Yema Yachtingraf
Yema Yachtingraf
On March 3, 1967 Henry L. Blum of Montres Yema S.A. filed a patent for a ‘Watch for Yachting and Underwater use’.
This resulted in the introduction of the Yema Yachtingraf in 1966. All together 6 different models (7 if you count type 6 in standard or jumbo case as two) of the Yachtingraf were sold between 1966 and 1970. Type 1 (Valjoux 92), type 2 ( Valjoux 7733 or 7734) and type 3 (Valjoux 7734 with date) have a subdial counting the seconds at 9 o’clock, and an oversized 30 minutes subdial at 3 o’clock, divided into 6 differently coloured segments representing 5 minutes each.
Yema Yachtingraf – type 1
- Reference: the first model, rare, two subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock.
- Caliber: manual wound Valjoux 92 movement.
- Case size: Ø 38 mm
- Year: 1966.
Yema Yachtingraf – type 2
- Reference: two subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock.
- Caliber: manual wound Valjoux 7733 / 7734 movement.
- Case size:
- Year: 1966/1967.
Yema Yachtingraf – type 3
- Reference: two subdials, and a date window at 6 o’clock.
- Caliber: manual wound Valjoux 7734 movement.
- Case size:
- Year: 1966/1967
Type 4 and 5, the Yachtingraf Croisière models, have an extra third subdial at 6 o’clock with a 12 hour register. By means of a red cross over this subdial it counts double, up to 24 hours.
Yema Yachtingraf Croissière – type 4
- Reference: 92 001L. Silver subdial at 9 o’clock, third subdial at 6 o’clock,
- Caliber: manual wound Valjoux 72 movement.
- Case size:
- Year: 1969.
Yema Yachtingraf Croissière – type 5
- Reference: 9314. Black subdial at 9 o’clock, third subdial at 6 o’clock.
- Caliber: manual wound Valjoux 7736 movement.
- Case size: Ø 38 mm.
- Year: 1969.
Model: Yema Yachtingraf Régate – type 6
- Reference: with a special indicator disk in stead of a hand.
- Caliber: manual wound Valjoux 7733S movement.
- Case size: either normal case Ø 39 mm or jumbo size Ø 44 mm.
- Year: 1970.
Variations
The Yema Yachtingraf Régate was available with two different case sizes, the first one with the black logo at 6 o’clock measuring Ø 39 mm and with a tachymeter along the outer edge of the dial, and a second version with the blue logo at 6 o’clock measuring Ø 44 mm. The last one is also referred to as Régate – Jumbo.
Branded Alsta Le Jour Yachtingraf , Le Jour Yachtingraf (US version) and Thermidor De Luxe Yachtingraf.
Branded Puerto Azul , Technos Sportsgraph (with a Landeron 248 movement) and Relide Spacemaster
Branded Yachting Chronograph (Valjoux 7733), Jaques-Droz and Gallet
Branded Datzward Seamagnum (Valjoux 7730), Lider Yachtingraf (Valjoux 7733), and La Martine (Valjoux 7733}.
SECOND GENERATION QUARTZ MODELS
In the mid 1970’s the first quartz movements were introduced, and Yema decided to invest heavily in the research and development of new models with a quartz movement. This resulted in the second generation of the Yema Yachtingraf in 1977.
From 1988 until 2004 the Japanese Seiko Watch Corporation was the owner of Yema. The Yema company was then bought back by French investers and renamed as ‘Yema Horlogère Maison Francaise 1948’. For that reason a Seiko movement is used in a Yema watch during 88-94. In 1992 Yema sponsored the French team as competitor at the America’s Cup, with the launch of the Yema Yachtingraf America’s Cup France with a Seiko quartz movement.
