Each year on Baselworld Press Day (a day before the show officially opens to the public), Rolex rolls up the shades on their vitrines to unveil their new timepieces. It is an annual ritual, an unofficial ceremony signifying the start of Baselworld if you will. And for Baselworld 2015, we were there as the shades went up, and the watches came into view. And there it was, a new Everose gold Yacht-Master with a matte black Cerachrom bezel. Definitely not expected.

The new Yacht-Master comes in both 40 mm (Ref. 116655) and 37 mm (Ref. 268655) case diameters. It’s fitted with an Oysterflex bracelet developed by Rolex to both offer the robustness and reliability of a metal bracelet yet without sacrificing the comfort and flexibility of an elastomer strap. “At its core lies a superelastic metal blade over moulded with a high-performance black elastomer,” according to Rolex. The bracelet attaches to the case and clasp by a flexible titanium and nickel alloy blade. Furthermore, for enhanced comfort, the inside of the Oysterflex bracelet has a patented longitudinal cushion system that stabilizes the watch on the wrist.

The bezel features black raised numerals and graduations that have been highly polished, offering a subtle contrast with the matte black background of the Cerachrom bezel insert. And for the first time with this model, the dial – which is also matte black – matches the bezel.