YEMA Yachtingraff x seconde/seconde/. From Yacht Club to Back Alley: A Regatta Icon Gets Graffitied
- Balance & Bridge
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
When YEMA launched the Yachtingraf Croisière back in the 1960s, it was a purpose-built tool designed for the open water. It had one job: keep time on the regatta circuit. Today, that tidy legacy gets a slap of spray paint and a whole lot of irreverence in the form of the Yachtingraff—a wild new collaboration between YEMA and boundary-pushing artist seconde/seconde/.
Yes, the name now has two F’s. Yes, the pushers look like miniature spray cans. And yes, it still has that signature regatta countdown timer. But this time around, it’s paired with a winking sense of rebellion. It’s a love letter to the Croisière, but written in Sharpie across the caseback.
YEMA x Seconde/Seconde/ Crashes the Deck
If you’re unfamiliar, seconde/seconde/ is the Paris-based artist best known for hijacking the DNA of classic watches and remixing them into something more playful, ironic, and undeniably fresh. His signature style usually involves swapping out hands or elements of the dial for something intentionally absurd or evocative—a burning matchstick, a slice of Swiss cheese, a paper airplane. With this project, however, he’s gone far beyond a single twist. The Yachtingraff is a full-on rework.
From the hand-tagged dial to the graffiti-adjacent pushers, every element of the watch has been touched by that subversive vision. It’s cheeky, disruptive, and unexpectedly cohesive. Somehow, it works—and that’s what makes it exciting.
YEMA, for their part, has a long and storied history in French watchmaking. Known for durable tool watches that range from diver’s instruments to pilot’s chronographs, the brand has been steadily reintroducing archival pieces with a modern spin. The original Yachtingraf Croisière was beloved for its regatta-timer design, used to help sailors countdown the critical five-minute period before a race begins. The Yachtingraff, however, doesn’t ask for permission to be part of that club. It crashes the yacht party with a spray can and a grin.
The Countdown to Chaos
The regatta-style “big eye” countdown subdial is still front and center—but now it feels like it’s been lifted from a subway tunnel mural. The surface of the dial is layered and painted, with a noticeable dimensional quality that gives it an almost sculptural feel. Faceted applied indexes and stainless steel hour and minute hands—treated with BGW9 Super-LumiNova—cut through the chaos to keep things legible, while the chrono hands are painted, offering another subtle contrast.
The overall effect? Playful, but never unreadable. There’s plenty of attitude here, but it’s still a functional chronograph underneath it all.
The spray-can-style pushers are a clever design twist. While they look like tiny aerosol nozzles, they’re fully operational and provide tactile feedback when engaging the chronograph. It's a little easter egg for anyone who’s ever felt the thrill of tagging a wall—or timing something as mundane as boiling pasta. These pushers aren’t just for show; they’re a literal push-to-spray nod to the artform that inspired the collab.
Everyday Wear, Art School Edge
Despite the wild design cues, the Yachtingraff keeps things restrained in size. The case measures 38.5mm in diameter and just 10.3mm thick, making it incredibly wearable for most wrists. Lug width comes in at 19mm, and the vertical brushed 316L stainless steel case features polished bevels, lugs, and bezel for a bit of visual pop. It’s not overly shiny or flashy, but the detailing is crisp and deliberate.
Topping it off is a double-domed 2.00mm hesalite crystal, which offers that vintage-style warmth and distortion without breaking the cohesive visual flow. Hesalite is a throwback move—one that fits perfectly here, reinforcing the mid-century roots of the original Croisière while giving seconde/seconde/’s additions room to breathe.
Under the hood, the watch is powered by the Seiko VK63, a meca-quartz hybrid movement that blends quartz accuracy with a mechanical chronograph feel. This means you get the crisp snap of a mechanical chrono hand reset, but with battery-powered consistency. It’s an ideal fit for this watch: low-maintenance, reliable, and ready to play the part without taking itself too seriously.
The Tropic-style rubber strap sticks the landing. Lightweight, water-resistant, and just the right amount of retro, it pulls the whole look together. Whether you’re actually on a yacht or just watching street art reels from your couch, it fits.
A Vandal’s Manifesto
Flip the watch over and you’ll find an engraving that sums up the entire project in five French words: “La Croisière, ma muse.” Translated, it reads: The cruise, my muse. It’s subtle, poetic, and maybe even a little romantic. For a watch that’s all about disruption and spray paint, it’s a surprisingly tender homage to the original inspiration.
This caseback isn’t just decoration—it’s a statement. Seconde/seconde/ isn’t destroying the past. He’s remixing it. And YEMA, to their credit, is letting it happen with full enthusiasm.
Launch & Pre-Order Details
Price: €449 / $449
Pre-orders open: Wednesday, June 25th at 4PM CET / 10AM EST
Deliveries begin: Early September 2025
Water resistance: 100 meters (10 ATM / 330 feet)
Final Thoughts
The Yachtingraff is a conversation. It takes the bones of a classic and paints all ove
r them, not out of disrespect, but out of admiration. For longtime YEMA fans, it’s a fresh perspective on a heritage design. For seconde/seconde/ followers, it’s another bold notch in a portfolio of artistic disruptions. And for the rest of us? It’s just plain fun.
In a sea of sterile releases and lookalike chronographs, the YEMA Yachtingraff x seconde/seconde/ isn’t afraid to make waves. Or tag the hull.
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