Why We Love It

There was a time when Yema Yachtingrafs were largely unknown in the collector community. In fact, when we first sold one, we described it as "one of the coolest watches that you’ve probably never seen."

Having sold several over years, we can safely say the days of Yema's obscurity have long since passed. Today, Yachtingrafs are highly sought after, whether branded by Yema or LeJour.  

This particular example features a 38mm steel case - sans crown guards - , a rotating outer bezel, and a Valjoux 7736 movement. The dial is a kaleidoscope of style and function, with its multicolored subregisters - including red, white, and blue regatta counter - presented in different textures and sizes. 

With dimensions and design similar to some of the 60s Chronograph "Greats" (Such as the first execution Heuer Autavia and Ed White Speedmaster), its easy to see why - when discovered by the masses- these watches blew up in value and desirability! 

The Story

Yema is a relatively young brand, founded in France in 1948, but they quickly because extremely popular in their home country and are credited with creating the first automatic chronometers entirely manufactured in France. In 1966, Yema patented a new watch for underwater and yachting use- the Yachtingraf. With a 38mm steel case rated to 10ATM, the Yachtingraf occupied a unique place in the market, and quickly caught on with European sailing enthusiasts. 

Yema actually produced six different models of the Yachtingraf from 1966 to 1970, all of which were driven by the venerable Valjoux.  This particular model is the Yachtingraf Croisière hailing from 1969 and is powered by the robust Valjoux 7736 manually-winding movement.  The particular draw of these models was the inclusion of a 12-hour counter at 6:00 with a unique 'cross'-style sub-dial that increases the computing power to 24 hours - an excellent (and rare!) addition to a yachtingraf.