Lil’ Yachties: A Watch For Every Sailor

Lil’ Yachties: The Top Watches For Your #YachtLife

What your timepiece says about your seafaring status.

By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large

Finally! The weather is grand enough to spend the weekend on your boat. But you don’t want a replay of that incident in St. Barth’s when you showed up to the regatta sans yacht watch, do you? Fret not. You still have time to send your personal shopper out to fetch you one.
 

Of course, you are aware that a mere Dive Watch simply won't do. All yacht watches have some sort of countdown timer. All are water resistant to at least 100 meters. Most are Chronographs (especially if you race). And of course, they must be rugged – because even if you are sipping negronis deckside, you never know what conditions the sea can throw at you. 

Not all yacht experiences are equal, but deep down, you know that your nautical choice is better than everyone else's. So peruse this list to help you match the right watch to your yacht style.

FIRST MATE

Somebody has to be the Gilligan to the Skipper. After all, the expression “learning the ropes” refers to figuring out the rigging on a boat.

That being said, if you are crew, you know you are better than your bosses because you get the job done, just like this Timex Yacht Racer.
 

This 47 mm timepiece has a layered dial with dual multicolor subdials, a stainless steel case with a mineral dial, and sturdy quartz movement with analog display. It's also pretty cool looking with a ribbed silicone band. Especially when you wear it with some jaunty white jeans, a Breton striped sweater and polo (collar popped, of course).
 

The Yacht Racer came out in 2015, and the company isn’t making them anymore, but you can still find them on Amazon — the concierge service for the 90 percent.

THE RACER

For some, yachting is a lifestyle (#yachtlife). For others, it's a sport. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II was specifically created for professional sailors. It has a programmable countdown timer for that crucial race starting sequence and a marine-themed Ring Command bezel to help you time stuff.
 

While yacht racers wear performance gear which indistinguishable from the regular water-sport crew. The Yacht-Master II is instantly recognizable. It’s like wearing a very subtle sign that says, "ask me about my boat."
 

THE CAPTAIN 

Your family has been anchoring at Key West forever. You are comfortable enough in your own skin to own a beautiful yacht without having to be all show-boaty about it. This is what makes you better than all those flashy guys at the Marina. 
 

Your dad probably wore a Corum Admiral’s Cup in the 1980s, so why not adopt a more modern take on this classic? The Admiral Legend 42 Full Black features the familiar 12-sided case and nautical pennants on the dial as hour markers. (These flags conform to the International Code of Signals for indicating numbers using colored flags, so each hour is represented by its corresponding pennant), but with a black-on-black look.
 

THE ADMIRAL 

On the other hand, why not crow about the fact that you own a yacht? Ship ownership has its privileges – so having a watch with a little extra presence like the Panerai Luminor Regatta Chrono Flyback is key.
 

According to Panerai this timer features “one of the rarest chronograph functions in high-end watchmaking but one that is invaluable in the field of yacht racing, is the ability to precede the time measurement of the race with a countdown stage, which clearly displays the minutes and seconds remaining before the start of the race itself.“
 

Now you may not actually be racing, but it's comforting to know that you could, unlike those other people who only use their watches to countdown the time before cocktails. You know, the ones you are better than.

THE COMMODORE 

They say the one thing the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich have in common is that neither really cares about what other people think. Which is why if you have a boat the size of a small cruise ship you should go ahead and get an equally impressive watch.
 

You, sir or madam, should be matching your super vessel with a nice double-breasted blazer, a hat, and the Ulysse Nardin Mega Yacht.

A limited to 30 pieces edition, the Mega Yacht is an extension of the Marine Grand Deck Tourbillon watch launched by Ulysse Nardin in 2016. This beauty sure is yar, crafted with the most sumptuous materials (the case, for example, is platinum). The multitudes of details — the blue enamel Grand Feu dial, the moon phase, the tide calculator to name but a few— will entrance any watch fan.
 

It’s a siren song celebrating both the sea and luxury. And who cares if it costs as much as a small yacht? If you’ve got the money, why not spend it?
 

DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP

Going down with the ship is part of the captain’s code. And if you are the Captain Jack Sparrow sort of seafarer, a sense of danger is a big part of the allure of the ocean life.

If the pirate’s life is for you, then you need to set yourself apart from the rest of the yacht club clique with the steampunky RJ Titanic DNA.
 

The Titanic DNA collection was launched in 2011. The bezel of each timepiece is made with metal that is mixed with bits used in the making of the legendary Titanic — mostly retrieved from the yard where the great ship was built. This material is called Titanic Extreme rusted steel which means it allowed to age a bit before being “fixed.”
 

Okay, technically it’s not a proper yacht watch, but it certainly qualifies as a treasure. And besides, you're a pirate. You don't do what people tell you to do. Just make sure you don't give up the ship!

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