Introduced in 1992, the Rolex Yacht-Master was a rare addition to the Crown’s lineup—an entirely new model designed to blend Rolex’s proven sports-watch DNA with a noticeably more luxurious personality. The reference 16628 was the model that started it all, arriving in a 40mm case crafted entirely from 18k yellow gold and powered by Rolex’s automatic caliber 3135. A 1993 example comes from the very beginning of Yacht-Master production, making it an especially interesting piece from the collection’s formative years.

What really sets this early 16628 apart is its white dial. Against all that yellow gold, the crisp white surface gives the watch a surprisingly balanced appearance, while black-filled hour plots surrounded by yellow gold create a distinctive high-contrast look. The red "Yacht-Master” signature adds another small punch of color, and early examples utilized tritium luminous material, an unmistakably vintage detail that collectors tend to appreciate. Surrounding the dial is the Yacht-Master’s signature bidirectional 60-minute bezel, also rendered in solid 18k yellow gold with raised polished numerals and graduations.

The Yacht-Master has always occupied an interesting spot in the Rolex catalog. It shares plenty of visual and mechanical DNA with the Submariner, but rather than being built strictly as a professional dive watch, the Yacht-Master leaned into the idea of a luxury sports watch from day one. Rolex would later expand the collection with additional sizes, metals, and dial configurations, but the early full-gold 16628 remains the original expression of the model. With its white dial, solid-gold construction, and early-1990s production date, this 1993 example captures the Yacht-Master before it became a full-fledged collection—and represents one of the more unique Rolex sports watches of the era.