I’m doing could scratch the bezel.

Here’s my dilemma: Should I flip the YM for a ceramic bezel watch that will be much more scratch resistant on a daily wear basis, like a subC or BLNR? Or should I keep the YM and wear only on special occasions, and buy another watch to wear daily? I love the look of the YM and enjoy wearing it daily, but the thought of babying my Rolex annoys me to no end.

Thanks all! I’ve attached some pics to the post. Although it’s difficult to capture on camera, the scratches are definitely visible in person even when you’re 1-2 feet away from the bezel.