Is there any function helping YM as its name

[Poom]

sorry If I ask the stupid question, I hv been doubting about it whether YM has someting help in Yaucht sport? The GMT and Sub hv their own clear funtion serving the names but just doubt about YM. Anyway, I love the look of this watch.

Any comment, pls.

[robsteve]

The Yacht Master II has a race countdown timer on it to help in starting a race. The original Yacht master doesn't have anything special related to yachting, just the name and perhaps a Bezel to help time things like navigation.

Robert

[Tools]

Sure..

The Yachtmaster has a timing bezel on it, similar to the Sub, but it used differently..

On the YM it is bi-directional...... when a yachting regatta is timed, it is usually a 15 minute countdown (or any other time on the bezel given by the timing official), so when the sound (time to start) is given, you rotate the bezel to "countdown" to the start when you can allow your bow to cross the starting line..

Now days, timing has outstripped the capability of the basic YM, and so the YM II is much more precise if you can master it.... Here too, though, timing has become to-the-second so sophisticated computer timers have taken over..

But, they have also taken over flight cockpits and dive computers and so a Rolex is just a symbol that functions like days of old.........

[ParisDakarBmw]

Great info.

[Mrdi]

YM = Sales tactic not sails tactic
YM II = Actual yacht timer

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by Tools

Sure..

The Yachtmaster has a timing bezel on it, similar to the Sub, but it used differently..

On the YM it is bi-directional...... when a yachting regatta is timed, it is usually a 15 minute countdown (or any other time on the bezel given by the timing official), so when the sound (time to start) is given, you rotate the bezel to "countdown" to the start when you can allow your bow to cross the starting line..
:

I just checked a photo of the Yacht Master and it looks like it is made to count up, not down. For it to work for count down the numbers would start in a counter clockwise direction.

BTW, Yacht racing is why I am in Miami for the past few weeks. I brought three timers, with the best/most functional being a Marathon Digital I got off Ebay for about $30.

Robert

[Poom]

Originally Posted by Tools

Sure..

The Yachtmaster has a timing bezel on it, similar to the Sub, but it used differently..

On the YM it is bi-directional...... when a yachting regatta is timed, it is usually a 15 minute countdown (or any other time on the bezel given by the timing official), so when the sound (time to start) is given, you rotate the bezel to "countdown" to the start when you can allow your bow to cross the starting line..

Now days, timing has outstripped the capability of the basic YM, and so the YM II is much more precise if you can master it.... Here too, though, timing has become to-the-second so sophisticated computer timers have taken over..

But, they have also taken over flight cockpits and dive computers and so a Rolex is just a symbol that functions like days of old.........

Great infor, with respect.
thks a lot, I got it very clear now.

[Newportkrieger]

Here is my read on the yachtmaster series from my perspective as an avid competitive sailboat racer in the Grand prix class here on the west coast of the USA:

I have been competitively racing sailboats most of my life and raced all over the country. I belong to several yachts clubs. I have attended several "Americas Cup Hall of Fame" dinners where Rolex is the main sponsor with the president of Rolex USA is in attendance, donating a watch (14060) for a fund racing raffle each time.

Rolex, one of the MAJOR sponsors of racing events world wide, with major sponsorship financial support and donated watches as trophy's to drivers /crew, has usually donated Submariners to the yachting community.

I have only seen TWO Rolex yacht masters worn by anyone in a sailboat race. The Rolex that is prevalent the Submariner by a large margin. The second most common Rolex would have to be the Datejust TT followed by the less common GMT.

Until the countdown feature of the Yachtmaster II was added the original Yachtmaster was useless on a racing sailboat. I have not seen a new YM up close to examine the countdown feature, however, the Timex Iron man and cheap digital watches like it tend to dominate the wrists of helmsmen, tacticians and bowmen... the only people on a boat who need to now the "time to the start". Starting of a sailboat race can get down to a tenth of a second. Elapsed time in sailboat races can range from minutes to sometimes hours/days long and measured to the hundredth of a second.It is fair to say that once off the boat a variety of other watches are worn.

I guess if you have a big power boat and want some "bling" as a prior post mentioned, the Yachtmaster is it. Most of the heavy hitters in the sailing world are not the kind of guys who feel the need to be, or want to be seen with bling on their wrists. The understated elegance of the Submariner or the GMT seems to suit the sailing crowd just fine.

If I do "sight" a YM on anyone's wrist around a sailboat regatta, I will report back here...however I would not be holding my breath.

PS. Daytona's and day/dates seem to be what I have seen most often on the wrists of the motor yacht crowd.

Steve

16610
16700
16713 TT
1500 TT
1601 TT

[Tools]

Originally Posted by robsteve

I just checked a photo of the Yacht Master and it looks like it is made to count up, not down. For it to work for count down the numbers would start in a counter clockwise direction.

BTW, Yacht racing is why I am in Miami for the past few weeks. I brought three timers, with the best/most functional being a Marathon Digital I got off Ebay for about $30.

Robert

That's why "countdown" was in quotes... you set the triangle to the minute hand and count the 15 minutes off........

countdown - count up....potato - potahto......

In any event, we're just talking about the likely name development as seen from Rolex (bling watch for boaters or boat wannabees ), and not the value of it for that particular function..

