Short on time? Introduced at Baselworld 2015, the 116655 put a 40mm Everose gold Yacht-Master with a black ceramic bezel on a new kind of strap: Oysterflex. It was the first Rolex to wear it. Calibre 3135 inside, 100 metres of water resistance. Replaced in 2019 by the 126655.
Backstory
A gold Rolex on something that looks like a rubber strap. In 2015, that genuinely surprised people. Rolex had always been a metal bracelet company. Then the 116655 arrived and quietly changed what a modern Rolex could look like.
Key Details
Oysterflex looks like rubber, but there's more to it. Inside are flexible metal blades, over-moulded in a high-performance elastomer. You get the strength and security of a metal bracelet with the comfort of rubber, and there are small cushions running along the inside to keep it sitting steady on the wrist. Rolex went on to use it on the Daytona, the Sky-Dweller and more Yacht-Masters. This is where it started.
The case is 40mm in 18k Everose gold, Rolex's own rose gold alloy. The bidirectional 60-minute bezel has a matt black Cerachrom insert with raised, polished numerals. The dial is black, with Chromalight markers and a red Yacht-Master name.
The Movement
The calibre 3135 is Rolex's long-serving automatic workhorse: tough, accurate and easy to service, with around 48 hours of power reserve.
116655 or 126655?
They look almost identical. The 126655, which replaced it in 2019, uses the newer calibre 3235 with around 70 hours of power reserve and a revised clasp. If the newer movement matters to you, go 126655. If you like owning the reference that started the whole Oysterflex story, the 116655 is the one.
On the Wrist
This is a really comfortable watch. The Oysterflex is light and supple, and black with Everose is a combination that reads as luxurious without being flashy. It's the gold Rolex for people who don't really like gold Rolexes.
Final Thoughts
The 116655 has a genuine place in Rolex history, and it's one of the most wearable gold watches the brand has made. Understated, comfortable and a little bit rebellious.
Ours is a 2019 example, the final year of the reference, with box and papers. See it here.
