Yema Flygraf Chronograph automatic 40 mm circa 1970

The brief history

In 1948, Henry Louis Belmont, a French watchmaker, founded his own watch company under the name Yema. The story goes that the name of the brand was born from the imagination of a teenager during a school contest organized by Henry Louis Belmont himself. Without realizing it, the young student imagined a name that would become synonymous with French haute horlogerie.

Yema quickly became one of the most important French watch companies, thanks to its well-constructed and affordable watches. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was even the largest exporter of watches to France. Although it fell victim to the quartz crisis during its career, the company has been back in business since 2011 and underwent a major repositioning in 2018 aimed at restoring it to its former glory.

The Yema Superman model is perhaps the French company's best-known watch and forms the core of the current Yema. But alongside this, it has produced a whole collection of chronograph watches for racing (Rallygraf & Meangraf), diving (Meangraf Sous-Marine & Yachtingraf) and aviation, known as the Flygraf. It is precisely this model that we will present to you. Created in 1969 and designed for aviators, the Yema Flygraf played an important role in the French aviation industry. Elle permettait aux pilotes d'effectuer des calculs rapides en vol grâce à la lunette à double échelle et au réhaut intérieur.

Présentation

Cette Flygraf a un boîtier acier de 40 millimètres. Une taille raisonnable, et très efficace sur ce chronographe. C’est une montre très agréable à porter, et le bracelet rallye, monté sur le garde-temps, ne fait qu’améliorer ce confort et ce plaisir quotidien. Sa lunette en aluminium bleu et argenté ne bloque pas, et son verre plexi est en bon état, tout comme son cadran. Les index tritium ont joliment patinés avec le temps.
La montre est animée par le Valjoux 7736, un mouvement chronographe à remontage manuel.. Il est une variante du 7730, un calibre fiable et reconnu, qui a servi de base à des mouvements personnalisés et rebaptisés par des marques comme Breitling, IWC et Panerai.

Le package

Cette Yema Flygraf en bon état vous sera livrée avec une boîte Yema vintage et son mode d’emploi. Son bracelet en cuir rallye est neuf. According to some research, the models powered by Valjoux 7736 calibers were produced in early 1970. This example has been tested and authenticated by our watchmaker and as such benefits from the Lepage Vintage 1 year warranty.