[Poom]

Originally Posted by Newportkrieger

Here is my read on the yachtmaster series from my perspective as an avid competitive sailboat racer in the Grand prix class here on the west coast of the USA:

I have been competitively racing sailboats most of my life and raced all over the country. I belong to several yachts clubs. I have attended several "Americas Cup Hall of Fame" dinners where Rolex is the main sponsor with the president of Rolex USA is in attendance, donating a watch (14060) for a fund racing raffle each time.

Rolex, one of the MAJOR sponsors of racing events world wide, with major sponsorship financial support and donated watches as trophy's to drivers /crew, has usually donated Submariners to the yachting community.

I have only seen TWO Rolex yacht masters worn by anyone in a sailboat race. The Rolex that is prevalent the Submariner by a large margin. The second most common Rolex would have to be the Datejust TT followed by the less common GMT.

Until the countdown feature of the Yachtmaster II was added the original Yachtmaster was useless on a racing sailboat. I have not seen a new YM up close to examine the countdown feature, however, the Timex Iron man and cheap digital watches like it tend to dominate the wrists of helmsmen, tacticians and bowmen... the only people on a boat who need to now the "time to the start". Starting of a sailboat race can get down to a tenth of a second. Elapsed time in sailboat races can range from minutes to sometimes hours/days long and measured to the hundredth of a second.It is fair to say that once off the boat a variety of other watches are worn.

I guess if you have a big power boat and want some "bling" as a prior post mentioned, the Yachtmaster is it. Most of the heavy hitters in the sailing world are not the kind of guys who feel the need to be, or want to be seen with bling on their wrists. The understated elegance of the Submariner or the GMT seems to suit the sailing crowd just fine.

If I do "sight" a YM on anyone's wrist around a sailboat regatta, I will report back here...however I would not be holding my breath.

PS. Daytona's and day/dates seem to be what I have seen most often on the wrists of the motor yacht crowd.

Steve

16610
16700
16713 TT
1500 TT
1601 TT

Very interesting about the fact of YM and the sailing racer. Thank you.

[robsteve]

Anybody familiar with the YM II? Are the seconds of the countdown in the small dials or the large sweep hand? I bought a Wenger analogue Yacht timer watch and it was useless because the seconds were in one of the small subdials and too hard to read quickly.

Digital is really the only quick way to see the countdown quickly. I wouldn't turn down a YM II if I was given one though :)

Robert

[Singslinger]

Interesting posts - thanks guys.

I wonder - would the proportion of YM/YM II wearers who own yachts or use them on yachts be the same/less/more as the proportion of GMT II wearers who fly aeroplanes?

[ral]

GMT II is actually relevant to travelers, and not only pilots. Anyone who crosses time zones would find it features useful. The Yatchmaster, has the same features as the Sub, with a lower water resistance rating. So I guess a lot of the people who need the bezel to measure elapsed period of time would go with the Sub.

[padi56]

I would doubt today if 90% of all Rolex and other similar type watches are used for what they was originally intended for.

[Singslinger]

Originally Posted by ral

GMT II is actually relevant to travelers, and not only pilots. Anyone who crosses time zones would find it features useful. The Yatchmaster, has the same features as the Sub, with a lower water resistance rating. So I guess a lot of the people who need the bezel to measure elapsed period of time would go with the Sub.

Yes I agree that travelers would find the GMT useful, but the GMT was and still is today advertised by Rolex as being primarily a pilot's watch. My guess is that the proportion of YM/YM II wearers who use their watch on a yacht, or own a yacht, or in a yacht race is probably the same as the % of GMT owners who actually fly planes. There will be some, but probably not a lot.

An even smaller % would be the proportion of cave explorers who use an Explorer II when spelunking. Or for that matter, Exp II owners who are spelunkers.

My point is that these watches are advertised as being targeted for a particular profession/activity, but they appeal to a much wider range of customers. So the YM/YM II may be advertised as being suitable for yachting but the majority of wearers probably aren't yacht-going folk.

[Starwalker]

I dont think it makes sense for the Rolex to have only made the YM water-resistant to a 100m. I understand it might be too close to the submariner if they were to do that...IMO a yatch master is more "dressy" than a submariner which i consider to be more of a 'tool' watch. However, its meant to be used on a yatch, in the sea and etc, 100m??? - hardly seaworthy.

[ral]

Actually, the most functional complication today is dual/world time, but I suspect most of use our smartphone to keep track of appointments in different time zones so it is not necessary to have a dual time watch even if you are a frequent flyer. Since the phone also serves as my calendar it is really much more convenient.

But I guess the problem with the YM is that most "yatching" watches are designed for Regatta racing where it is necessary to measure to the second, and a rotating bezel is only good to the nearest minute. To measure to the second, you would need a chrono, hence the YM II. Most of the "racers" (I do not know the correct term) would probably rely on a digital stopwatch... but the YM II would do the job just as well. The YM II seems like overkill though. The Omega Seamaster NZL-32 has a simpler way of doing the same job.

[ral]

Originally Posted by kfsal

I dont think it makes sense for the Rolex to have only made the YM water-resistant to a 100m. I understand it might be too close to the submariner if they were to do that...IMO a yatch master is more "dressy" than a submariner which i consider to be more of a 'tool' watch. However, its meant to be used on a yatch, in the sea and etc, 100m??? - hardly seaworthy.

Maybe they wanted to put more space between it and the two-tone sub. I think they should drop the YM, and offer a SS YM II.

[Singslinger]

Originally Posted by ral

Maybe they wanted to put more space between it and the two-tone sub. I think they should drop the YM, and offer a SS YM II.

Yes, totally agree!