Yema may be a name you haven’t heard of before, but they do have a history of making watching since 1948. Originally based in France, Yema makes a diverse line of watches, including chronographs, divers, and your standard dress watch. Today we’ll be looking at their racing inspired chronograph, the Rallygraf YMHF0802.
Looking at the Yema, you can see the obvious inspiration for the chronograph design. The design incorporates a square body, with dual racing stripes down the face. Behind the silver lumed hours and minute hands, and red second hand, sits a carbon fiber face and a T-shaped complication area showing the minutes and hours counted by the watch. The movement is quartz, so some people may be turned off by that, but it does help accuracy.
The design is very distinctive, with the large pushers to start/stop and reset the chronograph function, and a small blue band around the stem. This watch is definitely not a divers watch, as it is not water resistant. It does however achieve its major goal, which is to provide a watch with racing elements. In addition to the face and pusher design, the back of the watch has a F1 race car graphic to let you know the watch is a for someone who enjoys racing. The band is also unique, being made of leather, but with carbon fiber hatch markers in certain areas. I don’t know that the carbon fiber imprints on the band are completely necessary, but it does add to the design. The buckle is also quite distinctive, being made from aluminum with small holes drilled through much like a race car chassis.
Overall, I like the Yema Rallygraf. It’s distinctive, unique, and unlike anything else really out there. The design definitely calls back to it’s racing design heritage, and while the movement is quartz, I feel like it works in this watch. It’s not something you’re necessarily going to see that many other people wearing.
Retail on the Yema Rallygraf is $570, but they are running a 50% off promotion right now. I say buy it, I’ve worn the demo they sent me quite a bit, and found really nothing negative about the watch. The design is unique, it wears well, and is definitely affordable.
Yema has also provided a discount code for WristWatchReview readers, it will work on most any product on their site. At checkout, just enter the code “wristwatchreview25” to get 25% discount.
