Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Things are still rather quiet on the eBay / LeBonCoin / Yahoo Japan front - that is apart from the few grossly overpriced long-running re-listings for N8's that have been documented earlier in this thread. So this morning I had a little google to see what else I could find.

Came across this Yema Spationaute III, listed on a French watch dealer's site, that was new to me:

http://www.horlogerdebattant.com/chrono_yema_spationaute_iii__p223373.html

Chrono YEMA SPATIONAUTE (Besançon) pour homme. YEMA, maison horlogère française 1948.

Mission Soyouz.

Mouvement quartz.

Diamètre environ 41 mm.

Fond vissé.

Date et jour à 3 heures.

Boîte acier.

Aiguilles et index luminescents.

Bracelet en cuir façon crocodile noir avec boucle deployante.

Toutes nos montres sont anciennes et/ou d'occasion. Elles sont révisées dans notre atelier et garanties.

The watch head appears to be in decent used condition, though obviously the black mock croc strap fitted with a deployant clasp isn't original. The asking price of 300 Euros is more than such an example might achieve on eBay, but it's a lot less than I've seen asked by some other French online dealers. Their about me page makes interesting reading (translated by Google):

Besançon of course, being the spiritual home of Yema. 

Here's a Yema Spationaute III, listed by a deluded French eBay seller, yesterday evening, with a risible 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now asking price of 612 Euros !!  No 'Make Offer' option, either.  Think of a number and treble it perhaps ? 

The blue shark strap fitted is French made, but not the original Yema. Not sure where he gets the '500 exemplaires' in the title from. This is just a normal later production model, with what I call the 'minimal printing' dial (without PARIS or QUARTZ) from 1992, as shown by the case-back serial number 4-446. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162522059987

En bel état:la pile est neuve

Deux rayures sur le capot et usure du bracelet

Chrono quartz animé par un mouvement quartz 4 moteurs Seiko,

3 compteurs (3, 6 et 9 heures).

A 6 heures la trotteuse, aiguille du chrono centrale, à 3 heures le « 20e » de secondes, à 9 heures le compteur de minutes sur 30 minutes.

Double guichet des dates à trois heures.

Le boîtier est en acier inox à 43 mm.

Lunette tournante unidirectionnelle avec index.

Couronne vissée

3 poussoirs à 2, 4, 10 heures.

Verre minéral bombé.

Fond avec inscriptions commémoratives.

Speaking of risible 'pie-in-the-sky' asking prices ....

Seeing that Yema N8 Flygraf, relisted on LeBonCoin yet again this lunchtime @ the same 580 Euros, for the nth time ....

http://www.leboncoin.fr/montres_bijoux/971273597.htm?ca=1_s

.... reminded me that last weekend, I'd spotted another 'head only' - ironically, only a couple of hours or so, after writing:

Things are still rather quiet on the eBay / LeBonCoin / Yahoo Japan front .... (in starting my post at the top of this page). 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/montres_bijoux/1134775248.htm?ca=1_s

Montre YEMA Flygraf

There was no price stated; simply 'make offer'. Obviously no strap, but still fitted with the original Yema strap push pins.

Remembering, but not actually reciting my mantra: I really don't didn't need another Yema N8 Flygraf ....

I contacted the seller and asked if he could send me the original high resolution photo and another of the watch's case-back.

Which he kindly did:

As can be seen by zooming in on the original full-sized photo, there are a number of small scratches on the crystal, but nothing too bad. The case-back is in a lot better condition than many I've seen - without the usual slipped tool graunch marks.

To gauge if he had any idea of price (and no other reason), I made the seller what I considered a fair offer. He neither accepted nor declined. I have managed to establish that he has no PayPal. He's also reluctant to accept payment by Bank Transfer, because he's unwilling to divulge his bank details to a stranger. So all I can say is Bon Chance to anyone else who fancies a try ! 

This dressy Yema N81W63 was listed on Yahoo Japan auctions yesterday with a rather optimistic opening bid price of 28,000 Yen (equivalent to slightly over $250 at today's exchange rate). The watch appears to be in fairly decent used condition, fitted with a replacement Morellato strap. It has the later production 'mininal printing' version of the dial, without PARIS or QUARTZ.

http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w181803103

The second and third compound images are repeated in a slightly larger size, embedded in the description:

Google translates the Japanese seller's title and description as follows:

Yema YEMA ◆ Chronograph Swiss Men's Watch Quartz France Classic Gold Breguet Needle Roman Index

It is a chronograph of YEMA's classical design. In France manufactured goods, the inside quartz is made in Japan.

It is motion confirmed and moves normally.

The dial is in good condition. The glass of the windshield has a few thread scratches.

The case of the watch body, the back lid have fine threads and small scratches, but there are no big scratches or dirt.

The belt is made of genuine leather made of Morerato. There is a feeling of use only a little.

When making a bid, I will ship a new battery (made in Japan) and ship it.

Please question on an uncertain point.

Thanking you in advance.

