The Rolex Yacht-Master 116655 is a 40 mm watch in 18 ct Everose gold with a matte black Cerachrom bezel and an Oysterflex strap. Rolex released it in 2015. It runs calibre 3135 and is rated to 100 m. Replica versions of it sell for about $200 to $600. In the United States, selling or importing one is trademark infringement, not a gray-market purchase, and U.S. Customs can seize the shipment.
Reference specs of the 116655
- Case: 40 mm, 18 ct Everose gold, screw-down Twinlock crown.
- Bezel: bidirectional rotatable, 60 minute graduation, black Cerachrom ceramic insert with polished gold numerals.
- Dial: matte black, Everose gold hands and markers, Chromalight lume, date window at 3 with a Cyclops lens.
- Movement: Rolex calibre 3135, automatic, 28,800 vph, about 48 hours of power reserve.
- Crystal: sapphire, 2.5x Cyclops magnification.
- Water resistance: 100 m / 330 ft.
- Bracelet: Oysterflex, elastomer over titanium-nickel alloy blades, Everose gold Oysterlock clasp with Glidelock extension.
- Successor: the 126655 arrived in 2019 with calibre 3235 and 70 hours of power reserve.
What replica versions get wrong
Mass is the first tell. The case, bezel, and clasp on a real 116655 are solid 18 ct Everose gold. Copies use gold plating over steel or brass, so the watch feels light and the plating wears through at the clasp, lugs, and crown.
The bezel insert on the real watch is ceramic. Copies use aluminum, coated metal, or printed plastic. Gold numerals on the genuine insert are polished. On copies they are paint with visible relief and soft edges.
The Oysterflex is an elastomer strap with flexible titanium-nickel blades inside. Copies use plain rubber or silicone with a steel core, and the clasp engraving is shallow. Magnification on the Cyclops is frequently below 2.5x, the date font runs wide, and the lume is uneven.
Movement is the second tell. Calibre 3135 beats 8 times per second with a free-sprung balance and a smooth sweep. Most copies use a Seagull ST16, a 2824 clone, or a 3135 clone with a flat hairspring. The rotor on a copy is louder and the winding is rougher.
Legal status in the United States
A replica Yacht-Master carries the Rolex name and coronet. That makes it a counterfeit good. Three rules apply:
- Import is banned under 19 U.S.C. 1526(e). U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize, forfeit, and destroy the item. Personal use is not an exception.
- Civil liability runs under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1114. Statutory damages under 15 U.S.C. 1117(c) start at $200,000 per counterfeit mark per type of goods for non-willful use and reach $2,000,000 for willful use.
- Criminal trafficking under 18 U.S.C. 2320 carries up to 10 years in prison for a first offense.
Rolex service centers will not service or authenticate a counterfeit. There is no warranty, no parts supply, and no resale market. A seized watch is a total loss.
Signs a watch is not genuine
- Caseback and rehaut engravings with wrong serial formats or shallow lettering.
- Gold color that differs between the case, bezel, and clasp.
- Bezel that clicks or turns with resistance. The genuine bezel turns freely in both directions.
- Second hand that stutters instead of sweeping in 8 steps per second.
- Heft below what a solid gold case and clasp should have.
Bottom line
The 116655 is a solid rose gold dive-style watch on an elastomer strap. Copies miss the case metal, the ceramic insert, the strap construction, and the movement. Unknown details exist on any single copy, but the legal exposure and the loss on seizure do not.