New Yacht Master II - Wheres the improvement???

[Punchthefatkid]

Just looking at pictures of the new Yacht Master II just released at Basel 2017.

What's the deal?

I can't believe that the biggest 'improvement' is changing the previous versions blue hands for white Mercedes versions.

Just look at the 2 pictures below - how can white hands on a white face be an improvement?

Personally I think this is a mistake - the white on white cannot possibly be more legible can it?

Also, the other 'improvement' is changing the square market at the 12 position to a triangle and the square market at the 6 position to ....wait for it...a rectangle!

All I can say to that is..WOW!!!

[RolexNorth]

I own the YM 2 in SS and I agree, this update is silly. Not sure why Rolex would waste resources to do this. Maybe they heard that legibility of the model was poor so they thought this would help. I think this makes it worse and feel in a couple of year's, Rolex will drop tho model from their line up.

[Bluside]

Very hard to see the hands. You need to be able to tell what time it is on a watch.

[77T]

If you're not buying one, it really doesn't matter. There are about 5 other nearly identical threads about this topic and universal disdain from non-buyers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Goin2drt]

Yep just like there is 10+ threads on the new SD.

I don't like the new one and certainly this watch is somewhere on the list to eventually acquire. Hopefully it will drive the prices down of the older version.

[watchwatcher]

I usually try to stay positive on the new releases from Rolex...but this is horrible. Of all the things you might have done to make the YM2 a more desirable watch (such as a glide lock clasp due to its size and heft), this is absolutely the worst and stupidest thing you could have picked, Rolex.

There, i've said it. Rant over.

[Wcdhtwn]

I was betting the YMII would be discontinued. This doesn't change my mind it should be. Seriously, how many people need a complication to time a sailboat race? The only place I could see this watch being appropriate is in Nantucket on the 4th of July. OK, Figawi too.

[Old Expat Beast]

The triangle at 12 balances the dial better, though. Agree the new hands are wrong.

[Exploradori]

New hands don't work in the Clownmaster. Not legible at all.

[justdate]

Triangle and rectangle good, white hands bad.

[Goin2drt]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

I was betting the YMII would be discontinued. This doesn't change my mind it should be. Seriously, how many people need a complication to time a sailboat race? The only place I could see this watch being appropriate is in Nantucket on the 4th of July. OK, Figawi too.

Funny, true and the same could be said for just about any diver. Not many dive to a depth that ANY of these divers are capable of. Or use the chronograph and the list goes on. Time, date and quite a few the GMT. Other compilations the user % decreases a lot.

For me I think it is a unique and "cool" looking watch. I like the size and color. Never yachted before

[vladamir15]

Many agree it is a mistake. But it's a little better on the yg and rg models

[johnnyjazz]

Looks like they have changed the case as well, the crown guards are changed and the winding crown is different.

[Ravager135]

I like the triangle from an aesthetics standpoint. I don't sail so I am not sure it plays any functional role. I think the hands are a big mistake. The Mercedes hands seem so out of place on this model. I think Rolex is trying too hard to make all their sport models similar. The baton hands give the piece a more classy upscale look aside from the obvious fact that they were more legible.

[AK797]

They are just trying to make it more stealthy, some think Rolexes are showy enough.

[Tebow15]

I think that someone at Rolex is just trying to justify their salary and this is what they came up w. Lol

[breitlings]

I think black Mercedes hands would have been better?

[osamu]

When I saw this release, I was just confused, why change the hands without changing much else (and I really don't count changing some markers a little bit). Just seems like an odd decision.

[GB-man]

Just more reasons for me or ignore the YMII.

[RolexNorth]

The reason Rolex created this watch was because they actively support and sponsor a sailing team and hold their own sailing/yachting events around the world. One that is well known is the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Agreed about the 10 threads on TRF all talking about getting the new SD yet no one here is ever going to dive a depth of 1000 feet much less the 4000 rated on the watch.

[Flstfirider]

The WG hands are horrible on the new version, very difficult to see against a white dial. Would be much better if they were black or blued.

[Tebow15]

Going back to the gold hands too on the YG YM2 confuses the heck out of me as well

[Punchthefatkid]

Originally Posted by Goin2drt

Yep just like there is 10+ threads on the new SD.

I don't like the new one and certainly this watch is somewhere on the list to eventually acquire. Hopefully it will drive the prices down of the older version.

I think the opposite will be true.

The older version will be more popular than the new due to the hand legibility issue.

The older version may actually hold its value better than the new one.

[SpyShops718]

We wear Rolex's to show everyone that we know what time it is. I like the gold hands for the all gold yacht-master 2 as for the stainless and white gold the blue hands look better.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

The triangle at 12 balances the dial better, though. Agree the new hands are wrong.

x2

[Singslinger]

Originally Posted by Goin2drt

Funny, true and the same could be said for just about any diver. Not many dive to a depth that ANY of these divers are capable of. Or use the chronograph and the list goes on. Time, date and quite a few the GMT. Other compilations the user % decreases a lot.

For me I think it is a unique and "cool" looking watch. I like the size and color. Never yachted before

Well said.

[Singslinger]

Originally Posted by Punchthefatkid

I think the opposite will be true.

The older version will be more popular than the new due to the hand legibility issue.

The older version may actually hold its value better than the new one.

Agree.

[watchucallit]

Exactly... I have considered a YMII but if i do decide will not go with the "upgrade"

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

The triangle at 12 balances the dial better, though. Agree the new hands are wrong.

[Dirty Tool]

Don't think using the Merc hands was wrong but agreed they shouldn't be the same colour as the dial.

[Punchthefatkid]

Originally Posted by 77T

If you're not buying one, it really doesn't matter. There are about 5 other nearly identical threads about this topic and universal disdain from non-buyers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Firstly, how do you know whether I or anyone else commenting on these threads is actually planning on buying any of these watches or not?

Although I agree it doesn't really matter if I or anyone else commenting weren't actually planning to purchase these watches, but if everyone only commented on watches they either owned or planned to own in the near future, this forum would fold very quickly.