Credits: Article and images by Raman Kalra @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/10/20/yema-navygraf-marine-nationale-gmt-review-for-the-love-of-relatively-affordable-design/
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Dial
Moving on to the watch itself, and in person, it is an extremely attractive design that lives up to online marketing photography.
Dial of the Yema Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT
The first thing to hit you is just how great the colors are. Obviously, blue, white and a hint of deep yellow would always work together, but the shades chosen are truly a delight together.
The blue is more of a faded navy, the yellow has a hint of orange, and the white is similar to the navy. It is a perfect point for me to highlight that the white, even on the bezel, is all lumed, so when catching this watch in a dark area, it really does come alive! When focusing on the dial, the indices are applied and, in my opinion, well-designed.
Yema Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT
I find the triangle and rectangle 12/6/9 indices unique and are a nice nod to the Yema watches of the past. The proportions are good and as they are raised, they catch the light well.
Then the hands. The second hand and GMT hand are a striking dark yellow and probably my favorite aspect of the Navygraf.
They are both a good length, reaching all the way to the minute track, but the GMT hand stands out to me. It is a ghosted GMT hand – the hand color matches the navy blue of the dial and only the yellow arrow is visible.
Yema Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT lume
It is very well done and disappears against the dial. The arrow is hollow, again another nice aspect in my eyes as it allows the indices to be visible at all times, especially important for a dive watch, and brings a sense of delicacy.
You may have noticed that I had not mentioned the hour and minute hands yet. That is because they aren’t on the same level. They are flat, slightly short and to be honest, I would expect to find them on much more affordable watches.
In my opinion, hand design and quality are one of the areas that can be used as an indicator of overall quality, and here they are not as strong as the second and GMT hand.
Yema Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT
Finally, you find a date window at 3 o’clock and text on the dial, nicely spaced under the 12 o’clock and above the 6 o’clock position. All of this can be seen through a double-domed sapphire crystal that brings a good amount of charm to the Navygraf. By being domed, it builds on the Neo-vintage aesthetic and catches the light nicely.
Yema Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT
The sapphire crystal dome is very pronounced, and it will come down to your taste on whether this is something you like or not. For me, the dome is a good addition but given the extent of the dome, it does remove some legibility as the outer edge is distorted, namely the date.
My impressions of the dial are very good, and this is a very well-designed watch. Stating the obvious, it makes this watch. There are some watches that are defined by good case or bracelet design, or just finishing in general, but with the Navygraf, the dial is really the driving force.
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Credits: Article and images by Raman Kalra @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/10/20/yema-navygraf-marine-nationale-gmt-review-for-the-love-of-relatively-affordable-design/
