Yema’s been producing some really fantastic watches the past couple of years. We’ve been hands on with their Rallygraf Alpine Endurance, Urban Traveller, and Superman Slim Diver – now today we’re taking a look at one of their newest releases, the Rallygraf Alpine Cup Series. This is a stunningly crafted retro inspired chronograph that just begs to be on your wrist for a weekend drive.
Yema is the official timekeeper of the Alpine Elf Cup Series championship, and launched this new watch in tribute to their racing heritage, there’s also a black dial version of this watch available. The first thing you might notice about this watch is its dial, which, quite obviously by the sub-dial shape, is a vintage inspired bi-compax dial. Mimicking the look of an old school race car dashboard.
Production Standards
I’m always over the top impressed with any watch being produced by Yema. They seem to have next level dedication to design detail, materials used, movements, and they even seem to obsess over the quality finishing of their watches as well. Curiously, on the Alpine Cup Series we have here today, its sporting a hybrid movement, or what they’re calling a mechanical-quartz caliber. They do have fully mechanical versions of this watch utilizing a manually wound Sellita SW510, of course with larger price tags. Any one version of this watch is going to be used by race car drivers in the Alpine A110 Cup Car, with its 1.8 liter turbocharged engine producing 300 horsepower.
There’s lots to love about this watch, and you know what, the hybrid movement also allows it be very lightweight, translating to an incredible feel on wrist. I like pretty much everything about this watch, except for the bracelet clasp that seems to be sticking and requires some good force to actuate. The dial is nice and wide due to the tachymeter being placed on the outside of the inner dial rather than on the bezel, allowing the bezel to be minimalist and thin in design, a very classy touch.
The dial itself is quite intricate, as most chronographs are. The Rallygraf Alpine here elevates it to another level with its applied markers, date wheel at 6 o’clock and contrasty inner seconds ring. Logo and model branding placement is nice and clean as well, in attractive fonts, and out of the way from any time calculations.
Retro Touch
The overall shape and sizing of the watch is very retro racer chronograph, with its swooping shape from lug tip to lug tip, and its quintessential pump pushers to activate and reset the chrono. The sizing is pretty much aced for a wrist size between 6.5 inches and 7 inches. It seems to wear fractionally larger than my Daytona 116500, but it’s certainly lighter feeling.
One of the coolest things about this watch is its exaggerated double domed crystal, it kind of took me by surprise when I was first handling it. It felt weirdly thick in hand, until I checked out the side view and noticed the 1-2mm lift of the crystal with its gradual slopping edges. It also does that neat retro dial distortion thing when you shift the angle of your wrist.
Final Thoughts
Overall, once again, this is a fantastic package coming from Yema. Infusing some true retro heritage into a modern racing chronograph, and executed with passion and detail, at affordable pricing. This is quite a niche brand, quite a distance away from the likes of brands like Longines and Tissot. You’re not going to be getting the brand prowess that you would from those larger names, but in exchange you will be receiving a superior end product in terms of design and manufacturing, model dependant of course.
Leave a Reply