One of the last Yema Spationaute III produced

[Seiko7A38]

I missed the opportunity of buying another Yema Spationaute III Aragatz N80P76 last night. It's not as if I really needed to add another to my huge collection. My excuse is that I was sound asleep. I found it in my saved search notifications this morning. However, this particular example, one that got away, is worthy of mention, for a couple of reasons.

It was listed in the early hours of this morning, by a US eBay seller, as a 5-day auction, with an opening bid price of $325.99, or the option to Buy-it-Now for a not wholly unreasonable price of $424.99, which a canny buyer exercised.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Yema ... 3957555037

Yema-SpationauteIII-eBay-Feb2021-Ended-Sold-£424.99.png (47.59 KiB) Viewed 7872 times

According to WatchCount.com's Look-up tool, the listing was live for just under an hour and a half, during which time it received only 12 views, before someone decided to hit the Buy-it-Now button.

Yema-SpationauteIII-eBay-Feb2021-WatchCount.png (65.28 KiB) Viewed 7872 times

[Seiko7A38]

I'm certain I've documented this somewhere in a thread on the old forum, but I can't find it at the moment. I believe, based on what I've seen listed on eBay and for sale elsewhere - and their geographic distribution, over the last 10 years, that C.G.H.'s production of Yema N8's was indicated by the first digit of their manufacturing serial number as follows:

1988 - (No prefix) Prototype Yema Spationaute III's as presented to the Mir-Aragatz cosmonautes and back-up crew.
1988 - 0 prefix. Limited initial production of dressy model N81W63 (only).
1989 - 1 prefix. Volume production of Yema Spationaute III (with silver painted hands). N8 Flygraf, etc.
1990 - 2 prefix. Ditto, plus most other models in the range. Spationaute III switches to polished hands.
1991 - 3 prefix. Fewer 43mm Spationaute III's produced (rarely seen).
1992 - 4 prefix. Volume production resumes, with 'minimal printing' dial.
1993 - 5 prefix. Significant proportion exported to Far East, notably the 38mm 'reduced' Spationaute III.
1994 - 6 prefix. Final production of N8's before manufacturing ceased, in favour of Y182 (7T32 equivalent).

Amongst my collection, I'm fortunate to own a very early production Yema Spationaute III, with case-back s/n 1 004.

Yema-SpationauteIII-OrologiPassioni-Giuliano57-12.jpg (168.97 KiB) Viewed 7868 times

[Seiko7A38]

The Yema Spationaute III which sold overnight was a well cared for, late production example, fitted with the 'Double Jonc' Navy Shark strap, with the Yema wire loop buckle, which still appeared to be in half-decent wearable condition.

rsz_yema-spationauteiii-ebay-feb2021-1.jpg (241.84 KiB) Viewed 7863 times

rsz_yema-spationauteiii-ebay-feb2021-3.jpg (248.88 KiB) Viewed 7863 times

rsz_yema-spationauteiii-ebay-feb2021-11.jpg (240.42 KiB) Viewed 7863 times

rsz_yema-spationauteiii-ebay-feb2021-12.jpg (207.04 KiB) Viewed 7863 times

Its case-back, which had unfortunately been ruined by the usual slipped removal tool scratches and distorted locator drillings, inflicted by some clumsy ham-fisted incompetent, carried a 6-xxx prefix serial number: 6 - 127.

[Seiko7A38]

Initially on seeing that, I'll admit, I felt momentarily despondent. I briefly couldn't remember whether my collection included a Yema Spationaute III fitted with that strap - and indeed if I owned one with a 6-xxx prefix serial number.
Without checking my spreadsheet, I rushed upstairs and checked my gash / scrap / spare strap drawers. Sure enough there was such a ribbed navy Yema strap, that I'd deemed unusable and discarded. Never throw anything away.

rsz_yema-spationauteiii-doublerib-navysharkstrap-p1660067.jpg (104.32 KiB) Viewed 7851 times

It didn't take long to figure out where I bought it - or should I more correctly say: my ever-faithful US forwarding agent, 'Paul in Vegas' purchased it on my behalf, because the eBay seller wouldn't ship outside CONUS. It was a Buy-it-Now listing in August 2015 for a mere $70. (Documented in full on page 16 of the old Yema N7s and N8s spotted thread).

YemaSpationauteIII-eBay-August2015-Listing.jpg (157.98 KiB) Viewed 7848 times

YemaSpationauteIII-eBay-August2015-1.jpg (109.94 KiB) Viewed 7848 times

YemaSpationauteIII-eBay-August2015-4.jpg (123.16 KiB) Viewed 7848 times

YemaSpationauteIII-eBay-August2015-5.jpg (110.44 KiB) Viewed 7848 times

YemaSpationauteIII-eBay-August2015-6.jpg (120.52 KiB) Viewed 7848 times

It also has a slightly later case-back serial number 6 - 239. Anybody out there got one higher than that ?

[Seiko7A38]

It also has a slightly later case-back serial number 6 - 239. Anybody out there got one higher than that ?

Silly question on my part. I have. Serial number 6 - 334. I know this now, because I've just re-placed its battery.

rsz_p1720096.jpg (201.22 KiB) Viewed 7578 times