At a glance, the Yachtmaster looks almost identical to the Submariner, but the former has high end touches that would be out of place on a Sub. The Yachtmaster has traditionally had flourishes of color where the Submariner has remained basic black, for the most part, and has not only been cased in precious metals exclusively, but has included platinum elements in the bezel as well. The result is a bit of an insider’s watch, something that looks pedestrian at a glance but is anything but.
Also of note in this release is a matte black bezel, which already has many wondering when or if this will come to the rest of the Rolex sports watch lineup. My hunch is that we’re not likely to see the introduction of this style of bezel on a basic Submariner or GMT anytime soon, as it’s yet another differentiator between the consumer product and the ultra high end.