{"id":257175,"date":"2025-11-02T08:16:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T08:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/257175\/"},"modified":"2025-11-02T08:16:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T08:16:08","slug":"yema-rallygraf-alpine-cup-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/257175\/","title":{"rendered":"Yema Rallygraf Alpine Cup Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

Borna Bo\u0161njak<\/a><\/p>\n

The partnership between Yema and Alpine has blossomed into a fruitful one. While the Renault subsidiary\u2019s Formula 1 efforts are covered by H. Moser & Cie<\/a>, the two French brands<\/a> have come together to tribute Alpine\u2019s other racing escapades, which there are many of. Previous editions included tributes to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but today\u2019s novelty \u2013 the Rallygraf Alpine Cup \u2013 honours the Alpine A110 Elf spec series that sees the mid-engined, lightweight sports cars battle it out on some of Europe\u2019s most respected circuits. To paint a picture, the 2025 season saw action at places like Spa, Zandvoort, and Mugello. As for the watch, Yema released three models to celebrate this particular occasion, and we got our hands on the panda dial<\/a> \u2013 and as you may expect, had some thoughts.<\/p>\n

The dial<\/p>\n

\"yema<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re familiar with any of Yema\u2019s previous Rallygraf releases, the recipe for the dial is consistent. Its main differentiating factor is the contrasting, trapezoidal sub-dials, which is a look that the Rallygraf has been championing since its introduction in the 1960s<\/a>. For this specific collaboration, branding is very minimal, with the Yema and Alpine Cup Series text opposing each other at 12 and 6 o\u2019clock, respectively. Truth be told, I wouldn\u2019t mind a bit more of that Alpine blue<\/a> on the dial, perhaps as part of the Alpine brand name, but I really can\u2019t complain. The highlight colour is cleverly integrated into the tachymeter scale printing, as well as the \u201cBASE 1000\u201d phrase, making for a pleasantly minimal dial.<\/p>\n

In addition to this panda, two other dial colours are available. The first is essentially an exact inverse of this one, with white sub-dials against a black backdrop. But if you yearn for that blue, the only option would be to step up to the manually-wound Sellita<\/a> model, adopting a light blue panda look.<\/p>\n

The case<\/p>\n

\"yema<\/p>\n

On the wrist, the 39mm diameter and 47mm lug-to-lug mean that the proportions are ideal. Sure, the thickness at 12.2mm isn\u2019t ultra-thin by today\u2019s standards, but it is in line with what I\u2019d expect from a watch sporting this movement. The finishing is overall very pleasant, if not overly elaborate, but it gets the point of the Rallygraf being a sporty chronograph<\/a> across.<\/p>\n

What did surprise me was that Yema opted for a K1 mineral crystal. While this is one of the more affordable watches they make, I see no reason why they wouldn\u2019t use a sapphire here, as they do on the light blue LE. Sure, it won\u2019t have those vintagey reflections and warm feel, but it\u2019s a tradeoff I\u2019d be happy to take, and a feature I expect in a modern watch at this price today.<\/p>\n

The bracelet<\/p>\n

\"yema<\/p>\n

What kind of strap or bracelet do you expect a watch called the \u201cRallygraf\u201d to have? It simply needs to have a perforated leather strap, designed in a way that it only looks really cool if you\u2019re already oozing cool\u2026 Or does it? Yema took it a step further and chose to subtly integrate that same \u201cperforated\u201d design into the five-link bracelet. It\u2019s a clever way of continuing the visual language, and the brushing seems superb. The only negative is the clasp, which is a pressed number.<\/p>\n

The movement<\/p>\n

\"yema<\/p>\n

As you might have inferred from the dial layout, the movement is a Seiko VK64 mechaquartz<\/a>, the ubiquitous choice when making an affordable chronograph, and for the right reasons. It\u2019s a proven performer and will last you some three years before you\u2019d have to pop a new battery in. It\u2019s hidden behind an Alpine \u201cA\u201d emblazoned caseback \u2013 giving me a moment to once again commend the showcased overbranding restraint.<\/p>\n

The verdict<\/p>\n

\"yema<\/p>\n

Yema have played this very cleverly. For those who aren\u2019t\u00a0into the racing and probably don\u2019t want some random, big logo printed onto the dial, this subtle bit of text is perfectly acceptable. As a purely personal quip, I have to mention the distinct lack of Alpine blue \u2013 I would\u2019ve really wanted to see a dial in the exact colour, but alas, with that we once again enter the dangerous territory of potential overbranding. The rest of the watch is exactly what you\u2019d expect from Yema\u2019s entry-level: decent finishing all around, care taken to make it wearable, and a novel design, like this perforated rally bracelet to tie it all in.<\/p>\n

Yema Rallygraf Alpine Cup Series pricing and availability<\/p>\n

The Yema x Alpine collection comprises three models \u2013 two mechaquartz, standard-production pieces, and a 100-piece edition powered by a manual Sellita chronograph movement \u2013 all of which are available now from Yema\u2019s online boutique<\/a>. Price: US$549 (mechaquartz), US$2,390 (LE)<\/p>\n

Brand
\nYema<\/p>\n

Model<\/p>\n

Rallygraf Alpine Cup Series
Rallygraf Alpine Cup Series Limited Edition<\/p>\n

Reference Number<\/p>\n

YMHF1589ALP-BM
YMHF1589ALP-AM
YRAL25ALP.CH-GG33S<\/p>\n

Case Dimensions<\/p>\n

39mm (D) x 12.2mm (T) x 47mm (LTL)
41mm (D) x 14.3mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) (LE)<\/p>\n

Case Material
\nStainless steel<\/p>\n

Water Resistance
\n100 metres<\/p>\n

Crystal(s)
\nK1 mineral crystal front
Sapphire crystal front (LE only)<\/p>\n

Dial<\/p>\n

White\/black panda and reverse panda
Blue\/white panda (LE)<\/p>\n

Lug Width
\n20mm<\/p>\n

Strap
\nPerforated leather rally strap
Steel rally bracelet (mechaquartz only)<\/p>\n

Movement<\/p>\n

Seiko VK64, mechaquartz
Sellita SW510 M BH b, manual winding (LE)<\/p>\n

Power Reserve
\n~3-year battery life
60 hours (LE)<\/p>\n

Functions<\/p>\n

Hours, minutes, small seconds, 24-hour indicator, date, chronograph
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph (LE)<\/p>\n

Availability<\/p>\n

Mechaquartz is regular production, mechanical is limited to 100 pieces<\/p>\n

Price
\nUS$449 (mechaquartz, strap)
US$549 (mechaquartz, bracelet)
US$2,390 (LE)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Borna Bo\u0161njak The partnership between Yema and Alpine has blossomed into a fruitful one. While the Renault subsidiary\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":257176,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,63,119457,135004,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-257175","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-metachronograph","11":"tag-metafrench-brands","12":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}