In addition, we have sent a lot of wristwatches (quartz, mechanical type) etc. for free shipping.

If you do not mind, please visit the link below.

* Size (excluding the crown) · 3.9 cm wide × 1.1 cm thick

* around the arm · about 20 cm maximum

* lug width · · · · · 2.0 cm (actually it's 19mm).

* belt · · · external goods (made of Morerato)

* Men's · · · · · Men's

* Waterproof ····· 50 m waterproof

* Machine · · · Quartz

* Accessories · · · None

Seiko7A38 at May 20, 2017 at 6:28 AM

Here's a Yema Spationaute III, listed by a deluded French eBay seller, yesterday evening, with a risible 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now asking price of 612 Euros !!  No 'Make Offer' option, either.  Think of a number and treble it perhaps ? 

I'd noticed that a couple of days ago, the deluded French eBay seller had reduced their 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price to 'only' 512 Euros. So yesterday, I sent them a cheeky eBay message, suggesting that 212 Euros might be a more realistic figure. 

This morning I checked the listing to see if they'd responded. They had - by increasing it to a ludicrous 812 Euros !! 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162522059987 

So, clearly, it's a case of think of a number, as long as it ends in '12'.  

The revisions so far - there's sure to be more: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemRevisionDetails&item=162522059987

Meanwhile yesterday evening, another French eBay seller also listed a Yema Spationaute III, but as a 7-day auction, with a rather more sensible opening bid price of 200 Euros.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122532865014

Avis aux collectionneurs

Montre Yema Spationaute

(Vol longue duree Aragatz CCCP France)

Montre des cosmonautes francais partis dans l'espace

Côte actuelle 1000 euros

This two-tone 38mm diameter 'reduced' Yema Spationaute III, model # N80A696, in average worn condition, was listed yesterday evening by a French eBay seller, with an opening bid of 1 Euro and no reserve. That said, it's one of those private listings - bidder identity protected, so wide open to shill bidding. Although the seller states a new battery has been fitted, in all the head on photos the watch is showing exactly the same time, with the seconds hand on 8 seconds. For reasons best known to himself, the seller has the screw-down crown fully hacked.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152575724880

This Yema Spationaute III was listed on LeBonCoin yesterday afternoon, with a grossly over-optimistic asking price of 450 Euros.

That said, the smaller photo shows an invoice for 189 Euros for a recent complete overhaul by a professional watchmaker ....

Nice to see; presumably the would-be seller is hoping to cover his outlay. But Zero chance (or nowhere near), I'm afraid. 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/montres_bijoux/1146410476.htm?ca=1_s

Yema spationaute 3

That French eBay auction for the 38mm 'reduced' Yema Spationaute III ended about half an hour ago, selling for 183 Euros after 32 bids - about what I would have expected for an example in this condition.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152575724880

The reason I'd deliberately delayed posting the above result, was that I was hoping to 'kill two birds with one stone', by reporting the result of the other French eBay auction, for that full sized Yema Spationaute III (which was ending 25 minutes later) in the same post. I'd half expected it would have sold for the 200 Euros opening bid price, in the closing seconds, but there were no takers. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122532865014

The seller re-listed it earlier this evening, with the opening bid price reduced to 150 Euros, but also adding a Buy-it-Now option.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122545960617

The mind really does boggle at their logic sometimes. 

This average worn condition Yema N8 Flygraf was listed yesterday lunchtime by a UK eBay seller, with an over-optimistic opening price of £250. He's mistakenly assumed it's 1970's (the earliest automatic Yema Flygrafs were produced in the 70's). The Ref. 12-805 in the title comes from the watch's case-back serial number (actually 2-805) which dates it manufacture to 1990.

See my other comments below.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162556951644

Very rare 1970s Yema Flygraf aviation chronometer. Freshly serviced, with original Yema leather 2 piece strap.

The seller omits to mention that the watch has been fitted with a non-standard replacement screw-down crown. Not intending to deliberately nit-pick, but to my eyes, the hands' lume looks just a little too green (compared to the dial batons) suggesting they may have been re-lumed. In the first two photos, the watch is shown fitted with a TOPO Designs Nylon / Velcro strap. Possibly a nice alternative means of  wrist attachment (once you'd removed the naff designer label) - but unfortunately not a safe option, using those ill-fitting under-sized springbars. The watch does come supplied with the original Yema leather strap, but there's no sign of the original pin and tube fixings, which would have made the Velcro strap a viable option.

I've got a pretty good memory for watches and somehow this Flygraf gave me that nagging feeling of Déjà Vu. The discrepancy in the colour of the lume (hands versus dial batons) and non-original screw-down crown seemed familiar, but the TOPO Designs Velcro strap (and the inclusion of the original Yema leather strap) threw me off track for a while. So I started paging back through this thread, until I found this post (including quote from page 13) from March 2015 towards the top of Page 14 .....

