Yema Yachtingraf 9312 Chronograph ‘Patent Pending’ circa 1960’s

The Yema Yachtingraf ref. 9312 captures the adventurous spirit that made Yema one of the great names in mid-century French watchmaking. From outer space to the racetrack, from deep-sea dives to polar expeditions, Yema watches were built to accompany explorers wherever their ambitions led. Founded in 1948, the brand quickly rose to prominence. By the 1960’s, Yema had become the best selling French watch brand admired for its practical implementations, and striking design language.

Introduced in 1966, the Yachtingraf was purpose-built for regatta racing. Its distinctive red, white, and blue subdial at 3 o’clock serves as a highly visible countdown timer for the five-minute start sequence — an essential function for competitive sailors. This configuration not only provided critical timing precision but also gave the watch its unmistakable, eye-catching aesthetic. The Yachtingraf would go on to become the official watch of the French Sailing Federation and was worn by the French National Sailing Team during the 1972 Olympics.

This reference 9312 features a 39 mm stainless steel case with the desirable ‘crest’ case back and a matte black dial accented by applied baton hour markers. The watch is powered by the Swiss-made, manual-wind Valjoux 7730 chronograph movement.

Highlights

• Contrasting red, white, and blue regatta chronograph subdial

• Rare “crest” case back

• Period-correct beads-of-rice bracelet

Specifications
Brand: Yema
Reference: 9312
Model: Yachtingraf
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial: Matte black with colorful regatta subdial
Markers: Applied baton markers
Movement: Manual-wind Valjoux 7730
Case Width: 39 mm
Year: 1960’s