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Rolex Yacht-Master 39 mm Ice Carbon
Rolex Yacht-Master 39 mm Ice Carbon — Front view

Front view

Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.

Rolex Yacht-Master 39 mm Ice Carbon — Case-back view

Case-back view

Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.

Movement

Movement

Calibre with its finishing and decoration.

On the wrist

On the wrist

Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.

Rolex · Yacht-Master

Rolex Yacht-Master 39 mm Ice Carbon

Reference 17626OR.36

Reference at a glance

Brand
Rolex
Collection
Yacht-Master
Model
Rolex Yacht-Master 39 mm Ice Carbon
Reference number
17626OR.36
Year / era
1957 · 1950s — pre-quartz mechanical era
Complication
Chronograph
Movement
In-house automatic chronograph
Case material
Carbon TPT
Dial type
Ice blue
Strap / bracelet
NATO textile strap
Water resistance
150 m
Limited-edition status
Regular production, not a limited edition
Compare this reference

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions
39 mm
Case thickness
8.8 mm
Case material
Carbon TPT
Bezel
Bidirectional 24-hour Cerachrom
Crystal
Sapphire with internal AR treatment
Dial
Ice blue
Hands
Faceted dauphine hands, polished by hand
Indexes
Applied faceted white-gold indexes
Bracelet / strap
NATO textile strap
Clasp / buckle
Triple-folding clasp with safety catch
Water resistance
150 m

Movement

Movement / calibre
Calibre 62F — In-house automatic chronograph
Movement type
High-frequency automatic
Frequency
25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve
55 hours
Number of jewels
45 jewels
Complications
Chronograph
Functions
Perpetual calendar, leap year
Watchmaker
Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.

Production & market

Production period
1957 – 1969
Limited-edition quantity
Not applicable
Current market information
Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.

Designer

Emmanuel Gueit

Emmanuel Gueit came from a family of Geneva jewellers and was barely into his twenties when he drew the oversized Royal Oak Offshore in 1993 — a watch the house's traditionalists resisted and collectors turned into an icon.

Historical significance

Rolex Yacht-Master 39 mm Ice Carbon sits within Rolex's Yacht-Master line, introduced in 1957. It carries the house codes established since 1905 — carbon tpt case, ice blue dial and in-house automatic chronograph — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

  • The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
  • The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
  • Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
RO

The House

Rolex

Brand facts

Founding year
1905
Founder
Hans Wilsdorf
Headquarters
Switzerland
Tier
Luxury
Major collections
Submariner, Daytona, GMT-Master II, Datejust, Day-Date, Yacht-Master, Sky-Dweller, Explorer, Oyster Perpetual, Sea-Dweller, Air-King, 1908, Milgauss
Signature technologies
Proprietary case-hardening and polishing · Composite and ceramic case materials
Famous movements
In-house automatic, chronometer certified · In-house automatic chronograph · In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer · In-house manual-winding
Notable watches
Rolex Submariner 44 mm Skeletonised Platinum (1978) · Rolex Submariner 36 mm Ice 18k (1981) · Rolex Submariner 42 mm Meteorite Quartz (1982) · Rolex Submariner 38 mm Silvered 18k (1989)

Brand history

Rolex has spent more than 121 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Submariner, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.

Hans Wilsdorf established Rolex in 1905, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Rolex calibre produced today.

Historical milestones

  1. 1905

    Hans Wilsdorf founds Rolex in Switzerland.

  2. 1969

    The quartz era forces Rolex to redefine mechanical watchmaking.

  3. 1990

    Rolex enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.

  4. 2024

    Rolex continues to produce Submariner, Daytona, GMT-Master II and other icons in limited numbers.

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