Seiko7A38 at March 7, 2015 at 10:56 AM

Seiko7A38 at March 2, 2015 at 1:09 PM

What is it with Yema and Romania lately ?  Here's another N8 Flygraf listed by another Romanian eBay seller this afternoon.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121585004277

HELLO.AN AUCTION THIS RARE YEMA FLYGRAF CHRONOGRAPH 100 M FRANCE.ALL STAINLESS STEEL,THE CASE MEASURES APROX 41 MM WITHOUT CROWN AND PUSHERS.EXCELENT WORKING WITH MOVEMENT SHIMAUKI JAPAN ,15 JEWELS LIKE SEIKO. THANKS.

I've rotated all 4 of the seller's photos through 90 degrees for clarity. Note also the non-original screw-down crown fitted.

That eBay auction for a Yema N8 Flygraf by a Romanian seller ended a few minutes ago, selling for the opening bid price of £99.99

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121585004277

And before anybody so much as hints .... No - it wasn't me, either (private listing - bidders' identities protected). 

Remember - I really didn't need another Yema N8 Flygraf .... and I think 4's more than enough for anybody. 

But that watch was fitted with a replacement leather strap. So where did the correct original Yema strap come from ? 

I wouldn't mind betting that's where the Yema strap came from - and where the original pair of pin and tube strap fixings remain. 

But I may be wrong about that.  The seller published an intriguing reply to my tongue in cheek question:

The re-listed French eBay auction for a Yema Spationaute III ended about an hour ago, selling for the opening bid price of 150 Euros.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122545960617

The UK eBay auction for a Yema N8 Flygraf ended a few moments ago with the watch unsold.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162556951644

 I had noticed there was a bid placed mid-week, but the bidder subsequently retracted it yesterday evening:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bfl/viewbids/162556951644?item=162556951644

The UK eBay seller re-listed his Yema N8 Flygraf a couple of hours ago. This time as a low start auction, with an opening bid price of

£0.99 - or the option to Buy-it-Now for (the previous opening bid price of) £250.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162564653690

In such situations, it's hard to resist the temptation of putting in a low bid, which usually automatically kills the B-I-N option. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162564653690

Seiko7A38 at June 9, 2017 at 9:47 AM

This Yema Spationaute III was listed on LeBonCoin yesterday afternoon, with a grossly over-optimistic asking price of 450 Euros.

Needless to say, it remains unsold. A couple of days ago, it was joined by another, with the same over-optimistic asking price. 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/montres_bijoux/1155112525.htm?ca=1_s

Yema Spationaute III

The re-listed UK eBay auction for a Yema N8 Flygraf ended a few moments ago, selling for £195 after 24 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162564653690

This poor example of a Yema N8 Flygraf was listed on Sunday evening by a French eBay seller as a 3-day auction, with an opening bid price of 99.99 Euros. For some reason, it's only just come up in my eBay saved search notifications. It's sad to admit that I almost immediately recognized the combination of discoloured hands lume and scabby flaking sub-dials.  It's a watch that has featured numerous times before in this thread, except that previously it's always been fitted with an olive green NATO strap. The black leather strap it's now wearing only threw me off track for a few minutes. I'm not about to do multiple re-quotes, nor page all the way back through this thread, but from memory, it was first offered by another French eBay seller agnequeh (now 38lana1301) as far back as October 2015, allegedly sold twice (once for 58 Euros and later for 74 Euros) and was relisted multiple times, with various 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now prices on both eBay and LeBonCoin. If you want to see a few previous posts about this watch in its earlier guise, type 'scabby Flygraf' into the search window.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292193260324

Superbe Montre vintage à quartz des années 80

Fonctionne à la perfection

Grosse dimensions 43 mm hors remontoir

Envoi en mondial relay 4 euros.

Superbe ??? C'est de la Merde !!

As I wrote when I first saw it Back in October 2015: Probably one best avoided - unless you're French and désespéré !

The above 3-day auction failed to attract any bids. The French eBay seller re-listed it soon afterwards, adding a Buy-it-Now option:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302395342256

The re-listing ended yesterday evening with the 'scabby' Flygraf selling for 96 Euros after 8 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302395342256

Incidentally, what I'd written earlier about (all) this watch's previous appearances on eBay and Leboncoin having been fitted with an olive green NATO strap is incorrect. In fact, it had also appeared twice more on eBay fairly recently, in February and March this year (see top of the previous page) offered by yet another French eBay seller, then fitted with a tan leather strap. But I'd failed to recognise it as the same watch on those occasions. Hopefully, this will be the last we've seen of it. 

I'm not finding much in the way of Yema N7's or N8's on LeBonCoin lately - and certainly not any bargains.  Maybe I'm just not searching regularly enough.  This wildly over-optimistically priced N81W53 was listed on there earlier this week. 290 Euros !

It's now at the top of the second page of a search on 'Yema'. I expect it'll be doing the rounds a while. 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/montres_bijoux/1167219560.htm?ca=1_s

Pour collectionneur montre Yema Paris Chronometre