Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean review! On this shiok Saturday, I’m reviewing the Rallye (Mario Andretti) from French watch brand, Yema.
The Rallye Mario Andretti is a special limited edition timepiece made in collaboration with the legendary racing driver, Mario Andretti. The watch is a reissue of the original Yema Rallye chronograph worn at Indianapolis 1969 by legendary race car driver Mario Andretti, who won the event. For more information on the story of Mario Andretti and his Yema Rallye, Worn & Wound did a fantastic video of it here, and Watchoninsta did an interview with Mr Andretti here.
Yema – the Brand
For those who are interested, I covered the brand story of Yema in my review of the Superman Bronze. If you haven’t already yet done so, you can read the review here.
Yema Rallye – Build Quality
The Yema Rallye features decent specifications for the price.
Firstly, the Yema Rallye utilises a domed (2mm) sapphire crystal. As aforementioned numerous times in my previous reviews, I’m a huge advocate of sapphire crystal due to their inherent scratch-resisting properties. Personally, I always look for sapphire crystal in my modern watches as it adds greatly to the durability of the watch. In addition, the Rallye boasts a water-resistant rating of 100M, so you don’t have to worry about it getting wet in the rain, under the tap, etc. Definitely much more scratch-resistant than the vintage Rallye Mr Andretti used to wear!
The Yema Rallye uses the famous ETA Valjoux 7753 movement, and it is a real treat. I’ve covered mechanical chronographs before, but those used the cheap Seagull movement, whereas the Valjoux 7753 (based off the acclaimed 7750) is a movement that can be found in watches from Omega, Longines, Tudor, Breitling, and many more! The Valjoux 7750 series movement is a staple in entry-level Swiss chronographs, and I’m very happy to finally get the chance to interact with one here with the Rallye. Some specifications: the ETA 7753 is a self-winding chronograph movement with 27 jewels, ball-bearing rotor, unidirectional winding, beats at 28,800 bph, and possesses a power reserve of 44 hours. It is not a column-wheel chronograph – instead, it relies on cam switching. Cam switching chronographs are generally seen as of lower ‘prestige’ than the venerable column-wheel chronograph as it is cheaper to produce, but if you want a column-wheel chronograph you will have to look at watches twice, if not thrice the price of the Rallye. In addition, Yema states the minimum accuracy of the movement at +/- 12 seconds per day, with observed accuracy of +/- 6 seconds per day. As with the Superman Bronze, all watches are adjusted and checked by Yema’s watchmakers before they leave the factory, so there shouldn’t be any accuracy issues.
The Yema Rallye comes with not one, not two, but a whopping three straps! All of them are rally straps, in slightly different configurations. The first is the all-black rally strap (shown above), which I’ve been told is made to look similar to the original strap that Mr Andretti wore his original Rallye with during his racing days. To me, it’s alright – it’s definitely the most subdued out of the three, and would be my pick for a dressier occasion.
The second option is a perforated strap with red stitching, but it’s probably my least favourite out of the lot. It just triggers my trypophobia, and the differently sized holes just look odd in my opinion.
My pick out of the lot would have to be the rally strap with the red stitching. To me, this is the winning combination of sportiness (from the red stitching) and historical accuracy, as the larger holes are accurate to the original strap that Mr Andretti wore his Rallye on. This is the strap that I wear the Rallye with most frequently, and I love the combination. The strap quality is pretty decent as well (Yema states that it is vegetable tanned), comfortable on the wrist and should patina over time.
As the icing on the cake, there’s even Swiss Super-Luminova C5 lume applied to the indices and hands. Being merely C5, it’s not as bright as C1 or C3 is, but it definitely still gets the job done. However, I do wish that Yema had bothered to apply lume on the hands of the chronograph sub-dials as well.
All in all, there’s nothing much to complain about with the Yema Rallye. There’s a nicely domed sapphire crystal, a lovely ETA 7753 automatic chronograph movement, three different straps for you to choose from, and even Swiss C5 Superluminova!
Yema Rallye – Design
With the reissue of the Rallye, Yema stuck closely to the design of the original Rallye that Mr Andretti wore on the racetrack – don’t fix what ain’t broke!
I love the dial of the Rallye – it just screams racing, with a strong vintage vibe. Let’s start by discussing the ‘Panda’ portion of the dial. The center portion of the dial is shaped to resemble a car’s dashboard, with the chronograph sub-dials evoking the look of the dual speedometers that one would find in a racing car. For those who are uninitiated with cars, racing cars often feature two speedometers on their dashboard – one that indicates the number of revolution per second (RPM), and another for speed in either kilometres or miles per hour, depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re from. As such, the dual register sub-dial layout evokes the look of a race car perfectly. In case you didn’t get the automotive reference, there’s also a pair of checkered flags on the dial. In particular, I like how Yema chose to use different hands for both chronograph sub-dials – one’s a simple baton, while the other features an arrow-tip hand. It’s a little detail, but it shows me that Yema paid attention to the design.
