YEMA Flygraf Pilot French Air Force Pilot Watch
Starting from 459 €The YEMA Flygraf Pilot French Air Force is an aviation watch born from a partnership between the French watchmaker and the French Air and Space Force. Presented as the official watch of the AAE, it translates cockpit spirit into a compact 38.5mm case just 8.90mm thick, designed for everyday wear as much as active service. Its 316L stainless steel case receives a four-tone military camouflage achieved through double ion plating, a rare treatment at this price point. The grey grained dial, tricolour vulture at 6 o'clock and Cordura strap with embroidered roundel display an unmistakable allegiance. Powered by a Seiko VH31 hybrid quartz movement with a sweeping seconds hand, it favours legibility and simplicity of use.
YEMA Flygraf Pilot French Air Force Pilot's Watch
YEMA, founded in 1948, belongs to that select circle of French brands that assemble their watches in their own workshops. The company claims genuine manufacturing activity in France and structures its catalogue between collections powered by Sellita SW200 calibres and lines fitted with its in-house CMM.10, CMM.20 and CMM.30 calibres. Its historic slogan, #TimeofHeroes, dates back to 1970 and sums up a consistent direction: equipping those who work in demanding conditions, from athletes to explorers to military personnel.
The link between YEMA and the French Air Force is long-standing. It dates back to the early 1970s, with an initial issue to the Sauveteurs Plongeurs Héliportés, who received one of the first Superman models. Other Superman watches were later worn by Air Force pilots, making this tool watch a multi-purpose reference within the units. Since 2019, the brand and the French Air and Space Force have collaborated formally on models inspired by French military aviation.
The Flygraf Pilot French Air Force continues this lineage as an exclusive model born from this collaboration. It carries the markers explicitly: the AAE vulture in its official colours at 6 o'clock, the insignia engraved in relief on the caseback, and the tricolour roundel embroidered on the strap. An avowed pilot's watch, both an object of belonging and a daily timekeeping instrument.
Technical specifications YEMA Flygraf Pilot French Air Force
- Brand: YEMA
- Model: Flygraf Pilot French Air Force
- Reference: YMHF1593AA-CA
- Indicative price: 459 €
- Movement: Hybrid quartz
- Calibre: Seiko VH31
- Diameter: 38.5 mm
- Thickness: 8.90 mm
- Water resistance: 10 BAR / 100 m / 330 feet
- Materials: 316L stainless steel
- Crystal: Domed K1 mineral crystal
- Dial: Grey grained texture, Super-LumiNova BGW9
- Strap: Black woven Cordura-type nylon
- International warranty: 2 years
- Box contents: Travel case, warranty
The YEMA Flygraf Pilot French Air Force Military Watch
Designed in the spirit of a cockpit, the Flygraf Pilot borrows the visual language of flight instruments: large applied numerals, a minute railway track and generously luminous hands. The grey grained dial is matte enough to limit reflections, yet textured enough to evoke a genuine aircraft gauge. The matte black numerals ringed in white are treated with Super-LumiNova BGW9, as are the matte black hour and minute hands, ensuring immediate legibility day and night. The white seconds hand with its red-tipped signal adds the expected aeronautical touch, a reminder that time here is read to the second.
At 6 o'clock, the vulture of the French Air and Space Force appears in blue, white and red, firmly anchoring the military identity of this edition. The format remains measured and suited to daily wear: 38.5mm in diameter for just 8.90mm thick, proportions faithful to historic pilot's watches, with a 19mm lug width that further refines the silhouette. The case slips easily under a flight suit or shirt sleeve, a rare quality in the world of aviation watches, which are often oversized. With 100 metres of water resistance, the Flygraf Pilot handles swimming and surface activities without particular reservation, making it as versatile a companion as it is an object of belonging.
A Camouflage Case and a Continuous-Sweep Quartz Movement
The central technical argument of this Flygraf lies in its finish. The 316L stainless steel case does not receive a surface-painted camouflage: the four tones are integrated into the metal through a double vacuum ion plating treatment. A first gunmetal-coloured layer forms the base, then a second application draws the patterns, each treated to a different depth. The darker shades thus display a more pronounced relief, the lighter ones a finer rendering, creating an unusual visual and tactile play of textures at this price level, along with resistance superior to that of simple paint.
