History of the line
The Yachtingraf was born from a very specific idea: to give sailors an instrument able to clearly count down the starting sequence of a regatta, traditionally timed backwards over the minutes before the start. Yema claimed priority for this idea in France on 30 June 1966, then obtained a US patent in February 1969 and a Swiss one in December of the same year: at the heart of the invention was a dedicated counter with coloured sectors, designed to make the start countdown instantly readable.
The link with the sailing world was strengthened in 1970, when Yema became official supplier to the French Sailing Federation and equipped the national team. The high point of this collaboration came at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, when French sailor Serge Maury won gold in the Finn class: a result that reinforced the bond between the brand and top-level French sailing.
During the 1960s and '70s the Yachtingraf was offered in several versions, including the variants known as Croisière and Régate, with Valjoux movements moving from calibre 92 to the more widespread 7730. After a long absence from the catalogues, the line was relaunched from 2019 with a Heritage collection faithful to the original proportions, culminating in 2021 in a limited edition of 200 bronze pieces that brings the patented countdown counter into a modern automatic case.
Line features
Key milestones of the line
The idea behind the Yachtingraf was considered original enough to be patented on both sides of the Atlantic: US patent No. 3,427,800 (February 1969) and Swiss patent No. 483,047 (December 1969) protect the same principle, the dual-reading countdown counter for the regatta start, showing how keen Yema was to claim its authorship.