Rolex said the Dynapulse escapement was the result of nearly 10 years of development. It would be interesting to know what the brand has been working on over the past five years that we will see in the next five.
Meanwhile, in the shorter term, a patent published in 2023 for a new kind of countdown chronograph, after several years of research and development, has yet to surface, even as Rolex’s only countdown watch, the Yacht-Master II, has been discontinued. Coronet first reported on the patent in 2023.
While the Yacht-Master II required the wearer to use multiple parts of the watch, such as the Ring Command bezel and even unscrewing the crown to program the countdown, this new design simplifies the process by relying only on the pushers.
Unlike standard chronographs where pushers have unique roles, this movement uses a sequence-based logic of presses to cycle through modes, switching from programming to starting, stopping and resetting. The movement relies on a column wheel and a series of levers to determine whether the pusher resets the timer or adjusts the duration, eliminating the need for a Ring Command bezel.
Coronet has advocated for the relaunch of the Yacht-Master II as the brand has strengthened its ties with SailGP since leaving Formula 1, with a new design capable of generating the same excitement the Rolex Daytona does on land.