Yacht Watches

Timing regattas, or sailing races, require precise timekeeping. The moments that lead up to the beginning of a race are difficult as each yachtsman must keep their boat steady in the wind and current. So, they need to control their boats as well as countdown to the starting gun. Yacht watches were specifically designed to aid with the countdown using special complications.

In the late 1950’s the earliest patents for rotating bezels were filed. These rotating bezels, used to time the moments before a race, showed up in the 1960’s on a model called the Aquastar. This Aquastar Regatta was one of the first yacht watches on the market. Other early creators included Heuer and Breitling, with the Heuer Yacht Timer, Heuer Regatta and Breitling Co-Pilots.

By the 1970’s OMEGA had gotten in on the market with the Seamaster Yachting watch. Breitling also debuted the Chronomat Yachting watch in the late 1980’s as a variation on their already popular Chronomat. Finally, in 1992, Rolex debuted the Yacht-Master ref. 16627 and have continued to evolve the watch as it has grown in popularity with the introduction of the Yacht-Master II. The yacht watch, despite its specialization, continues to be popular among watch aficionados.