The satin-finished 316L steel bezel, the push crown signed YEMA, and the screwed caseback engraved with the AAE insignia complete this resolutely tactical monobloc aesthetic. The dial is protected by a domed 2mm K1 mineral crystal, whose curve recalls the plexiglass of vintage pilot's watches. On the mechanical side, the Flygraf Pilot stands as an exception in the brand's catalogue. It is powered by the Seiko VH31 calibre, a quartz movement that YEMA describes as a mechanical-quartz hybrid due to its continuous-sweep seconds hand. The result combines the visual fluidity of a mechanical movement with the precision and simplicity of a quartz. The black nylon Cordura strap, adorned with the embroidered tricolour roundel, completes this operational positioning.
YEMA Flygraf Pilot French Air Force Aviation Watch: The Cockpit Spirit
Official watch of the French Air and Space Force, the YEMA Flygraf Pilot French Air Force pairs a 38.5mm 316L stainless steel case, 8.90mm thick, with a four-tone military camouflage finish achieved through double ion plating. The grey grained dial features large luminous applied numerals, a minute railway track and the tricolour AAE vulture at 6 o'clock. The Seiko VH31 hybrid quartz calibre offers a continuous-sweep seconds hand. Domed K1 mineral crystal, 100 metres water resistance, black Cordura strap with embroidered roundel, leather travel case and a two-year international warranty.
Movement
The Flygraf Pilot is powered by the Seiko VH31 calibre, which the brand presents as a mechanical-quartz hybrid movement. Its distinguishing feature is its continuous-sweep seconds hand, which glides across the dial like a mechanical calibre while retaining the precision and low-maintenance nature of quartz. The display is limited to essentials, with hours, minutes and seconds, free of superfluous complications, in the functional spirit of pilot's watches. A pragmatic choice geared towards reliability and instant time-reading, both on duty and in everyday life.
Diameter and Materials
The case is machined from 316L stainless steel and measures 38.5mm in diameter for 8.90mm in thickness, with a 19mm lug width. Its four-tone military camouflage finish is not applied on the surface: it results from a double ion plating treatment carried out under vacuum, with a first gunmetal layer forming the base and a second drawing the patterns at different depths. The 316L steel bezel has a satin finish, and the grey grained dial is protected by a domed 2.00mm K1 mineral crystal.
Water Resistance
The Flygraf Pilot offers 10 bar of water resistance, equivalent to 100 metres, a level that easily covers rain, swimming and surface water sports. The screwed 316L stainless steel caseback, finished with circular brushing, is adorned with the French Air and Space Force insignia engraved in relief. The push crown, matched to the IP-gun finish and signed YEMA, contributes to the case's monobloc appearance. The Super-LumiNova BGW9 on the hour markers and the three hands completes this capability for demanding uses, including at night.
Accessories
The watch is delivered on a black woven Cordura-type nylon strap measuring 19mm, chosen for its durability and comfort, and enhanced with an embroidered tricolour roundel reflecting the emblem of French military aircraft. It closes with a stainless steel pin buckle with a vertically brushed finish, polished bevels and YEMA engraving. The set arrives in a leather travel case, accompanied by the international warranty card. No spare strap or additional tool is announced by the brand with this reference.
Warranty
Every Flygraf Pilot comes with a two-year international warranty, counted from the shipping date and materialised by a warranty card placed inside the leather travel case. This warranty does not cover damage resulting from abnormal use of the watch, whether due to lack of care, negligence, an accident or incorrect use. It applies to the entire case, movement and strap supplied with the watch, under the terms set by YEMA at the time of purchase.
YEMA Flygraf Pilot French Air Force The pros
and cons
- Camouflage integrated into metal via IP
- Just 8.90mm thick
- Official French Air Force watch
- Continuous-sweep seconds hand
- 100 metres water resistance
- Quartz movement, not mechanical
- K1 mineral crystal, not sapphire
- Push crown, not screw-down
- Bold camouflage aesthetic
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