In addition, there’s also a pair of red stripes on the dial, evocative of the famous red cars that Mr Andretti have driven to victories in his heyday. Again, it’s another sporty touch that just screams racing. There’s also applied indices on the dial, which gives depth to an otherwise flat dial. The indices and hands are also treated in a faux-patina manner, which I know can be off-putting to some. Personally, I’m fine with it as it ties in well thematically with the vintage vibe of the watch.
Like most racing chronographs, the Yema Rallye features a tachymetre dial which allows the wearer to calculate his speed based on time traveled over a fixed distance. You can also use the tachymetre bezel to calculate elapsed distance. Needless to say, I doubt that any of us would ever use the tachymetre bezel for its original purpose, but it certainly adds to the automotive feel of the Rallye. The bezel itself is bidirectional, and made from scratch-resistant aluminium. In recent years we have seen watchmakers experiment with more exotic materials such as ceramic, but Yema decided to stick with aluminium here as the original Rallye worn by Mr Andretti had an aluminium bezel as well.
Moving on, the case of the Yema Rallye is simply polished throughout. Usually, I would have loved to see a variety of finishing techniques (brushing, beveling, etc) applied on the case, but as I understand the relatively simple finishing of the reissued Yema Rallye is intentional so as to be historically accurate to the original Rallye – advanced finishing techniques that I mentioned previously had not been invented back in 1969. To further reinforce the vintage vibe of the watch, Yema also opted for a thick, 2mm domed sapphire crystal, made to resemble the domed acrylic crystal found in the original Rallye while retaining the scratch-resisting properties of sapphire. Lastly, the crown is signed with the vintage Yema ‘Y’ logo, which would have been the logo of Yema back in 1969. Like the case, the chronograph pushers are similarly polished, and provides a satisfying firm response when pushed. Do note that the ETA 7753 movement found in the Rallye is not a flyback movement, so you will have to push the top pusher first to pause the timing before pushing the bottom pusher to reset the chronograph.
The Yema Rallye features a closed caseback, with a very nice artwork of the vintage Yema logo imprinted. There’s also some text that sheds light on the watch’s provenance, as well as Mr Andretti’s signature. Usually, I would have preferred an open caseback, especially for chronograph movements. However, I understand that chronographs of the 60s all had closed casebacks (open casebacks were not yet invented), and thus having a closed caseback once again allows this Rallye reissue to remain faithful to the original.
On my 6.5 inch wrist, the Yema Rallye fits perfectly. In my opinion, it hits the sweet spot in terms of dimensions. At 39mm, it isn’t too big – any bigger and it wouldn’t have felt like a vintage watch. Yet, it doesn’t feel too small either, unlike some of the 36mm chronographs of the 60s. It is a tad thick at 15mm (it wouldn’t fit under any shirt cuff) but it is an automatic chronograph after all. Yema tells me that the dimensions of this reissued Rallye is near identical to that of the original Rallye, and I can definitely feel that when wearing this on the wrist!
All in all, I think Yema killed it in this reissue of the Rallye. As you probably would have noticed by now, Yema stuck faithfully to the design of the original Rallye – in many ways, this is a near 1:1 recreation! It’s a watch that just screams racing in an old school manner. I absolutely love it, and the fact that this is so similar to the watch that Mr Andretti wore when he won the Indy 500 in 1969 just adds to my appreciation of the watch.
Shootout: Yema Rallye vs Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono
If you’re looking for another affordable 1960s chronograph reissue, your main alternative would be the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono. Like the Yema Rallye, the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono is a “modern reworking” of Hamilton’s iconic bicompax ‘panda’ chronograph, first introduced in 1968. As both are vintage-inspired timepieces powered by a Swiss ETA chronograph movement, the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono shall be my comparison to the Yema Rallye for today!
In terms of specifications, both watches are pretty even. Both the Hamilton Intra-Matic and the Yema Rallye features sapphire crystals, an ETA chronograph movement, and lume. They even feature the exact same chronograph layout, with the date window at 6! If I have to pick though, I would say that the Hamilton edges out the Yema slightly due to its modifications to the ETA 7753 movement. Rebranded as the Caliber H-31, Hamilton modified the ETA 7753 movement for a slightly higher 60 hours power reserve, as compared to the 44 hours of the stock ETA 7753 movement found in the Yema Rallye.
The fight is equally close from an aesthetic standpoint too. Both watches oozes vintage racing charm, which comes as no surprise given that both the Hamilton and Yema were modelled after historic models from the late 1960s. They look very similar, both in design and dimensions – the Rallye is 39mm wide, while the Intra-Matic Chrono is 40mm. I hope I don’t come across as too cliche, but in this case, beauty is really in the eye of the beholder, and which watch looks better to you depends on your personal tastes. The Intra-Matic Chrono with its ‘Panda’ dial is more minimalist and cleaner, while the Rallye looks more intriguing with its dashboard dial. Personally, my pick would go to the Yema Rallye. The Mario Andretti provenance aside, the dial of the Rallye is definitely more unique in its design language. In contrast, the ‘Panda’ dial of the Intra-Matic Chrono can be found in watches both much cheaper (such as the Monsieur Ranomo) and more expensive (such as the Breitling Premier B01). The Yema Rallye is definitely more evocative of motorsports as well.
