Why We Love It

While we’ve counted a few of these watches in our arsenal, the one that we offer here is a first.

This one is a Régate, which Yema launched in 1969. Unlike the previous models of Yachtingraf, the Régate featured a modified Valjoux 7733 as its drivetrain, which showed the regatta countdown in numerical format. Moreover, the Régate is the first Yachtingraf to feature crown guards, as well as a ship on the dial, giving rise to the nickname “white ship.”

As rare as it is distinctive, only about 25 of these awesome watches have emerged on the commercial market, so catch this one now before it sails away.

The Story

While Yema might not have as long and as storied a history as some other brands, Yema more than made up for lost time. Almost immediately following its foundation in France in the 1940s, the brand established a reputation for the quality of its products. One of its early achievements was manufacturing the first automatic chronometers made in France.

But the most famous watch of all is perhaps the Yachtingraf.

The Yachtingraf debuted in 1966, using a patented design for “yachting and underwater use.” Unlike the Aquastar Regate, the Yachtingraf combined a chronograph with the regatta timer, this time shown directly on the diver. The Yachtingraf would prove immensely popular, and would be produced in six different versions from 1966 to 1970, when the model was discontinued.