Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Yema Yachtingraf Patent Pending, 1960s
- Maker / attribution
- Yema (maker)
- Date
- 1960s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 39 mm
- Stock no.
- Product 764311732311
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 764311732311)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Yema Yachtingraf Patent Pending (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 764311732311), this is a wristwatch by Yema, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 39 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — S.Song Watches
In recent years, Yema has gained a huge following largely due to their uniquely quirky dial design and characteristically French roots. They were established only in the 40’s but was mostly sold in France, where it had a huge following. Of all the watches that Yema produced, the Yachtingraf would have to be the most iconic and desirable. Made in many different dial configurations, its characteristically unique regatta yacht timing subdial at 3 o’clock with its loud blue and red colours are instantly recognisable. This is a nautical chronograph through and through and the dial design of the Yachtingraf is very unique. While all the attention is on the regatta yachting subdial, I even find the details of the 9 o’clock running seconds subdial to be beautiful with its smaller font and deep concentric circles. Furthermore, the inclusion of the ‘Patent Pending’ text is always a very cool addition and this was in relation to the yachting timer patent that was submitted by Yema. Overall, it is a very rare piece, as they were made for France only (and in the USA but branded by LeJour). On top of this, to find one in this condition is very hard as most examples were used for their intended purpose. The stainless steel case sized at 39mm ensures the watch has presence on the wrist. This is the perfect casual watch to wear on the weekend.
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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