Palms-On: Uncommon Rolex Yacht-Grasp 40 Watch & A Case For The Gem-Set Watch

The Rolex Yacht-Grasp 40 watch reference 126679SABR is among the extra unique trendy Rolex watches that the corporate hardly ever feels inclined to speak about. These all get offered, anyway, and it could possibly be argued that watches like this would possibly very properly confuse the picture that at the very least some within the goal demographic have of Rolex — even when there’s little doubt these gem-set, limited-production items are correct Rolex watches by and thru.

Images by David Bredan

It’s most likely greatest that we kick issues off by addressing the elephant within the room. Priced at simply round $80,000 USD, this Rolex Yacht-Grasp 126679SABR is over $50,000 costlier than a run-of-the-mill solid-gold Yacht-Grasp 40 introduced on the identical Oysterflex rubber strap with the identical “intense black” dial and the identical 70-hour energy reserve Rolex Calibre 3235 self-winding motion. That’s $50,000 for a gem-set bezel, 4 diamond-set lugs, and two diamond-set crown guards. I’m certain we might all put collectively an extended listing of epic watches that supplied extra horological wow issue for these 50, not to mention 80 massive ones. From a solid-gold Lange Zeitwerk to a Ulysse Nardin Moonstruck to a different one in all my all-time private favorites, the Breguet Custom Chronograph Indépendant 7077 (hands-on right here), it boggles the thoughts how a lot unfiltered watchmaking greatness one can attain for $80,000.

And but, the last word query stays: What entertains extra? The calculated accuracy with which tiny wheels mesh to energy sophisticated shows or a tiny row of blatantly superfluous little stones that so clearly serve no different function than to amaze, impress, and talk one’s wealth and standing? One factor is for certain: Solely a small minority of watch fanatics have a tendency to say they acquired into watches due to such haute joaillerie watches, and that places these high-jewelry items at an obstacle relating to garnering their enchantment and approval.

Possibly among the many the reason why these gem-set watches are under-appreciated by so many is that watchmakers hardly ever dedicate effort to point out the watch fanatic neighborhood what makes these items so troublesome to make. Or perhaps it’s that lavishly gem-set items are likely to get much less consideration in watch media as a result of they’re arduous to come back by and are hardly ever met with the identical enthusiasm as equally priced mechanically sophisticated watches.

The 18k white-gold case of the Rolex Yacht-Grasp 40 126679SABR is adorned with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds.

That may be a disgrace, actually, as a result of to organize, assemble, and end such a bezel and case takes no much less experience, dexterity, endurance, and mastery of 1’s craft than it takes to complete the beveled edges on a bridge and assemble a comparatively advanced mechanical motion. Simply because the gears and pinions should be rigorously adjusted for all of them to mesh and sit flush between the plate and the bridge inside a caliber, the room for error when becoming the stones in these bezels and circumstances is simply as punishingly small.

Whereas mechanical actions are judged by the refinement of their end — akin to their hand-applied, polished, beveled edges known as anglage — and the accuracy and poise with which the motion and its shows function, gem-set watches have their very own set of standards by which the perfect might be differentiated from the mediocre. One such defining attribute is the standard of the setting, extra particularly that every one stones — 40 trapeze-cut sapphires and diamonds, and a triangle-cut diamond because the zero marker on the 126679SABR— are completely flush and degree. In follow, which means as one is trying down on the watch and is gently shifting it round, the highest aspect (often known as the “desk”) of every part lights up in a flat, white reflection in excellent succession. If any one of many stones have been set at an angle ever-so-slightly off, it will eternally be seen below each lighting situation.

Whereas the parable of diamond shortage is kind of busted, producers can nonetheless declare that the high-quality coloured stones akin to sapphires and emeralds utilized in these watches stay difficult to supply and work with. You see, every stone solely reveals its true colour after it’s been pre-cut, and so solely gems pre-cut and pre-selected for his or her explicit hue can then be reduce to the precise specification. It takes a big batch and an excessive amount of effort to kind these stones by colour, after which excessive ranges of dexterity to rigorously set them with out damaging any one of many pre-selected stones. Rolex has its personal in-house gemmology division the place it checks and works with all the dear and semi-precious stones utilized in its watches and compares the stones in opposition to licensed grasp stones. Rolex admits to utilizing “specialist instruments, together with some which are specifically designed by the model” to insure the standard and uniformity of its stones.

As soon as the stones have been chosen, every must be reduce inside tolerances barely bigger than these used for the fabrication of motion components — we’re speaking about two-hundredths of a millimeter right here, which is round 1 / 4 of the diameter of a human hair. That’s the wiggle room when reducing every stone by hand. This goes in tandem with the precision of the bezel and its cavity milled to accommodate the stones. Why such precision? As a result of with out it a bezel like this couldn’t be accomplished because the final stone to be set merely wouldn’t match. What you see right here is known as channel setting, extra hardly ever as “baguette setting,” the place the stones are held in between two steel rails from above and under and are stacked side-by-side up in opposition to one another. As is so usually the case with a few of the most difficult duties, the tip end result appears to be like deceivingly easy, simple, and simple.

Work in progress on a gem-set Rolex watch bezel with a special gradient of stones. Supply: Rolex

The work begins with a hollowed-out bezel in 18k gold, and the primary stone in a row of 41 is about. The stone is gently positioned within the groove and its flushness in opposition to the highest and backside rail is checked. Whether it is too excessive — which is the one factor it may be, to offer room for high-quality adjustment — the gem-setter will regulate the cavity with a graver. Rolex claims this set-remove-adjust course of is repeated 3 times, on common, with every stone, till the desk of the gem is completely aligned with the bezel. Then the remainder of the stones are set, eliminated, adjusted, and set once more, to align the extent and the angle of their desk with the stone that has come earlier than them. The identical fundamental reality applies right here as does with case ending: Materials that’s as soon as been eliminated can’t be put again, subsequently the method of this high-quality adjustment is a one-way avenue on which one is to proceed with utmost warning.

These pictures are darkish for a motive: If appropriately uncovered, the reflections off the sides could be so vibrant the gems and their colour couldn’t be seen.

Admittedly, there may be an abundance of poorly made gem-set watches on the market which have actually affected the popularity of high-end, fantastically made OEM merchandise. Fortunately, we’re but to see poorly utilized aftermarket anglage on luxurious watch actions. Likewise, it’s troublesome to withdraw from the equation the truth that such lavishly adorned luxurious wristwatches are sometimes considered as one thing that was bought not for the deserves of their craftsmanship however quite for his or her uncompromised capability to advertise one’s standing and achieve this from a mile away.

All this and, once more, a scarcity of frequent and in-depth communication by the manufacturers, have created a robust headwind for gem-set watches and it’s comprehensible why some select to avoid this class of high-quality watches in an try to not be related to the blatant flaunting of the nouveau riche. Nonetheless, beneath all of it lies a watch that has taken some extremely certified craftspeople a really very long time to make and to make persistently properly. Nothing signifies that stated headwind will die down anytime quickly, however, to shut on a constructive be aware, that most likely received’t suffice to make these fun-to-wear and admirable workouts in watchmaking go away.

Rolex has chosen to take the extremely handbook crafts of gemology and gem-setting and attempt to combine them inside the Rolex universe of standardized high quality throughout excessive manufacturing volumes. That’s a particularly uncommon, if not singular train in trendy watchmaking that resulted in a bunch of challenges and spectacular, albeit mighty costly timepieces. Worth for the Rolex Yacht-Grasp 40 126679SABR is 76,600 Swiss Francs, or round $82,000 USD. You’ll be able to be taught extra on the model’s web site.