Both watches are priced pretty similarly. Ultimately, which watch is better for you depends on your needs. If you’re merely looking for a vintage-inspired chronograph, the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono would be the better pick as it has a more versatile ‘Panda’ dial, as well as a slightly better movement. However, for racing enthusiasts who wants a reminder of the thrill the rev of an engine makes, the Yema Rallye Mario Andretti is undoubtedly the obvious choice – the entire watch is dedicated to the thrill of racing and winning.
Conclusion – so the Yema Rallye Mario Andretti “shiok” or not?
If you’re an automotive fan, there’s no doubt that you will absolutely love this watch. To be honest, there’s not many watches out there with genuine motorsports pedigree at this price point. The iconic Tag Heuer Monaco (made famous by Steve McQueen) is more than double the price of the Yema Rallye. The Daytona (made famous by Paul Newman) trades for well above its retail price, which is already quite a lot. The Richard Mille RM011 Felipe Massa is in another price bracket entirely. If you’re looking for another racing watch that’s affiliated to a famous driver, the Yema Rallye Mario Andretti is by far the most accessible option on the market currently.
Even as someone who isn’t a die-hard racing enthusiast, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the watch. I love that it’s a faithful recreation of the original Rallye worn by Mario Andretti during his historic 1969 Indy 500 win, and as silly as it sounds wearing the watch on the wrist makes me feel connected to the great man himself. It makes me feel like a winner, a bad-ass legend. It definitely makes me yearn for a sports car someday, or at least a decent car given the astronomical price of cars here in Singapore. On this note, the price of the Yema Rallye is probably my least favourite aspect of the watch. It has an MSRP of $2699 USD – that’s a lot of money, more than similarly specced options from more established brands such as Tissot, Hamilton, Longines, etc. In fact, it’s $300 USD more than Yema’s own Rallygraf Heritage, which is essentially the same watch as the Rallye sans the Mario Andretti provenance. I should also mention that there’s a mecha-quartz version of the Rallye, which is significantly cheaper at just $399 USD. However, you won’t get the commemorative coin, which only comes with the mechanical Rallye Mario Andretti model.
For those interested, Yema is currently running a 15% discount store-wide. You will have to actually chat with one of Yema’s staff over chat support to get the discount code, which will be emailed to you. After the discount, the Rallye Mario Andretti can be had for $2294 USD/ ~S$3260, which is significantly more palatable than the original $2699 USD price tag. Overall, if you’re a racing enthusiast, the Yema Rallye Mario Andretti is a phenomenal watch that’s full of genuine racing heritage, at a price that while still substantial, is much more accessible than watches like the Monaco, Daytona, RM011 Massa, etc. I really grew to like this one over time – I think I’ll be wearing this throughout the rest of lockdown to put a smile on my face!
View the full range of Yema’s offerings here.
Other Reviews:
Check out other reviews of the Yema Rallye Mario Andretti here!
Specifications:
DIMENSIONS
Diameter : 39 mm
Thickness: 15.35 mm
Lug: 19 mm
CASE
Polished 316L stainless steel
BEZEL
Scratch-resistant aluminium bezel
316L bi-directional with black insert
CROWN
Crown with double “O” ring seals with vintage Y Yema logo engraved
CRYSTAL
Domed sapphire crystal (2.00 mm thick)
WATER RESISTANCE
10 BAR / 330 Feet / 100 m
MOVEMENT
Automatic
Chronograph 60 seconds
CALIBER
Valjoux 7753 – ETA Swiss Manufacture
Self winding with ball bearings rotor
27 Rubies
28 800 A/h
ACCURACY
Minimum accuracy of +/- 12 seconds per day. Observed accuracy of +/- 6 seconds per day
Adjustments and checks made before and after assembly by our watchmakers
POWER RESERVE
44 hours
FUNCTIONS
3 push buttons: Hours, minutes, small seconds
2 counters: 30 minutes and 60 seconds
DIAL
Matt black dial with distinct racing red stripes
Chrono sub-registers in chromed brass plate
MARKERS
Embossed markers, polished and applied by hand
Super-LumiNova C5
HANDS
Refined hour and minute hands
Iconic arrow-shaped seconds hand
Super-LumiNova C5
BANDS
Set of 3 rally racing style vintage watch bands:
Black leather perforated strap
Rallye sport ovoid black leather watch band
Rallye sport perforated black leather watch band
Made in France in vegetable-tanned leather which will naturally patina over time
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
